If you've spent any time around the startup space in the last few years you've probably come across a raft of advisors and mentors.
Many of them are highly capable and experienced people who can help founders and their businesses enormously.
There are also some who, whilst very much in it for the right reasons, misunderstand the value they bring and what the person at the other end of the dialogue really needs.
In fact, there are so many people now out there with Advisor or Mentor on their resume that these descriptors are in danger of becoming the new Growth Hacker or Consultant, where their original meaning becomes bastardised and the practice itself risks becoming somewhat devalued, tainted and commoditised.
Meanwhile, as the Counsellor and Consigliere, like the original advisors and mentors from ancient Greece, have been around for centuries, other roles have emerged in recent years.
For example, executive and life coaching has experienced considerable de-stigmatisation and a rapid growth in popularity. Whilst there are a number of accredited programs to becoming qualified there's nothing really stopping anyone calling themselves a coach. Aside from the debate on how important accreditations are in this area, a risk is present that where many rush in the understanding of what these practices really mean becomes lost.
When you're looking for professional guidance this opens up the questions of knowing what you need and why you need it.
These 4 roles of Advisor, Mentor, Coach and Counsel are more than just semantics or trendy titles to buff up a LinkedIn profile – there are clear distinctions.
Here's a brief overview of my understanding of each one to help you think about making the choice that suits you best.
A lot of companies have advisory boards. Take a look at any good advisory board (note: this is not the same as a board of directors) and it'll include a raft of subject matter experts. For example, a biotech startup will likely have senior biologists on the advisory board, and an ad tech platform may have a former Google Adwords exec involved as an advisor.
An advisor provides advice – they say what they think about the subject at hand.
I've written about mentoring a few times before. Contrary to some advice (ahem…), mentors don't need to come from your industry, they don't need to be older than you, and you can have more than one.
Whilst dictionary definitions vary, I believe what's most important is they have trodden a path that follows a similar direction to the one you're taking, and they've encountered some of those same hurdles and challenges first hand.
I like to think of mentors as a sherpa or a guide, shining light on the path or paths that can be traveled, but the person being mentored chooses and decides on the direction they want to take.
When you think of the word 'coach' you probably first think of sports. What do the best sports coaches have in common? Simply, they're excellent at getting the best from the people they're working with. How they do that can vary hugely but the end result is the same – they enable people to unlock and fulfil their potential and produce their best performances on a consistent basis.
A coach doesn't need to be a subject matter expert nor have left the footsteps to follow. This may sound counter-intuitive but many of the most successful coaches weren't great players. Some didn't even play professionally and so aren't true subject matter experts in that respect.
Great coaches tend to have the ability to lead, to visualise a positive future, and to strategise how to get their charges to realise that future.
What's the difference between providing advice and counsel? Advice is saying what you think. Counsel is helping to work out what the other person is thinking. It's an important distinction.
Counsellors often tend to be either lawyers or mental health practitioners.
Good advisors, mentors and coaches will also be adept at helping to work out what you're thinking, but be mindful of their credentials if a problem is more deep rooted.
They should be able to admit where they've reached the edge of their circle of competence and refer you to a specialised counsellor (whether for legal, mental or another kind of assistance).
Some people are able to confidently straddle more than one of these four functions, but generally it's best not to automatically expect your advisory board member to be brilliant at getting the best from your team, nor a mentor to be an expert in your field.
Take some time to first understand why you're looking for help and the outcomes you seek.
Shout out to Chris Howard at The Rattle for providing the initial catalyst for the article.


As the public deadline for completion of the Second Ave. Subway nears, stories about the W train have been popping up with near-monthly regularity. So even though the MTA stated last month that Astoria service wouldn't be reduced when the Q is re-routed to the Upper East Side, they were happy to reiterate this position when amNew York came a-knockin'. Although the MTA hasn't identified just how service patterns will change or what the new Astoria service will be called, this time around, word on the street is that reviving the W is firmly under consideration.
Marc Beja's story covers some familiar territory. The MTA isn't saying much publicly about service patterns, but the agency has held various off-the-record conversations with rider advocates and neighborhood groups acknowledging that the current N train alone is not sufficient for Astoria subway riders. One of the ideas on the table is reviving the W — a local in Manhattan that terminated at Whitehall St. and ran to Astoria.
Reiterating the MTA's position on subway frequency, Kevin Ortiz, a Transit spokesman, said to the daily, "The current level of service in Astoria will not decrease. Reviving the W, he said, "certainly has been discussed; no decision has been made." That the MTA already has yellow and black W roll signs and route bullets in the BMT rolling stock is probably telling, but no decision has to be made until a few months before the Second Ave. Subway opens — which at best means next summer will be the deadline for the W's rebirth.
As far as communicating the W's return, the MTA has already budgeted for new signs and maps once the Second Avenue Subway goes online. It shouldn't create extra confusion or costs to make other changes at the same time.
John Montemarano, director of station signage since 1994 and an MTA employee of 35 years, has seen the birth of the W, V and Second Avenue Subway, as well as the death of the W, V and No. 9. Other lines have shrunk, grown and changed because of ridership shifts, budget changes, the 9/11 attacks and Sandy damage. Now, new stations are being finished along Second Avenue and the No. 7 line.
If the MTA adds or revives a line, Montemarano said he would need about four months to get the transit system ready. It would take that long for the 48 workers in his department to survey the stations, design signs, check their accuracy and then create signs in the Brooklyn shop that would be loaded into trains to carry them to each station for installation. A small station would need about 60 new signs, while a larger station like 34th Street-Herald Square will need closer to 800. Small circular decals cost about $5 to make up, while bigger signs can be upwards of $200.
With the need to bring online some new service in a year and a half, the MTA has a chance to play around with services. They could run the W through the Montague St. Tunnel and down 4th Ave. to Bay Parkway as supplemental local service. They could restore express service to the N while running the W local or use the W as an express in Manhattan with the N local. This is a great time to assess changing transit patterns and customer needs along a stretch of line many consider to be underserved right now. We'll find out if the MTA's hulking bureaucracy can think creatively for a few months as the W — or something similar — returns.
Based on the needs of Brooklyn riders and the existing routing of the Broadway lines in Brooklyn, it would seem to be a simple tweak to restore N express service at least from Times Square to Canal and restore the W to its former role of Whitehall-to-Ditmars local (though I suppose the MTA could save on a couple of train crews and rolling stock usage by cutting the W back to just the upper level of Canal Street). Running the W express in Manhattan almost requires the line replace the N as Fourth Avenue express in Brooklyn, because to do otherwise would jam the switching between Prince and Canal streets.
Alternatively, they could switch the N and R terminals in Queens, have the N run express in Manhattan and make the R run with shorter intervals. Extend the to Bay Pkwy (taking over the former ) during peak hours and have it terminate at Whitehall at other times.
No need for an extra W train then.
Extend the what to Bay Pkway?
Extend the W to Bay Parkway on the West End Line (D). The M used to run there at rush hour so the W could revive that service as well.
No, it would not be pointless. It would supplement the R train along 4th Ave. If you're bringing back the W, extending it doesn't cost that much more, maybe a few million annually?
Since the budget needs to be perfectly balanced, a few million matters. The W got axed for ~$3 million in savings.
I'm not fully convinced on extending the W either. Interlining really needs to be reduced to make the system more reliable. If the R is actually overcrowded, the obvious solution would be to add more trains on that route.
I thought more trains couldn't be added because of terminal capacity constraints.
The old M train ran nearly empty in most of its run from Court to Bay Parkway. There is zero need to revive it.
And the southbound M caused delays at 36th Street when it would pause before going on the express ( West End ) track.
Yes l agree with you because the M Train runs from Queens to Queens.
I doubt that the N and R terminals will (or should) be switched. Under the current routing, each line has convenient access to a shop/yard at one end of the line. If they were to be switched, the R would be without such access at both ends, which was the case before 1985, when the R went to Astoria, and the N went to Forest Hills.
I meant to write an R between brackets () – so essentially a diamond R, but the parser software apparently mistook that for a tag.
Or at least 9th Avenue.
But that would require more cars, and more workers, and thus more money. At time when the MTA is heading toward a financial iceberg, followed by a physical one.
As a beleaguered R train rider along 4th Ave, it would be my dream to see supplemental service during peak hours. The current wait times, especially in the evenings heading south, are horrendous. But I think you're probably right about it being pretty unlikely given the budget woes.
Is it my imagination, or are the peak hour R train headways longer than they were before the Montingue Street tunnel shutdown?
I think they are still supposed to be 8 TPH, but the line is really subject to bunching, surprisingly or not so in Brooklyn. I find the bunching worse in the morning between 7 and 9, you're seeing really heavy loads followed by nearly empty trains. I feel like it's been particularly bad last week, which I attributed to some problem of not getting trains in place following Fastrack work.
They're the same. I know this because the northbound R is actually very reliable and comes close to the scheduled interval, at least at the end of rush hour when I board, usually around 9, just before it goes to 10 minute headways. And the scheduled times did not change with the Montague Tube closure.
Of course, that regularity makes the longer headways of the R tolerable. I leave my apartment at a specific time and know I'll make the R within 2-3 minutes about 95% of the time. Now heading south in the evening is a different story. The long slog from Queens often results in some very late and very crowded trains, at least in certain cars. Since I'm in the majority of people who use the R to get to other lines, I really miss the truncated route terminating at Court. Northbound and southbound R's ran on time and I never had to worry about being able to squeeze onto the train in the evening at DeKalb or Atlantic.
As a side note, I've always wondered about the logic behind running 2 routes express and 1 local along the same line. I get load considerations, but the MTA seems to ONLY focus on load and not on service frequency. In my mind, it makes more sense to favor servicing more stations with your available rolling stock rather than provide more express trains. Of course, I'm highly biased since my commute would be 5-10 minutes shorter most days if the D ran local.
Also worth noting, given the N and D both run local overnight in place of the R, you actually have BETTER service at 3am than you do at 3pm on the weekend given the R's 12 minute headways.
If I had to guess the rationale for keeping the N and D local, I imagine it would be a combination of how much it would lengthen either service (and I get that they run local at night, but no train runs express at night) and reducing the number of switches trains have to go through in Brooklyn. I forget where the switches are to get onto the Manhattan Bridge tracks, but you can go from the 4th Ave local track to the Brighton track at DeKalb, but that would wreck the service on the B and Q. I feel like there's a switch before Atlantic heading southbound from the express to local track, but I'm not sure. Either way, the additional switching to get to the right service pattern in Manhattan probably adds complexity that might kill service frequency.
You got it reversed – there is a single switch southbound before Atlantic Av, but it's from the local track to the express.
It's not really practical for the D to run local.
Right now, the D goes straight from the 6 Av Bridge tracks to the 4 Av express tracks. D and Q trains can pass through DeKalb Av at the same time without merging. If the D ran local, it would no longer have to merge with the N, but, it would now have to merge with the Q and R, and you'd have the B, D and Q all having to share one track at DeKalb Av, which would get messy. At night, there are less trains running so the merging isn't much of an issue.
Ugh, you're right. I thought there was an express to local switch before Atlantic but, as you point out above, it's only local to express. Though I wonder if it would be any worse than the NRQ coming together at 34th. Admittedly, that's not great either.
Well regardless, the local service is pretty sparse and running the theoretical W to Brooklyn would definitely help. I won't hold my breath though.
I wish they would reactivate the Nassau-Montague connection and run the trains currently terminating at Broad street all the way down to 95th St to bolster 4th ave local service (at least during rush). Local trains are quite limited considering all the new population growth on stations from 45th street south to the terminal. Maybe utilize the Z train to do so – express in north BK and local in the south, while the J continues doing its thing.
I agree that if the MTA ever does decide to restore a Nassau-Montague connection, it should be to Bay Ridge via the R line. The MTA's own ridership statistics show that the 4th Ave local stations south of 36th St have higher average weekday ridership than those north of 36th. 86th St/4th Ave in particular is a very well-used station. Terminating at 9th Ave would result in very low ridership and turning at Bay Pkwy might not be much better, given the low ridership the pre-2010 M had when it ran there.
If it is indeed a W from Astoria to Whitehall that begins running when the Second Avenue Subway is complete in the early 2020s (people really, seriously think it's going to be 2016?), note that the third track at Whitehall doesn't have much capacity to turn trains. When the W ran before, it ran at 10 minute intervals (occasionally 15) even during rush hour.
The MTA would have to increase the number of N trains to ensure the same amount of service to/from Astoria, assuming that's even possible considering I don't think they can reduce the number of Q trains on Broadway.
No matter how you slice it, someone's going to lose something, and I don't think the residents in Astoria are going to be very happy to lose the Q.
If the N goes express again and the W comes back, then why would Astoria residents miss the Q? Wouldn't they still have a Broadway express and a Broadway local? That's what they've had since July 2001 (and from 1986-88, when the Brooklyn half of the B operated to Astoria).
While the service pattern will be the same, Herb's comment is that because Whitehall is a worse terminal than Coney Island (Whitehall can only turn trains on a single track, and has to thread them between oncoming R trains from Brooklyn) it can't match the headways of the current N train, which means it will come less often than the N does now.
Lower-level city hall could have been a contender, but I noticed they released upgraded the security around the staircase to it.
During the Montague tunnel repairs, the R had never been more reliable. Something about running that train the full route really slows it down. What's the need to have local trains always run from one borough to another? Perhaps an R only in BK and a W in MNH & QNS?
I can't pretend to be unbiased, I ride the R between Brooklyn and Manhattan, and my work is in Lower Manhattan, it's the most convenient train to me.
As much as reliability is a worthy goal for transit, accessibility and serving destinations is a more important goal of transit. Between operating a long line that suffers from bunching and forcing all users trying to get to Midtown or Lower Manhattan to transfer, and forcing more difficult transfers on those going to Lower Manhattan, no transit agency would pick reliability. It's one thing when the trains can't physically run to these destinations, as was the case during the tunnel shutdown. It's another when the tunnel is freshly refurbished and runs smoothly. It also diminishes the benefit of the transfer between South Ferry and Whitehall. I can't imagine it's a popular transfer to begin with, but eliminating service to Brooklyn and Whitehall will end it's usefulness.
Granted, your comment didn't inherently suggest no train service through the Montague tube, just no R trains. An elongated J train running the route of the former M train into Brooklyn could use the Montague tube. But that would probably also wreck the reliability of the painfully long and slow J train. If you insist on no R trains, the replacement service should be Bay Ridge-Chambers St on the Nassau Street line, although this would require significant reconstruction of switches to turn trains at Chambers to head south. You'd also want to reconstruct the interlocking at South Ferry, since you can only turn trains on the center track, which limits its capacity as a terminal.
They could run J trains through the Montague Tunnel that short-turn at Broadway Junction. Broadway Jct to Bay Ridge isn't that long of a route. These trains could run in addition to the regular J service and operate before the start of J/Z skip-stop service (which only runs for about an hour during each rush hour period).
The simplest thing to do would be running the N every 3-4 minutes throughout the day and have it run through the tunnel as a local train 24/7, with the Q and R trains making express stops in Manhattan, and the R in Brooklyn. The R could run via 63rd Street to Queens Blvd local stations, and the M could run at all times except nights to compensate for the loss of the R at Lexington / 60th Street (which is not really lost if you consider the MetroCard transfer).
But that would result in chaos at Canal Street as trains switch all the time.
As a general rule, Broadway trains using the Manhattan Bridge need to be express in Manhattan, and trains going downtown need to be local in Manhattan. Assuming you have four routes, you can just about violate that with one, but you'll screw the system up to no end if you have more than one doing it.
At 57th Street, you're going to have the Q coming off the Second Avenue Subway onto the express lines, and the NRW coming off the 60th Street tunnel onto the local lines. At Canal, you have the NQ heading for the Manhattan Bridge off the express lines and the RW heading downtown off the local lines.
So under the 'default' assumption, you're going to have the N switch somewhere. You could do it at 57th, but 49th is busy enough that you really want the N serving it if you can, so you're probably better switching it at 34th.
If, instead, you have just a double-sized N and the R coming off 60th Street, then you're presumably saying that only the Q will run express in Manhattan, and the NNR will stay local until Canal Street, where the N will switch. But that's a lot of trains to switch at Canal, and is it going to get through there and DeKalb Avenue without delaying everything? And do you need that many N trains in Brooklyn? And do you _have_ that many N trains available?
In contrast, if you run the W, you have room in the system to run them, because they're just running alongside the R. Those who know more than I do can speculate on whether there's the demand to run the W into Brooklyn or whether it should be short-turned at Whitehall.
Another possibility could be that the W provides the entire service into Brooklyn and the R instead is short-turned at Whitehall. That could improve reliability by cutting a through service in two without affecting any journey that starts or ends in Manhattan.
But if the W were to replace the R in Brooklyn, it will have the same problem the pre-1987 R had when it ran to/from Astoria – not being near a maintenance yard.
That's true, but it's fixable. The easiest way is to have a few northbound R Bay Ridge-Astoria trains magically become W trains at Whitehall (and have a few W Forest Hills-Whitehall trains run on as R trains) to get them in and out of Jamaica Yard. Couple that with some increased use of 36-38th Street Yard and you should be good.
Seriously you expect the general public to make sense of trains changing their ID mid-stream?
What's the big deal? A northbound Bay Ridge-Astoria train is announced as terminating short (at Lex/59th or at Whitehall), and at Whitehall it switches displays (with many announcements) to say it's now going to Forest Hills. Nobody is deceived.
Southbound, it's even easier. It's announced as a Whitehall terminator in Queens, and somewhere (either at Lex/59th or at Whitehall) it switches blinds and says it's continuing to Bay Ridge. Nobody who gets on it expects it to be going somewhere it isn't.
Plus, this is only for trains going to/from Jamaica Yard — most trains aren't. And if it's that confusing, it can just go in/out of service at Lex/59th and run empty down the express tracks to the yard.
No need to invent a new practice if a perfectly fine one already exists.
1) What is the current difference between the N and the Q? It's not like one runs express and one local, anyway…Right? I thought the Q was express, but it always seems to be running local.
2) Are there any connections to, say, have the W run from Ditmars to 59/Lex, then at some point diverge onto a different track, say, taking it down 6th Avenue instead of Broadway? That would ACTUALLY give more options to Astoria residents, instead of just running two trains on the same route.
To answer question 1, the N runs local in Manhattan while the Q runs express to 34th Herald Square. The N runs via 4th avenue and the Q is Brighton lcl. Other than that, same terminals, same yards.
To answer Question 2, no, there is no track connection between the BMT Astoria Line and the IND 6th Avenue Line.
Any delay on one line then propagates around to the other line. When things go really bad you get train bunching.
As adorable as "QT" (cutie) sounds, "Q" should be for (Q)ueens.
How about (U) train for (U)pper East Side — and add that to (T), you could get "TU" (two), which is SECOND AVE?
Does anyone know if the (Q)(T) line will DIRECTLY connect with (4)(5)(6) at 125th & Lex for a free transfer?
It's supposed to, when the second phase is completed.
….Phase 2 which will open around 2032 and phase 3? Hah don't even go there.
I was told it was at end of life? Why are they doing upgrades a year after closing at all summer?
My concern is that one route with 7 TPH won't suffice for the Upper East Side, especially when the 6 train is running 22 TPH. Either it will be underutilized because the headways are lousy compared to its nearby competitor, or the trains will become crowded quite quickly. As I see it, it is inevitable that the MTA is going to have to remove the 11th St cut from revenue service and run two routes to Astoria and two routes to the UES, at least until Phase 3 opens in 2096.
– N and Q, via bridge, both run express (including skipping 49th), and both terminate at 96th St. At all times since there won't be anywhere to short turn one and not the other.
– R and W both run local and both terminate at Ditmars. The no yard problem can be solved using the Nereid treatment: at times when frequencies are increasing, some inbound R trains originate at 86th St on the Sea Beach and resume their normal route at 59th. At times when frequency is decreasing, some outbound R trains leave their normal route at 59th and terminate at 86th.
– G is extended to 71-Continental at all times to replace the R.
Absolutely right, Duke. Except that adequate service for the Queens Blvd line will require putting both the F and M through the 63rd St tunnel and adding a new EE Queens Blvd local to the E service through the 53rd St tunnel. The 8th Avenue line has room to accommodate that added EE service.
For what it's worth, the Second Av Subway FEIS (published in 2004) projects 14 trains an hour during Phase 1, but I don't know if the MTA plans on running that much service.
Ben – you have to get over this fixation about the number of routes. That doesn't matter, it's the number of trains that does. Go back in old maps and you'll see times when the different variations in terminals were different routes. At one point the service guide had an asterisk to explain what route was the 8th ave local by time of day: A, AA, CC, K. It can be rather confusing.
When the Q moves to 2nd Ave I don't know what the service level will be, but I'd figure 10 min headway at a minimum, ie 6 trains an hour. Probably more like 10 per hour. So yes something will have to go express. But look at the track map and the obvious candidate is the 2nd ave trains. While I'm sure Astoria residents would like some trains to be express in Manhattan, keep in mind that moving a switch takes time, and that reduces capacity.
Again it's the number of trains that counts. They could call all those trains out of Astoria N trains. Some might terminate at Whitehall during AM since outbound in Brooklyn isn't the same demand (and by the time they get to Stillwell the AM rush is over). You could call those W if you like, that is a question of what the public will understand. Or make them diamond N, if it's only during the peak period. You could take different routes in Brooklyn, but is that extra cost really going to benefit many people?
But this fixation about the W train is really pointless. It's the number of trains that provide the service. The number of routes letters is a about the choices of terminals and routing, and there is a lot to be said for simplicity.
Unless someone can come up with a plan that is in at least one sence better than resurrecting the W while making the N express in Manhattan and no worse in any other sense, that is what I expect to see the MTA choose to do. Such configuration ran smoothly for many years. The only difference now will be that the Q will not terminate at 57th, but at 96th. For all the great (and sometimes not so great) ideas mentioned here, the MTA is a bureaucracy that favors tried and tested solutions (and given the number of people who use the subways, they probably should favor such solutions).
There is substantial publicity costs for the MTA to take on experiments with subway routes. The people who are inconvenienced by the changes are much much louder than the ones that benefit from them, so unless there is no way around it(for example, service cuts), the MTA will not want to make such changes as they do not want the wrath of all local politicians whose constituents are complaining. Therefore realistically the only stuff that is on the table are superset solutions of the resurrection of the W (i.e. for example running it into Brooklyn instead of turning at Whitehall). The unfortunate issue with these superset solutions is that they add to the operating costs, so unless the peak hour ridership justifies them they will not happen.
As bob said abive the service might not be labeled W, but diamond N or whatever — that is irrelevant. The shortest route for any trains that they add to Astoria to replace the Q is to turn them at Whitehall (unless money is really really a problem, shorther turn at Canal or elsewhere robs the added trains from servicing downtown, so it is unlikely to be chosen). As a result my money is on the MTA doing just that.
I expect to see a return to pre-2010 configuration as well. The only concern at this point is potential overcrowding on the UES due to low frequencies, but there's enough capacity to allow Q train service to be buffed up to 10 or 12 tph.
In Moscow when they add a new station (which happens at least once a year) they avoiding having to replace all the printed maps by just putting a carefully cut sticker of the updated portion of the map on top of each map. Works perfectly.


text:
Paralympian
Rose Hollermann
FOLLOW Rose
Name: Rose Hollermann
Sport: Wheelchair Basketball
Discipline(s): Wheelchair Basketball
Classification: 3.5
Birthplace: Elysian, Minn.
Hometown: Elysian, Minn.
High School: Waterville-Elysian-Morristown High School (Waterville, Minn.) '14
College: University of Texas at Arlington '19, Elementary Teaching
Paralympic Experience
Three-time Paralympian (2012, 2016, 2020); Two-time Paralympic medalist (1 gold, 1 bronze)
Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, bronze
Paralympic Games Rio 2016 , gold
Paralympic Games London 2012, 4th
Most recent: 2018 – 6th
Years of competition: 2014, 2018
Top Finish: 4th – 2014
Personal: Daughter of John and Michelle Hollerman...Has three brothers: Shane, Ethan, and Seth Hollermann...In 2001, Hollermann and her family were involved in a car accident that took the lives of two of her brothers and caused her to be partially paralyzed from the waist down...As part of her rehabilitation, she was introduced to swimming at the Courage Center in Minneapolis...From there, she tried sled hockey, track and field, archery, cross-country skiing and wheelchair basketball...She discovered her talent and passion for wheelchair basketball and started playing basketball in 2004 for a club team in Minnesota...In 2011, she became one of the youngest players on the U.S. women's wheelchair basketball team at age 15...Since then, she has excelled in her career, playing collegiate basketball at the University of Texas at Arlington and leading Team USA to Paralympic gold in 2016...Currently plays professionally in Spain for a club team called ADM Econy that is located on the Canary Islands...Hobbies include crocheting, swimming, and doing other crafts...Loves music and especially loves her record player.
U.S. Women Fall To China In Wheelchair Hoops Semis, To Face Germany For Bronze
Rose Hollermann led Team USA with 13 points, while Lindsey Zurbrugg added nine.
Women's Wheelchair Basketball On To Paralympic Semis After Big Win Over Canada
Stuart Lieberman Aug. 31, 2021
Team USA led nearly the entire game in beating its regional rival 63-48.
U.S. Women Open With Loss To Defending World Champs In Wheelchair Basketball
Three-time Paralympian Rose Hollermann had 14 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds against the Netherlands.
What To Know About The U.S. Wheelchair Basketball Teams Heading Into Tokyo
Steve Goldberg Aug. 19, 2021
The teams are both coming off gold-medal performances in Rio, and the U.S. men were second in the most recent world championships.
Meet The 12 Members Of The U.S. Paralympic Women's Wheelchair Basketball Team
Todd Kortemeier July 12, 2021
Team USA is seeking its seventh medal in a row and first Paralympic gold medal since 2008.
Meet The 12 Athletes Selected To The 2020 U.S. Paralympic Women's Wheelchair Basketball Team
Kara Tanner Feb. 08, 2020
The roster is evenly split between Paralympic medalists and rookies.
Rose Hollermann Named U.S. Flag Bearer For Parapan American Games Closing Ceremony
U.S. Paralympics Aug. 31, 2019
The women's wheelchair basketball team member was selected to lead Team USA.
Four Of The Sports In Which The U.S. Will Look To Defend Their Parapan American Titles
Melissa Zhang Aug. 13, 2019
Team USA will look to defend their titles after striking gold in four sports at Toronto 2015
Eight Of The Best Photos From The Parapan American Games Toronto 2015
Melissa Zhang July 30, 2019
Take a look back at the last edition of the Parapan American Games, hosted by Toronto in 2015

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Reflection;
using Autofac;
using Autofac.Builder;
using Autofac.Core;
using DotNetContainer.Validation;
using DotNetContainer.Validation.Validators;
using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;

namespace DotNetContainer.Framework
{
    public class LoggerSource : IRegistrationSource
    {
        public bool IsAdapterForIndividualComponents => false;

        public IEnumerable<IComponentRegistration> RegistrationsFor(
            Service service,
            Func<Service, IEnumerable<IComponentRegistration>> registrationAccessor)
        {
            Require.That(service).IsNotNull();
            Require.That(registrationAccessor).IsNotNull();

            //Check if is service with type
            var swt = service as IServiceWithType;
            if (swt == null)
                return Enumerable.Empty<IComponentRegistration>();

            var serviceType = swt.ServiceType;
            var serviceTypeInfo = serviceType.GetTypeInfo();
            if (!serviceTypeInfo.IsGenericType || serviceTypeInfo.GetGenericTypeDefinition() != typeof(ILogger<>))
                return Enumerable.Empty<IComponentRegistration>();

            var loggerType = serviceTypeInfo.GenericTypeArguments[0];
            var loggerSvc = swt.ChangeType(loggerType);

            var registrationCreator = CreateLoggerRegistrationMethod.MakeGenericMethod(loggerType);

            return registrationAccessor(loggerSvc)
                .Select(v => registrationCreator.Invoke(null, new object[] { service }))
                .Cast<IComponentRegistration>();
        }

        static readonly MethodInfo CreateLoggerRegistrationMethod = typeof(LoggerSource).GetTypeInfo()
            .GetDeclaredMethod("CreateLoggerRegistration");

        static IComponentRegistration CreateLoggerRegistration<T>(Service service)
        {
            var rb = RegistrationBuilder
                .ForDelegate((c, p) =>
                {
                    var loggerFactory = c.Resolve<ILoggerFactory>();
                    return new Logger<T>(loggerFactory);
                })
                .As(service);

            return rb.CreateRegistration();
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Confirmation- Red Cross trucks were allowed to enter Damaaj two days ago, alhamdulillah. The Houthis first demanded a third of what they were bringing in; the Red Cross countered this with an offer of a tenth. They ended up having to hand over a fourth of the aid that was intended for the people who are being blockaded to the oppressors who are doing the blockading. And of course, they only took food, they left the other supplies such as diapers.
Mujaahid heard that five trucks got through, carrying medical supplies as well as staples such as flour, sugar and oil. They were also allowed to evacuate the wounded from the Houthi offensive last week. There had been no one in the village capable of treating their injuries. They simply tried to make them as comfortable as possible, giving them antibiotics and pain medicine as they were able. One of them is going to lose his arm for sure, mash'Allaah.
One-eighth of the remaining aid will go to the people of Damaaj, and the rest will be split up between the single students and those with families. Mujaahid was going to go in after the last prayer of the day to pick up theirs. Raisins are abundant in the village as well, and Mujaahid said they still have dates too. They are drinking unsweetened qishr, a coffee-like drink enjoyed in many different parts of Yemen. They drink it Southern-style, holding a date in their mouths as they sip the hot drink, so that the dried fruit lends sweetness to the otherwise bitter drink. He said they also make a drink by soaking the raisins in water- it is naturally sweet and gives them some much needed iron as well. There are no more chickens in the village at this point, but he was able to purchase a couple before they were gone. He said he went into the hawsh the other day and saw little Suhayb cuddling one of them, kissing its head and calling it "baby". Must be some of my farm girl genes showing up in my little grandson, mash'Allaah.
The blockade has helped to make clear the state of the people. For example, one store owner left, locking his remaining stock in his house. Last week the villagers broke in and found flour and wood, both precious commodities, hoarded and kept from these people who need it badly. On the other hand, an Indian brother bought a cow that had been injured by gunfire, had it slaughtered and butchered, and simply gave it away…a few days later, he was able to do it again, may Allaah reward him for his generosity and kindness.
He tells me that a few days ago some of them were weighing themselves. Mujaahid, who was thin to start with, has worn down to fifty kilos. I don't know what to say to that, mash'Allaah…so I don't say anything at all. He laughs it off, but the lump stays in my throat for a few minutes afterwards.
Mujaahid said they are only able to get water at night- it is too dangerous for them to gather to get it in the morning, as large groups are more likely to be shot at. He said that they cook with wood now, and he has the job of chopping it.
"Chop wood, carry water- how Zen," I tease him.
"I really like it," he says. "Must be in my blood." My grandfather was a logger in the north woods of Wisconsin many years ago. But Grandpa George took wood out of the forests; Mujaahid and his family are chopping up furniture and building supplies and whatever they are able to find. They have moved in with Hiyaat's family.
How I wish I could be there for him, or have him here safe with me. I ask Allaah daily, several times a day, to bring us back together.
Until then, we wait, and we pray.
We are making du'a too. May Allaah grant you patience and accept our du'a.
Sending you some Light, Khadijah!
Thinking of you with heart felt prayers for you and your family.
May Allah eradicate the raafidah and grant victory to the people od sunnah.
Jazakillah fr yr enlightening updates on the situation.May allah reward you and give u and yours the patience.
Assalamu alaykum ukhtie I am very touched by your memoirs, Me and my family admire your writing talent mashallah, My husband has been wanting to publish his own memoirs about his journey from afghanistan to the states. My husband ask if perhaps if you would be interested in making a book and having it published. Please get back to my email if you are interested, we can put our husbands in contact with each other.
Alhamdulillah, I am so happy that you enjoy the blog, and that you took the time to let me know. I hope that it can in some way be of benefit, insh'Allaah.


text:
Interview #532
Who is Lana del Rey? She is Elizabeth Grant, the New York City-born musician who got her start playing Brooklyn's underground club circuit. She is the scrappy singer who uploaded two homemade videos to the internet, only to watch her career explode in the aftermath. She is the self-described underdog,... Read More
Who is Lana del Rey? She is Elizabeth Grant, the New York City-born musician who got her start playing Brooklyn's underground club circuit. She is the scrappy singer who uploaded two homemade videos to the internet, only to watch her career explode in the aftermath. She is the self-described underdog, an oft-misunderstood purveyor of glamorous and tragic Americana, apocalypse and utopia, breathless romance, and devastating isolation—often crashing into one another. And she is our September 2020 cover star. In our new issue, the first in our history made entirely remotely, the elusive pop star talks to her producer Jack Antonoff about her upcoming album, going country, and the end of the world. Elsewhere in the issue, fashion industry oracle Bethann Hardison tells Zendaya why her fight for diversity is far from over, and movie-star-in-the-making Antony Ramos and his A Star Is Born director Bradley Cooper dissect the fallacy of stardom. Meanwhile, the author Emma Cline talks daddy issues and directing with the legendary filmmaker Brian De Palma, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jabari Brisport look to make all kinds of trouble.
Ahead of the release of his latest novel Inside Story, Martin Amis sits down with his friend Salman Rushdie to reflect on the friends they lost and the literary movement to which they belonged. Nightlife legends Connie Girl and Honey Dijon reminisce on what it was like being a star below 14th Street, and the artist Lawrence Weiner has a conversation about art and abnegation with the rock star Kim Gordon. And feminist icon Gloria Steinem answers a bunch of questions from some of her famous friends and admirerers. All that, and so much more.
Interview Interview is an American magazine founded in late 1969 by artist Andy Warhol and British journalist John Wilcock featuring interviews with celebrities, artists, musicians, and creative thinkers.


The wrong guitar can stunt your musical growth.
It's tough to learn guitar if you have the wrong instrument. Whether you're just starting out as a beginner guitar player, or you're looking for a new instrument, make sure you choose the right tool. Although your guitar is just the dumb machine, the right sound and feel will help you achieve musical fulfillment.
Check to see if the neck is straight.
Check out the action height.
Make sure the guitar has good intonation.
Do you like the way it sounds?
Choosing between an electric and acoustic can be as simple as figuring out what sort of music you enjoy, then choosing the guitar that best represents that. You might want to learn how to play both acoustic and electric guitars. If you're budget will only stretch to one, then an electric guitar might be a bit more versatile. You can more successfully play acoustic guitar music on an electric guitar than play hard rock on an acoustic.
Do you like the sound of single coil pickups or humbuckers?
Single coils sound brighter but some folks think they sound "thin" and they are more likely to buzz and "feed back". Humbuckers are generally quieter but many people think they sound "muffled". Humbuckers are more popular with folks learning how to play guitar with distortion. Fender guitars (like the "Strat") are more often equipped with single coils. Gibson guitars (like the "Les Paul") more often feature humbuckers.
Do you want to learn how to play a guitar that has a tremelo system (whammy bar) or not?
This is that thin handle that sticks out of the bridge on some guitars. It is a lever that tightens or loosens the strings to create a pitch "wobble" effect. Many interesting players (including Jimi Hendrix) swear by them but they might throw your guitar out of tune. If you don't see yourself using it, you're better off learning how to play a guitar that doesn't have one. You'll stay in tune easier. More expensive guitars have better tremolo systems (such as the Floyd Rose Locking System) that do stay in tune. You'll want to learn to adjust your electric or acoustic guitar so you can keep it's various features up to spec.
Good distortion, if you're going to be playing hard rock.
To learn how to play electric guitar, you'll need an amplifier. There are so many different types that it's hard to tell you what to get. Check out your friends and guitar heros to find out what they play. Make sure your amp has good reverb (electronic reverberation). Amps that don't have it can sound "sterile". Make sure it has good tone control (treble, mid, bass). If you want to learn how to play hard rock guitar, make sure the amp has good distortion and learn how to adjust it.
You'll want to learn about effects like Amp Modeling, Chorus, Flange. Phase, Delay, Pitch Shift, Wah-Wah, Compression, Noise Gate and EQ. Many modern amplifiers have effects built right in. Otherwise you might want to invest in some stomp boxes that you plug into your signal chain to add individual effects.
If you don't know anything about guitars ask a friend or sales person to check the guitar out for you.


text:
Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De Rossi list ritzy Montecito mansion compound for almost $40 million
The beleaguered daytime talk show host had bought the home just last year
Ellen DeGeneres has listed her Montecito mansion compound for sale with an asking price approaching nearly $40 million.
According to Mansion Global, Ellen and wife Portia De Rossi have only owned the Montecito property since January 2019 where they paid $27 million for the estate.
Now they are seeking $39.9 million for the property that sits in the wealthy enclave community, home to many celebrities and super wealthy folk — including the area's most recent homeowners, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.
The couple has made a large number of additions to the Bali-inspired estate — including adding on about an acre of land.
After less than two years calling it home, Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi are ready to part with their Bali-inspired estate in the affluent coastal California enclave of Montecito.
Hollywood Power Couple Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi Lists Their Montecito Home for $39.9 Million
The four-bedroom main home is loaded with natural materials—including statement wooden ceilings.
Ellen DeGeneres' property also features walls of glass that look out over the nearby ocean and mountains, and the vast, green estate that also encompasses a guest house on the Montecito compound.
The luxury residence also features a cabana that doubles as a home gym, a security office, a pickleball court, a pond, and an infinity pool that overlooks the ocean.
News of the listing was first reported by The Los Angeles Times.
DeGeneres and De Rossi have a knack for flipping ultra-luxury homes, and during their short stay, they expanded the idyllic estate and touched up the Bali-style living spaces and the scenic grounds outside.
Ellen DeGeneres lists Bali-inspired Montecito spread for $39.9 million
According to The Los Angeles Times, the total of Ellen DeGeneres' Montecito compound encompasses three parcels across nine acres and also features a security office in addition to the guesthouse and main residence.
DeGeneres and De Rossi previously sold a property stretching for 17 acres in the coastal community of Montecito for $34 million in 2018.
According to Variety, the short owning period is par for the course for DeGeneres and De Rossi, who frequently opt to flip and sell the properties they buy for a profit.
The listing is held by Riskin Partners Group, a division of Village Properties.
The couple have also made numerous design and building upgrades, including the installation of a new security hut for a full-time bodyguard.
Ellen DeGeneres Seeks $40 Million for Bali-Esque Montecito Compound
According to popculture.com, Ellen Degeneres and Portia De Rossi still own a Beverly Hills mansion aside from the Montecito compound. It was purchased from singer Adam Levine in May 2019 for $45 million.
News of the sale comes amid the start of a new season of Ellen's eponymous talk show — and a summer full of allegations that her once-popular show presented a toxic work environment. A number of senior producers were fired following an investigation.
During her show's season premiere, DeGeneres apologized, saying "I learned that things happened here that never should have happened.
"I take that very seriously, and I want to say I am so sorry to the people that were affected."
The property was dubbed Salt Hill and includes the main house with three bedrooms and 4.5 baths, a guesthouse
Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi Selling Their Montecito Home for $39.9 Million
Popculture.com
'Screaming and cursing' Florida mom, 36, attacks heavily pregnant school bus assistant when bus is late


Our goals revolve around the formulation of skills most children acquire between the ages of three and five. In order to educate the child wholly, we set goals for cognitive, socio-emotional, and physical growth.
These goals form the foundation of our curriculum. By focusing on every aspect of your child, the curriculum provides an integral and effective developmental approach to learning.


Technical Car Experts Answers everything you need: Toyota RAV4 Oil pump removal Procedure?
How to replace oil pump on Toyota RAV4.
2.0L engine Oil pump removal.
Details to remove 2.4L Engine oil pump.
Also many more details and Diagrams required to remove Oil Pump are provided in this section.
Do not use the tool for the oil pump body side and rear oil seal retainer.
Remove the bolts, nuts, oil strainer and gasket.
Carefully suspend the engine with a sling device.
The long bolts are 35mm and all the others are 25mm.
Oil pump, using a new gasket. Tighten the 12 bolts to 82 inch lbs. (9 Nm).
Oil pump pulley. Tighten the nut to 18 ft. lbs. (24 Nm).
Install the oil strainer with a new gasket. Tighten the nuts/bolts to 48 inch lbs. (5 Nm).
Remove any old sealant from the oil pan flange and thoroughly clean both sealing surfaces.
Apply a 3-5mm bead of sealant to the oil pan flange.
The pan must be installed within 5 minutes of sealant application or the procedure will have to be repeated.
Oil pan. Tighten the 17 bolts and 2 nuts to 48 inch lbs. (5 Nm).
Rear end stiffener plate. Tighten the bolts to 27 ft. lbs. (37 Nm).
Refill the engine with oil.
Be sure to prime the oil pump prior to initial engine start-up or engine damage may occur because of low oil pressure.
Remove the right engine mount insulator.
Remove the oil pump drive chain and sprockets.
Remove the 3 bolts and the oil pump.
If disassembling, remove the relief valve spring. Remove the pump body cover.
Check the clearance between the tip of the drive rotor and the driven rotor. Clearance should be 0.0138 inch max.
Place a straight-edge across the rotors and pump body. Check the side clearance. Clearance should be 0.0063 inch max.
Check the clearance between the driven rotor and pump body. Clearance should be 0.0128 inch max.
Install the cover. Torque to 78 inch lbs. (8.8 Nm).
Install the relief valve. Torque to 36 ft. lbs. (49 Nm).
Install the strainer assembly. Torque to 78 inch lbs. (8.8 Nm).
Install the pump with a new gasket. Torque to 14 ft. lbs. (19 Nm).
Install the drive chain and sprockets. The crankshaft key should be at the 9:00 o-clock position and the cutout on the oil pump shaft should be at the 12:00 o-clock position. The sprocket timing marks should align with the colored chain links. Torque the sprocket nut to 22 ft. lbs. (29 Nm).
Install the tensioner. Torque to 9 ft. lbs. (12 Nm).
The remainder of installation is the reverse of removal. Torque the exhaust pipe-to-manifold nuts to 32 ft. lbs. (43 Nm); the pipe-to-pipe nuts to 36 ft. lbs. (49 Nm).
Remove the relief valve spring.
Remove the pump body cover.
The remainder of installation is the reverse of removal. Torque the exhaust pipe-to-manifold nuts to 32 ft. lbs. (43 Nm); the pip-to-pipe nuts to 36 ft. lbs. (49 Nm).


text:
Smart Glasses Service Dodges Google's Face Recognition Ban
A new Google Glass service can detect the gender, age and emotions of people's faces as they appear in photos or video taken by Google's smart glasses. But the service avoids Google's recent ban on facial recognition technology by not connecting faces to personal identities.
June 14, 2013, 5:18 PM UTC / Source: TechNewsDaily
By Jeremy Hsu
The "ReKognition" service launched on June 12 by offering the tools to build apps for reading faces in photos without compromising individual privacy. Such a move suggests that Google's decision to ban facial recognition for Google Glass represents only a speed bump on the highway toward a future world where mobile devices can automatically detect everyone and everything in view.
"We believe the ban on facial recognition is going to be temporary," said Ning Xu, CEO of Orbeus Inc. "The simple reason is that the technology is useful."
But Orbeus launched its ReKognition service with greater ambitions than just enabling facial recognition. The San Francisco-based company has built software capable of recognizing faces, objects and background scenery — a step toward enabling computers and smart devices to better interpret the world as seen through photos and video.
"We want to build a one-stop shop solution for developers to build into their apps that can understand the data behind pictures and videos," Xu told TechNewsDaily.
The "computer vision" technology offered by Orbeus may prove indispensable for humans trying to make sense of a world saturated by multimedia. People already upload 350 million photos to Facebook every day and 100 hours of video to YouTube every minute. The popularity of smartphones and new devices such as smart glasses have led to an explosion of online media content by putting cameras in everybody's hands.
Some facial recognition or detection capabilities already exist in popular online services such as Facebook and Google's Picasa Web photo albums. Orbeus offers similar services for a wide range of clients, including an online photo album provider that automatically sorts pictures into personalized albums according to people's faces.
One Asian dating site uses Orbeus' services to screen the faces of its users according to age, gender and even beauty. Another client creates ad displays that automatically profile the faces of shoppers to target them "Minority Report" style. (For instance, a 25-year-old female might be presented with a cosmetics ad.)
Sophisticated computer vision algorithms have already existed for about a decade, Xu said. But the rise of "cloud computing" — computer services offered remotely through an online connection — has allowed companies such as Orbeus to offer computer vision technologies to just about anybody with a mobile device connected to the Internet.
"Today with the development of cloud computing it's very economical," Xu explained. "It's getting cheaper and cheaper to deploy computer vision algorithms."
Such trends mean that ordinary people can expect to soon get their hands on facial recognition technology through mobile devices and wearable gadgets — as long as the privacy concerns don't outweigh the expected benefits.
"We believe the technology can be used without revealing any personal identity information," Xu said. "If there are any Google Glass killer apps, computer vision tech has to be in it to make it a completely new user experience."
You can follow TechNewsDaily Senior Writer Jeremy Hsu on Twitter. Follow TechNewsDaily on Twitter, or on.
Face of the Future: How Facial-Recognition Tech Will Change Everything
10 Sci-Fi Predictions That Came True
7 Biometric Technologies on the Horizon
Jeremy Hsu


Deployment 1: Deployed on 6/15/2014, recovered on 6/18/2014 for ballast correction and re-deployed at 07:36 UTC.
Glider 276 was suspected to be showing early signs of battery failure so it was set adrift on 1/27/19 and successfully recovered on 2/12/19. No science data is expected after 1/27/19.


Hey guys! I wasn't going to originally post this, but it is just spur of the moment thing. I hope everybody is having an amazing Tuesday by the way! Okay so last night I was on my Instagram (my personal one, soon I will be making an Instagram dedicated to my blog!) and while I was scrolling down my feed, a picture in particular caught … Continue reading Makeup Brush Game Changer?!


Dustin holds a Master's Degree in Counseling and Psychology from Northern Arizona University and has over 15 years working with adolescents. He oversees all operations of all Paradigm Treatment Center locations, including day-to-day programming treatment content and quality, growth management and strategy, and team support to all therapeutic and operational staff. Having previously worked at Paradigm in the roles of therapist and program director, Dustin is also a skilled family therapist, with a focus on family systems, and continues to provide direct support both to Paradigm parents as well as youth.
Prior to joining the Paradigm team, Dustin served as Program Manager at Arizona Child and Family Support Services in Flagstaff, an agency providing community based wraparound services for youth and family treatment. At CFSS, Dustin also built, facilitated and oversaw an Intensive Outpatient Program. He also served as an individual and group therapist for Northern Arizona Substance Abuse Services working with the Drug Court; as a therapist for youth in juvenile detention; and as a wilderness therapist for a program that worked throughout Northern Arizona. He is a National Board Certified Counselor and is certified in EMDR therapy.
Dustin's commitment and motivation as both a therapist and manager stem from his deep desire and hope to meet teens where they are and to provide the insightful support and guidance they need to make deep changes that will profoundly improve their well-being, their relationships, and their futures.


text:
FOUND A
IN DISTRESS?
Rescue • Rehabilitate • Educate
SHOP FOR A CAUSE »
DONATE TODAY »
PRWC Board
PRWC Staff
PRWC Volunteers
Our Ambassadors of PRWC
Rescue & Rehab
Group Tours & Outreach Programs
Invasive Species Policy
Nuisance Prevention
Outreach Fee Schedule
PRWC News
Dr. Robin's Chirps
Support PRWC
Bequests & Estates
Contact PRWC
I Found an Injured Animal
After Hours Emergencies
Check a Patient Status
Lucy the Turkey Vulture
Lucy the Turkey Vulture is a female and our oldest resident, admitted on December 26th, 1989. She was hit by a car near the Ranger's Baseball Stadium (now Tampa Ray's) on SR 776 in Murdock. Her left wing had to be completely amputated. She is enjoying her retirement these days.
Cool Facts about Lucy the Turkey Vulture
The Turkey Vulture uses its sense of smell to locate carrion. The part of its brain responsible for processing smells is particularly large, compared to other birds. Its heightened ability to detect odors' it can detect just a few parts per trillion; allows it to find dead animals below a forest canopy. The Turkey Vulture maintains stability and lift at low altitudes by holding its wings up in a slight dihedral (V-shape) and teetering from side to side while flying. It flies low to the ground to pick up the scent of dead animals.
Habitat: Look for Turkey Vultures as they cruise open areas including mixed farmland, forest, and range land. They are particularly noticeable along roadsides and at landfills. At night, they roost in trees, on rocks, and other high secluded spots
Food: Turkey Vultures eat carrion, which they find largely by their excellent sense of smell. Mostly they eat mammals but are not above snacking on reptiles, other birds, amphibians, fish, and even invertebrates. They prefer freshly dead animals, but often have to wait for their meal to soften in order to pierce the skin. They are deft foragers, targeting the softest bits first and are even known to leave aside the scent glands of dead skunks. Thankfully for them, vultures appear to have excellent immune systems, happily feasting on carcasses without contracting botulism, anthrax, cholera, or salmonella. Unlike their Black Vulture relatives, Turkey Vultures almost never attack living prey
Nesting: Turkey Vultures don't build full nests. They may scrape out a spot in the soil or leaf litter, pull aside obstacles, or arrange scraps of vegetation or rotting wood. Once found, many of these nest sites may be used repeatedly for a decade or more
Nest Placement: Turkey Vultures nest in rock crevices, caves, ledges, thickets, mammal burrows and hollow logs, fallen trees, abandoned hawk or heron nests, and abandoned buildings. These nest sites are typically much cooler (by 13 degrees F or more) than surroundings, and isolated from human traffic or disturbance. While they often feed near humans, Turkey Vultures prefer to nest far away from civilization
Behavior: The Turkey Vulture's distinctive slow, teetering flight style probably helps the bird soar at low altitudes, where it is best able to use its nose to find carrion. At other times they may soar high on thermals and form mixed flocks or kettles. On the ground they move with ungainly hops and are less agile than Black Vultures. Often, especially in the morning, they can be seen standing erect, wings spread in the sun, presumably to warm up, cool off, or dry off. Outside of the breeding season, Turkey Vultures form roosts of dozens to a hundred individuals. When Turkey Vultures court, pairs perform a "follow flight" display where one bird leads the other through twisting, turning, and flapping flights for a minute or so, repeated over periods as long as 3 hours. Migrating flocks can number in the thousands. At carcasses, several Turkey Vultures may gather but typically only one feeds at a time, chasing the others off and making them wait their turn. Despite their size, Turkey Vultures are often driven off by smaller Black Vultures, Crested Caracaras, Zone-tailed Hawks, and other species
Conservation: Turkey Vultures have been increasing in number across North America since the 1980s. Before that, they were threatened by side-effects of the pesticide DDT. Today they are among the most common large carnivorous birds in North America. However, because they live on rotting meat, like California Condors, they can fall victim to poisons or lead in dead animals. The main concern is lead shot that ends up in carcasses or gut piles left by hunters. The animals eat the shot and eventually suffer lead poisoning. Other threats include trapping and killing due to erroneous fears that they spread disease. Far from it, vultures actually reduce the spread of disease
Facts source: Cornell University – All About Birds
PUBLIC VISITS & TOURS AVAILABLE!
The PRWC Education Center located at 3400 Ponce de Leon Parkway is now open daily to the public from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are gratefully accepted.
We do ask that large groups requesting a guided tour call the office at 941-637-3830 to set up a reservation. Click here to learn more
Guests are required to wear facial coverings while touring the facility. There are hand sterilization stations available and social distancing will be encouraged. To abide by CDC guidelines a limited number of guests are allowed within the gift store at one time.
We are open for animal intake at
Wildlife patient admissions
DONATIONS GREATLY APPRECIATED
All donations go to the care of wildlife.
ADOPT LUCY
If you've gone looking for raptors on a clear day, your heart has probably leaped at the sight of a large, soaring bird in the distance– perhaps an eagle or osprey. But if it's soaring with its wings raised in a V and making wobbly circles, it's likely a Turkey Vulture. These birds ride thermals in the sky and use their keen sense of smell to find fresh carcasses. They are a consummate scavenger, cleaning up the countryside one bite of their sharply hooked bill at a time, and never mussing a feather on their bald heads.
Stay up to date with all of the PRWC happenings by signing up for our email newsletter today.
CALLING ALL SHUTTERBUGS
Peace River Wildife Center is offering photographers the unique opportunity to photograph native Florida wildlife on educational display at our Center, within their habitats. Learn more
© Peace River Wildlife Center. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. BROUGHT TO YOU BY ROUGH & READY MEDIA
DONATION CART PRIVACY POLICY CONTACT


text:
Q: ASP.NET .NET 4.5 Application crashes in IIS periodically and I can't figure out the cause I have a .net 4.5 ASP.NET WebAPI application. Deployed in IIS using 1 worker on an 8gig VM with 4 CPUs.
I made changes to it recently (upgraded ServiceStack.Interfaces, ServiceStack.Common, ServiceStack.Redis and a bunch of dependencies)  and started noticing that the IIS app pool this app is deployed on recycles about once an hour (give or take a few minutes).
There is nothing in my application logs that show any kind of issues. I collect metrics using telegraf and I do NOT see memory metrics increase at all, as far as all the metrics I look at everything looks absolutely normal and then the app pool recycles.
I looked at the event viewer and filtered the logs by WAS source and see event with ID 5011. Which basically means the IIS worker crash as I understand.
So then I used the DebugDiag and ran it on my local box with the app deployed on my box (I can reproduce the issue locally). It ran for a while and finally got the same event in the event viewer. Looked at the crash analysis logs from DebugDiag and all I see if a bunch of exceptions logged but nothing concrete right before the crash.
At this point I'm not entirely sure what else I can to figure out what's causing the crash so hoping there are more suggestions on what I can do to get more transparency.
What I think is happening is, there is some incompatibility with one of my dependencies and some of the upgraded packages which cause an exception to be thrown which is not handled by anything and crashes the IIS worker.
My application is working perfectly fine, as far as all API endpoints functions wit no issues, memory is NOT increasing, CPU is fine. So as far as I can tell there are no issues upto the crash.
Wondering if anyone knows any tricks to find whats causing the crash and/or handle it, prevent this exception from escaping and crashing the worker.

A: I was able to narrow down with some confidence that the issue lies somewhere within the ServiceStack.Redis RedisPubSubServer. What  is the actual issue, I don't know as that would take a lot more time to dig and I've wasted too much time already.
However, piggybacking on some existing code I had (from before ServiceStack supported sentinel) I created a new implementation of the redis client wrapper for the which I call LazySentinelServiceStackClientWrapper; instead of using the built-in sentinel manager, it relies on a custom sentinel provider which I created LazySentinelApiSentinelProvider this implementation attempts to interrogate the available sentinel hosts in random order for master and slave nodes and then I construct a pool using the retrieved read/write and readonly hosts and this pool is used to run the redis operations. The pool is refreshed whenever an error occurs (after a failover). Opposed to the builtin sentinel manager that comes with ServiceStack.Redis which instantiates Redis pubsub server and listens for messages from sentinel whenever configuration changes such as fail-overs occur and updates the managed redis connection pool.
I installed my version of this redis client wrapper into my application has seen no app pool recycle events since (other than the scheduled ones).

Above is the log of app pool recycle events before I disabled the ServiceStack.Redis sentinel manager.
And here's the log of app pool recycle events after installing my new lazy sentinel manager

The first spike is me recycling the app manually and second one is the scheduled 1am recycle. So clearly the issue is solved.
What is the actual reason why the sentinel manager via redis pub sub server is causing IIS rapid fail protection to fire and recycle the app pool I do not know. Maybe someone with much more redis experience and/or IIS experience can attest to that. Also I did not test this in .net core and only tested for a .net 4.5.1 application deployed in IIS but on many different machines including local development machine and beefy production machines.
Finally one last note, that first image which shows all the recycle events, that's on my CI machine which is barely taking any traffic, maybe 1 request every few minutes. So this means the issue is not some memory leak or some resource exhaustion. Whatever the issue is, it happens regardless of traffic, CPU load, memory load, it just happens periodically.
Needless to say I will not be using the builtin sentinel manager at least for now.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
US election: The state that defines the American divide
Katty Kay Presenter, BBC World News
Derwin Gray won't say which way he is voting. The charismatic, former NFL-playing pastor of Transformation Church doesn't want to upset the carefully choreographed racial balance of his evangelical congregation.
But as an African-American man, he sympathises with black voters who feel this election is really about race and class.
Two years ago Pastor Gray was pulled over on the highway by the police. He told me he'd done nothing wrong. The policeman, the pastor recalls, asked him brusquely: "What are you doing here?"
For Mr Gray that innocent-sounding question tipped him into a rage. He was a grown man, paying taxes towards the police officer's salary, driving on a highway also paid for with tax dollars, and driving home from preaching the gospel – he had as much right to be there as anyone.
But Mr Gray knew rage and indignation were not options. He told his 13-year-old son to put his hands up on the seat in front of him and answer the officer politely: "Yes sir, no sir."
Mr Gray adopted the same attitude. "I didn't say what was in my heart," he told me. "I said what I needed to get us home."
The indignity of that choice still smarts, for Mr Grey and for many African Americans. It's such a common experience that the phrase "driving while black" has entered American lexicon.
Mr Gray's story is a reminder of why race is such an important part of this election campaign and particularly so here in North Carolina.
When Charlotte, the state's booming financial centre, exploded in riots in September after a black man was killed by police, many African-Americans said the event simply exposed an existing reality.
Black voters still feel the Republican party just doesn't address their concerns over discrimination. In North Carolina, as elsewhere, these voters are overwhelmingly Democratic.
But ethnic and class lines are blurring here. This is a state that is changing fast.
It's seen an influx of newcomers. There has been a rapid rise in the Hispanic population, but a lot of well-educated whites from the Midwest have also moved here seeking jobs in the thriving urban centres of Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte.
Many of them lean Democrat.
But poor white voters tip North Carolina's rural areas towards Donald Trump.
These are people who used to work in textile mills that have now shifted jobs to Vietnam and Bangladesh.
Donald Trump promises to make American manufacturing great again and even if rural voters don't quite believe him they think he is more intent on trying than the established politician, Hillary Clinton.
As Sherry Chisenhall, the editor of the Charlotte Observer explained to me, it is a remarkable feature of this campaign that a white Manhattan billionaire can appeal to someone from a deeply rural area of a southern state and somehow make them feel "he gets me, he understand my struggle".
North Carolina is America's newest purple state.
It voted Republican in 2004, Democratic in 2008 and Republican again in 2012.
Donald Trump hopes it will swing red this year because it's almost impossible for him to win the White House if he doesn't win North Carolina.
Previous articleJohn Podesta urges Clinton camp to 'dump' emails in latest WikiLeaks release
Next articlePresident Park reshuffles S Korean cabinet amid scandal


In this program we offer you to do an adventure at Komodo National Park that most visited by the visitor such as Rinca island,Komodo island, Padar island, pink beach, Manta point, gililawa darat island and Kanawa island.
Upon your arrival at Labuan bajo,our guide will be pick you up at airport and transfer you to the port where you will sail to Kelor island for swimming and snorkeling. And then continued visit the village of rinca where you can see the daily life of the people then afterthat boating to Loh Buaya for dragons trekking.you will see the prehistorical animal komodo dragon and other wild animal such as monkeys,deer,buffalo,wild horse, wild pig, and some species of the birds. In the afternoon boating slowly to Kalong island to witness milions of flyingfox flew out from the mangrove island. Dinner and overnight on the boat.


text:
Beirut Office
Tunis Office
The Arab Center, Washington DC
CAREP Paris
enCurrently selected
Arab Identity and Language Security
Arab Identity and Language Security (ISBN: 978-614-445-002-4, 443 pp.) by cultural critic and linguist Abdessalam Msseddi, was published by the Arab Center of Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS) this July.
Building on his previous work, The Arabs and Linguistic Suicide, published in 2011, in his latest book Mseddi argues that a new era of advocacy for the Arabic language has emerged, one characterized by a new linguistic awareness. Having taken part in a number of initiatives across the Arab world aimed at reviving the Arabic language, Mseddi is well placed to undertake these studies. From the outset of the book, he distinguishes his approach from contemporary approaches to the study of Arabic language: ones which he categorizes as the "sentimental" approach; the "ideological"; and the "the faith-based, metaphysical" approach. In contrast, Mseddi uses a methodology which is rational and positivist.
Following a survey of the Arabic language throughout the 20th century, Mseddi moves on to look at the outcome of the 9/11 bombings, paying special attention to symposia convened by Arab politicians and intellectuals in their attempts to address the cultural and political ramifications of the period giving rise to 9/11. The book provides a chronological index listing all of the events, initiatives and projects which fall under this category. The aim is to provide readers with the raw material needed to gain a different, often neglected perspective on the question of linguistic politics in the Arab world. Students and scholars of the the Arabic language will find this book – a distillation of decades of work by Mseddi – an invaluable resource.
To buy a copy of this book in Arabic through the ACRPS bookstore, please cliock here.
RecentCurrently selected
Ahmed Ibrahim Abushouk , El Fatih Abdullahi Abdelsalam
Parliamentary Elections in Sudan (1953-1968)
Mohammad Abu Maizar
Sand and Roots: An Exchange on Jerusalem, Exile and the Difficult Return
Aref al-Aref
The Diary of Aref al Aref in the Emirate of Transjordan (1926-1929)
Khaled Ziadeh
The Sultan's Scribe
Hikmat Al-Abd Al-Rahman
China and the Middle East
Abdulbaset Sieda
Syrian Kurdish Themes
Ghassan Al-Kahlout
Humanitarian Work: Realities and Challenges
Nader Srage
Arabic Spoken in Lebanon: Words and Phrases from People's Lives
Azmi Bishara
Problems of Democratization: A Comparative Theoretical and Applied Study
Haitham Farhan Saleh
The State's Dilemma: Arab World Power Shifts on the Eve of the Third Millennium
Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies
Al Tarafa Street, Zone 70, Wadi Al Banat, Al Dhaayen, Qatar
Tel : +974 4035 4111
Arab Center in
Paris Washington Tunis
All Rights Reserved ©2017


Susan, continued . . .: Forbidden chat!
So, during a classroom session on Tapped-In that I actually held IN my classroom with a cart full of MacBooks--4 were stolen. (The ins and outs of this are too complex to lay out here--except to say I rushed a sign-out procedure I should have followed and trusted a person I shouldn't have.) In the subsequent investigation, I received one and only one urgent communication from the principal: "YOU ARE TO CEASE ALL CLASS CHAT ACTIVITY IMMEDIATELY UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE." Following this edict to the letter, I have removed the chat from class. I still require the blog assignment and--on Tuesday nights (not in the classroom)--I am still on-line for homework help. I have not been given a chance to respond, nor to ask "why now?" The principal gave me one moment of explanation: No one can convince him that chat can enhance the teaching and learning of reading and writing at any grade level--elementary, junior, or senior high level! You know from this blog site, that he and I have been discussing this for almost three years, but it seems--because of the theft--now he realizes I always meant to follow through and actually use web learning. Perhaps there are more legal issues than I am aware of? I'll be back . . . .


Surgical Biopsy: Surgical biopsy is the most common outpatient surgical procedure. Eight of 10 lesions are benign on biopsy. The procedure is usually done using local anesthesia, moderate sedation, or both. The biopsy involves excising the lesion and sending it to the laboratory for pathologic examination.
Extensional biopsy is the usual procedure for any palpable breast mass. The entire lesion, plus a margin of surrounding tissue, is removed. This type of biopsy may also be referred to as a lumpectomy. Depending on the clinical situation, a frozen section may be done at the time of the biopsy (a small piece of the mass or lesion is given a provisional diagnosis by the pathologist), so that the surgeon can provide the patient with a diagnosis in the recovery room.
Incisional biopsy is performed when tissue sampling alone is required; this is done both to confirm a diagnosis and to determine the hormonal receptor status. Complete excision of the area may not be possible or immediately beneficial to the patient, depending on the clinical situation. This procedure is often performed in women with locally advanced breast cancer or in cancer patients with a suspicion of recurrent disease, whose treatment may depend on the tumor's estrogen and progesterone receptor status. These receptors are identified during pathologic examination of the tissue.
In a Tru-Cut core biopsy, the surgeon uses a special large-lumen needle to remove a core of tissue. This procedure is used when a tumor is relatively large and close to the skin surface and the surgeon strongly suspects that the lesion is a carcinoma. If cancer is diagnosed, the tissue is also tested for hormone receptor status.
Wire needle localization is a technique used when mammography detects minute, pinpoint calcifications (indicating a potential malignancy) or non palpable lesions and a biopsy is necessary. A long, thin wire is inserted, usually painlessly, through a needle before the excisional biopsy under mammographic guidance to ensure that the wire tip designates the area to undergo biopsy. The wire remains in place after the needle is withdrawn to ensure a precise biopsy. The patient is then taken to the operating room, where the surgeon follows the wire down and excises the area around the wire tip. The tissue removed is x-rayed at the time of the procedure; these specimen x-rays, along with follow-up mammograms taken several weeks later (after the site has healed), verify that the area of concern was located and removed.
Breast biopsies are one of the most common ambulatory surgical procedures performed, with 80% of the results negative for malignancy (Norris, 2001). Prior to the procedure, the nurse's role is to provide instruction; however, it is important for the nurse to first assess how the woman is coping with her need for the procedure and her ability to process information about the procedure and the possible implications of the biopsy results.
Anxiety and fear are normal responses to the need for a breast biopsy, but these responses may interfere with the woman's ability to recall and understand the information that is provided prior to the procedure. Therefore, written information and booklets are used to reinforce teaching. The nurse also must give the patient an opportunity to address issues and concerns related to the biopsy. The nurse instructs the patient to avoid use of agents that can interfere with blood clotting and increase the risk for bleeding. Among these agents are non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, vitamin E supplements, herbal substances (such as gingko biloba and garlic supplements), warfarin, and products containing aspirin. The patient may be instructed not to eat or drink after midnight, depending on the type of biopsy planned.
Most breast biopsy procedures today are performed with the use of moderate sedation and local anesthesia; thus, the recovery period is relatively brief.
Postoperative assessment includes monitoring the effects of the anesthesia and inspection of the dressing covering the incision. Prior to discharge from the ambulatory surgery center or office, the patient must be able to tolerate fluids or food, ambulate, and void. The patient should be accompanied home by a family member or friend. At discharge, the nurse reviews with the patient the care of the biopsy site, pain management, and activity restrictions.
The dressing covering the incision is usually removed on the second day, but use of a supportive bra is encouraged immediately after the procedure for 3 to 7 days to limit movement of the breast and reduce discomfort. Steri-strips applied over the incision are left in place until they start to come off, usually a couple of weeks after the procedure. A follow-up telephone call to the patient by the nurse 24 to 48 hours after the procedure is standard care and provides an opportunity for the nurse to answer any questions the patient might have.
Most women return to their usual activities the day after the procedure but are encouraged to avoid jarring or high-impact activities for 1 week to promote healing of the biopsy site. Discomfort is usually minimal from the procedure and most women find acetaminophen sufficient for pain relief; however, a mild opioid may be prescribed, if needed.
Follow-up after the biopsy includes a return visit to the surgeon for discussion of the final pathology report and assessment of the healing of the biopsy site. Depending on the results of the biopsy, the nurse's role varies. If the pathology report is negative for cancer, the nurse reviews incision care and explains what to expect as the biopsy site heals (ie, changes in sensation may occur weeks or months after the biopsy due to injury to the nerves within the breast tissue). If a diagnosis of cancer is made, the nurse's role changes dramatically.


Ajax Pickering Hospital Foundation and the Rotary Club of Ajax.
Our speakers were from the Ajax Pickering Hospital Foundation. In this their 65th year, they noted the substantial contributions to the hospital by our club over the years, which total well over $550,000. We were there from the very formation of the APHF.
The Foundation is very happy with the way the integration in the Lakeridge Health system is proceeding, inasmuch as the foundation's fund raising efforts are permitted to help the Ajax location and not sent elsewhere.
The APHF is currently raising money for "Alaris Pumps" having committed to purchase 10 of these at $5000 apiece, and are looking to community partners such as our club to help. These pumps will significantly reduce the possibility of error in the administration of patient needs after procedures, and their capabilities will grow as the hospital IT system becomes more comprehensive.


General Motors is worried that a little-noticed lawsuit could reopen the books on its massive 2009 federal bailout, a deal touted by President Barack Obama during this year's election season as one of his chief first-term achievements.
The lawsuit, filed by a trust representing "old" GM's unsecured creditors, attacks a "lockup agreement" that sent hundreds of millions of dollars to a group of hedge funds to get them to drop their claims against GM's Nova Scotia unit. The deal helped keep the unit's parent, GM Canada, out of bankruptcy, but the unsecured creditors trust says it was unfair, and, more importantly, not disclosed properly to a bankruptcy judge.
The trust, which is recovering money for old GM's unsecured creditors, says the deal was completed after GM's bankruptcy filing, meaning it should have been reviewed by Judge Robert E. Gerber of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan. If the suit is successful, the deal could be undone, putting "new" GM on the hook for at least $1.3 billion in claims.
The proceedings are continuing this week, with GM Chief Financial Officer Daniel Ammann set to take the witness stand Thursday. While working at Morgan Stanley, Mr. Ammann advised GM during its restructuring.
The hedge funds, creditors of the Nova Scotia-based GM subsidiary, agreed in June 2009 to waive $1.3 billion in claims in exchange for a $367 million payment. The payment came from GM Canada, which borrowed $450 million from old GM to make that payment. GM, which is vigorously fighting the suit, has said it will prove during the trial that the loan was made before it sought bankruptcy protection and not "backdated" after the fact, as the trust claims.
Judge Gerber has already made it known that the deal at least should have been run by him and that he is worried the entire sale might have to be reopened.


• The certification exam will be online on Mikrotik website with instant results.
If cancelled by April 26th, an administration fee of $100 applies. Registration fee less the administration fee will be refunded.
No refunds provided after April 26th.


Amateur astronomers, research scientists, and other experts, are often enthusiastic volunteers and eager to share their excitement for astronomy with the public. In this workshop, presenters shared info on how to find local experts and effectively collaborate with them to strengthen your astronomy and space science programs.
This recording and additional resources are available at nisenet.org/catalog/online-workshop-finding-and-collaborating-astronomy-experts-and-volunteers-recorded.


text:
Mixx Facebook Twitter Digg delicious reddit MySpace StumbleUpon
How to fail your way to success
Don't believe failure to be bigger than it is
Not much you can do about some failures
Some failures can be pathway to success
Accepting some failures are part of life
Next Article in Living »
By Martha Beck
(Oprah.com) -- I spent at least half my childhood drawing. By the time I got to college and signed up for my first drawing class, I was pretty comfortable with a pencil. My teacher was a brilliant draftsman named Will Reimann.
To impress him, I fired up all my best tricks: lots of varied lines, fade-outs, soft gradients. One day while I was drawing, something landed on my sketch pad. It was a mechanical drafting pen.
"Use that from now on," said Mr. Reimann. And he smiled the smile of a man who has hatched an evil plot.
Oh, how I hated that damn pen! It drew a stark black line of unvarying thickness, making all my faboo pencil techniques impossible. You'd think my teacher would've been helpful, or at least forgiving. But no. He'd glance at my awkward ink drawings, groan "Oh, God," and walk away holding his head in his hands, like a migraine sufferer. My art grade plummeted. I writhed with frustration.
A few weeks later, as I sat in another class taking notes with the Loathsome Pen of Doom, something happened. Without my intention, my hand started dancing with that horrible pen. Together, they began making odd marks: hatches, overlapping circles, patches of stippling.
The next drawing I completed won a juried art show. "How did you figure out a drafting pen could do this?" one of the judges asked me.
"I failed," I told them. "Over and over again."
Since then I've had many occasions to celebrate failure, in myself and in others. From my life-coaching seat, I've noticed that the primary difference between successful people and unsuccessful people is that the successful people fail more.
Oprah.com: Create the life you really want!
Oprah.com: Successful women share their stories of failure
Oprah.com: Stuck in the wrong job? Six signs it's time to move on
If you see failure as a monster stalking you, or one that has already ruined your life, take another look. That monster can become a benevolent teacher, opening your mind to successes you cannot now imagine.
The optional agony of defeat
My dog-groomer friend Laura breeds and shows prizewinning poodles. One afternoon she arrived at the off-leash dog park looking thoroughly dejected.
"What's wrong?" I asked her as our pets gamboled about.
"Ewok," said Laura, nodding mournfully toward her well-coiffed dog. "He didn't even place at the show yesterday. Didn't ... even ... place! And he just hates to lose!" Her voice was so bitter I winced. "He should have been best in show," she said. "Look at him -- he's perfect!"
I looked at Ewok. He looked fine -- but perfect? Who knew? To me, saying a poodle with long legs is better than one with short legs seems absurd. A poodle's a poodle, for heaven's sake.
I think Ewok would've agreed. He certainly didn't seem to be the one who hated losing. He'd discovered a broken Frisbee, and appeared to be experiencing the sort of rapture Saint Teresa felt when visited by God.
Laura's desolation stemmed not from what actually happened at the dog show but from her ideas about success and failure. Lacking such concepts, Ewok was simply enjoying life. Going to dog shows and winning, going to dog shows and losing, going to the park and scavenging -- from Ewok's perspective it was all good.
Meanwhile, Laura's thoughts about losing had tainted all these experiences. Thankfully, she'd managed to avoid a pitfall even worse than failure: success.
"Success is as dangerous as failure," said Lao-tzu, and any life coach knows this is true. I can't count the number of times people have told me, "I hate the job I'm doing, but I'm good at it. To do what I want, I'd have to start at zero and I might fail."
Dwelling on failure can make us miserable, but dwelling on success can turn us into galley slaves, bound to our wretched benches solely by the thought, I hate this, but at least I'm good at it.
This is especially ironic because researchers report that satisfaction thrives on challenge. Think about it: A computer game you can always win is boring; one you can win sometimes, and with considerable effort, is fun.
With time-killing games, where the stakes are very low, pretty much everyone's willing to risk failure. But when it comes to things we think really matter, like creating a career or raising children, we hunker down, tighten up, and absolutely refuse to fail. Anyway, that's the theory. The reality is, we are going to fail. Then we make things worse by refusing to accept this.
Tammy came to me distraught because her 17-year-old son, Jason -- her perfect son, whom she'd raised with perfect love, perfectly following every known rule of perfect motherhood -- had been arrested for public intoxication.
"I've failed," Tammy sobbed. "I've failed Jason; I've failed myself!"
"Yup," I said. "You got that right."
Tammy stared at me as though I'd slapped her. Clearly, that was not my line. I shrugged. "You've failed a million times, and you've succeeded a million times. Welcome to parenthood. Do you know any mothers who never fail their kids?"
"Sure," Tammy said, nodding. "A lot of my friends at the country club are perfect mothers." She wept even harder. "And they say horrible things about the bad mothers. Now they'll judge me, because Jason ... " She dissolved in sobs.
"Tell me," I said, "do you actually like any of those women?"
The sobbing stopped abruptly. There was a long moment of silence, and then Tammy seemed to transform before my eyes. She sat up straighter.
"You know, I don't," she said. "I don't really like any of them."
"I believe you," I said. "I don't know your friends, but if I had to live with someone like the person you were a minute ago, I'd start drinking, too."
"I do live with her," said Tammy wryly. "And I'd love a drink."
"Hear, hear," I said. "So go home and apologize to Jason for imitating mothers you don't even like. Try being real with him -- teenagers love that. Every moment you're real with him, you're succeeding as a mother. Every moment you lose yourself by trying to be perfect, you're failing. And the moment you accept that you're failing, you're succeeding again."
Tammy squinted at me. "You're telling me to accept failure as a mother?"
"Whenever you fail," I said. "Got any other options?"
"Well, no ... but accept failure? As a mother? I can't."
"Sure you can," I said. "Try this: Think about the fact that you failed to control Jason. Notice how you're all scrunched up, thinking, Oh, no!?"
Tammy nodded.
"Okay, now unscrunch, and instead of saying, 'Oh, no!' say, 'Oh, well ...'"
I beamed at Tammy. She waited for me to go on. I didn't.
Tammy laughed. "I can't believe this," she said. "I came here thinking you could tell me how to fix my son, and the best advice you've got is, 'Oh, well'?"
"Damn. You're right," I said. "I've totally failed you." I took a deep breath, and relaxed. "Oh, well ..."
Tammy looked at me for another long minute. Then she said, "Just your saying that makes me trust you."
This is the magic of accepting that you've done your very best but failed. Own your failure openly, publicly, with genuine regret but absolutely no shame, and you'll reap a harvest of forgiveness, trust, respect, and connection -- the things you thought you'd get by succeeding. Ironic, isn't it?
Blasting through attachments
I owe my ability to accept maternal failure to my son Adam. Though I bred young, never smoked or drank, ate right, and all that, Adam showed up with an extra chromosome, mentally retarded. Oops. From the word go, I'd failed to make him a successful student, athlete, rocket scientist. In my mind, nothing could compensate for such massive failures.
This was when I discovered that the bigger the perceived problem, the better it delivers failure's great gift: freedom from attachment to ideas about success. A lucky person escapes her enemies. But a really lucky person (as the poet Rumi puts it) "slips into a house to escape enemies, and opens the door to the other world."
This can happen in tiny ways and huge ones. The day my pencil-proficient mind accepted failure and allowed my hand to start dancing with that mechanical pen, a door opened on a new way of drawing.
Accepting that I'd failed to create a "normal" life for my child blasted away much bigger assumptions, bone-deep beliefs like "Successful mothers have smart children" and "My kids should never fail."
This hurt like a sonovabitch, but when the rubble cleared, I found myself in a world where all judgments of success and failure are arbitrary and insignificant, as ridiculous (no offense) as the American Kennel Club's definition of the "perfect" poodle. Without judgments, it's obvious that joy is available in every moment --and never in anything else.
I can see that Tammy gets this. Jason's rebellion becomes a gift as failure does for Tammy what I've seen it do for so many others: soften, mellow, calm, enrich, embolden. The poet Antonio Machado expressed it this way:
Last night as I was sleeping
I dreamt -- marvelous error! --
that I had a beehive
here inside my heart.
And the golden bees
were making white combs
and sweet honey
from my old failures.
I can't say I look forward to the failures that await me. But they'll be along in no time, so I feel lucky to know what to do when each one arrives. It will work for you, too. Unscrunch. Exhale. Let go of "Oh, no!" and embrace "Oh, well ... ." Then, whatever door opens, walk through it.
Failing upward
By my sophomore year in college, mechanical pens were my favorite drawing instruments. Trial and error (and error, and error) had made me so comfortable with them that they felt like extensions of my hands. Being a masochist and a fool, I signed up for another class from Mr. Reimann. One morning while I was drawing, something landed on my sketch pad. It was a watercolor brush.
"Use that from now on," said my teacher. "You'll hate it. You put a mark down on the paper, and half an hour later, it decides what it's going to look like."
I picked up the brush. "You're not going to help me with this, are you?"
"Well, let's put it this way," said Mr. Reimann. "The sooner you make your first 5,000 mistakes, the sooner you'll get on to the next 5,000." And he walked away smiling his evil-plot smile, having arranged yet another dance with failure, inspirer of all uninspired artists, master teacher of all master teachers.
By Martha Beck from "O, The Oprah Magazine," December 2007. E-mail to a friend
Subscribe to O, The Oprah Magazine for up to 75% off the newsstand price. That's like getting 18 issues FREE. Subscribe now!
TM & © 2009 Harpo Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Martha Beck is the author of "The Four-Day Win."
From the Blogs: Controversy, commentary, and debate
Sit tight, we're getting to the good stuff
powered by Sphere
Senators 'troubled' after Rice meeting Bergen: Senseless Benghazi obsession