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My interview with former Spurs Youth Team manager Keith Waldon:
Posted on March 28, 2022 by superhotspur
Keith Waldon was at Spurs as a coach and later youth team manager, from 1984 to 1994. A Londoner by birth, Waldon used to play youth football for Chelsea, reserve team football for Millwall, and later amateur football, via a time playing football in South Africa. Keith managed a very successful youth team at Spurs, with them winning the South East Counties League on numerous occasions, the FA Youth Cup during the 1989/90 season, and also other youth team honours. I recently had the great pleasure and privilege of speaking to Keith about his very successful time at Spurs.
What is your earliest footballing memory?
Keith: I've got to tell you that I was born on cup final day, near the Arsenal ground, when Arsenal won the FA Cup in 1950, April 29th. My earliest memories are I guess playing for school teams. I was born in London in 1950, but there wasn't much football going on there in those days, but I moved out to Surrey as a youngster, where I just joined local teams. The thing is you never know quite how good you are, but I was just playing football when Chelsea wanted me to join them as a 15-year-old. And a bit like we did when I was a manager at Spurs, they had two South East Counties League teams, one in each division. At 15 I was playing for the Under 18 team for Chelsea, which was a bit of jump really. I still didn't think that I was any good, but I must have been ok, as I was playing two years above my age group. From a professional point of view that's where it all started. Prior to that when I was playing football for local team's I was playing four games a weekend, Saturday and Sunday mornings and afternoons as well, as well as during midweek as well.
Did you play the game at any level?
Keith: As I say I was at Chelsea as a schoolboy, and then Millwall signed me from Chelsea. I think that I got Millwall into trouble, as I didn't realise that once you had signed schoolboy forms that that held you for the next season as well. I didn't know that, and I don't think that anyone else around knew that, apart from the clubs themselves, so when Millwall came knocking and said would you like to play for us, they didn't even want me to have a trial with them. I guess that they'd seen me play already, but I just said yeah, and then they were offering me apprentice professional forms. I'd ended the season where I'd played for Chelsea, but Chelsea hadn't contacted me, and so I just assumed that I was let go and had been released. So, when Millwall came in for me I just signed, but apparently Millwall were in trouble because they'd signed an already registered player. That didn't go down too well with the manager at Millwall at the time, but I signed associated apprentice professional forms, where I had two years before signing as a pro. I didn't play a first team game for them at all as I was only in the reserves. I then moved out to South Africa, as a South African club had come out to see me, and they said that they'd like to sign me, and I said ok, thinking it would be the start of the season. But their season didn't start until the February of the next year, and so this was kind of May time.
I thought that I might be getting released from Millwall but then the South African club approached me and then approached Millwall and said that they'd like to sign Keith Waldon, and so they said yes, ok. But what I didn't want to do was go all that time without playing, so I played for Chelmsford City, who were in the old Southern League. I only played six months with them before going off to South Africa. The team in South Africa was called Berea Park, it doesn't exist now, but two or three years prior to me going over there they had started their own professional football league, at the same time as America had started their Soccer League. I received an offer to play for Dallas. I was torn, Dallas or Berea Park? Berea Park were offering me more money, which sounded fantastic, so I went for the money and went to Pretoria, South Africa, that was where my career really kind of ended, because I suffered a badly broken leg. Both bones were shattered in my lower leg. That was in the second season and so I came back to England. My leg wasn't healing properly, and I didn't kick a ball again for four or five years but when I started to play again, I felt that my leg was ok, even though they'd told me that I'd never play again. Then, one or two non-League teams became interested in me, but back in the day, if you had been a professional then you couldn't join the amateur ranks, unless you got a permit.
I had to apply for a permit to play and give a reason as to why I was now wanting to play amateur football when I'd already played professional football. The answer for me was simple, they let me play and I played for Croydon very briefly and then Dulwich Hamlet even more briefly, before then signing for Sutton United. I played many seasons at Sutton United, and maybe something like 250 games for them. When I was a young professional at Millwall I took all my coaching badges, and as I recall I think I was one of the youngest "Full Badge" coaches ever at that time. There was somebody younger than me who had got this highest of qualifications at 21. I got it at 22, I think.
Having got the highest of qualifications that one could get, but having broken my leg, I needed to earn some money. So, I became a schoolteacher, I had gone to university to qualify as a teacher and then I started teaching physical education, but, because of my coaching qualifications, I was also working on behalf of the Football Association, running their Coach Education courses. There was some local stuff to begin with, but then I got called up to staff courses at a place called Lilleshall, which was the home of English football at that time. I was asked to deliver the courses up there which were of a much grander significance.
The courses at Lilleshall got bigger and bigger until in the end I was doing international courses, coaching foreign managers and coaches when they took their UEFA coaching badges, and other aspiring coaches to do their refresher courses. At the end of each season, managers and coaches would go to Lilleshall to take this refresher course. I can remember coaching some of the top coaches and players of the day. I guess that that sparked the interest in me, and the guy who took me to Spurs (I went from teaching to Tottenham Hotspur) was David Pleat, who took me there as assistant to a great friend of mine called Keith Blunt. Keith played football with me for a very brief time at Sutton United before becoming manager of them, whilst I was still playing there. Keith therefore managed me while I was at Sutton United, and he knew that I'd got my coaching qualifications as well. So, I think that Keith put the word in for me and had said to Spurs, that I was the guy that he wanted to work with. So, it was 1984 I think when I first went to Spurs. That was initially a part-time thing, before it gradually morphed into a full-time one, and in all I was there for ten years. I've got to tell you that it was probably the happiest years of my coaching career, and probably also the happiest of my years in football.
That meant there was Keith Blunt and me with the youth team, Doug Livermore, who was the reserve team manager, but a succession of managers came and went such as David Pleat, Peter Shreeves, Terry Venables and Ossie Ardiles. For most of that time I was the youth team manager as Keith Blunt left about a season after I had arrived to go off to Gillingham as assistant manager to Keith Burkinshaw. So, I took over the running of the youth team and it was a very successful period of time for Spurs' youth team in every respect really.
Because of the successes of that time for the Youth Team, some observers thought that I was just about winning games, but it wasn't like that. I was just about improving individual players, and the fact that we had good players meant that if you coached them properly then they'd end up winning more games than they'd lose. I think that we won the South East Counties League nine years out of ten, we also won the FA Youth Cup in 1990. We also won other competitions like the League Cup and the Southern Junior Floodlit Cup. We also had great success in winning trophies abroad in the many international tournaments in which Spurs Youth Team took part. We'd win often, but I used to tell the players from the day I first arrived that my job was to make them all better players. The youth team players came in at 16 and left me at 18, so I would tell them "I've got to take you to being an international footballer in two years".
It was all about trying to improve the players that we recruited. John Moncur was the scout at the time, and he and his team brought in some very good players. But my job really was to make them even better players.
Did you have any footballing heroes or inspirations? And if so, who were they?
Keith: Several players really. Ron Flowers of Wolves was one of them. Wolverhampton Wanderers were one of the top teams in the 1950s. I used to watch the Arsenal games at Highbury, near where I lived, when one day Wolves came down. And I watched Wolves play and they were brilliant, Ron Flowers in midfield was different class, a serene type of player, and so I watched him. There were other players like Ferenc Puskás and Alfredo Di Stéfano. We'd only recently got a television and so we'd see snippets of those two players when they were playing for Real Madrid, and they were phenomenal players. Throughout my career I've always admired great players, and I mean Glenn Hoddle for me was one of the best ever, and I think that he's the best passer of a ball with either foot that I've ever seen in football to this day. Glenn would practice doing things that I could only dream of; he was a fantastic player. He couldn't dribble like some other players, and he wasn't known for defending. I think that that was his downfall really. But he was so good going forward and I just couldn't understand why he only played 50 times for England, he should have played 150 times for England. So yes, I had lots of heroes growing up but not one that I thought that's the one. I just admired good players.
Could you talk me through your career at Spurs?
Keith: I started as youth team coach and Keith Blunt was the youth team manager. But we had two teams and so I took the second of those teams during that first season while Keith Blunt took the first of those teams, in the South East Counties League. I would even take some of the teams on Sunday morning, so I was heavily involved right from the start. I can't remember exactly when it was, but it was probably about the start of the second season that I was there, and Keith Blunt left to go to Gillingham, and I took over the running of the youth team. I needed an assistant because we had two teams. I'd met Patsy Holland, who was youth team coach at Leyton Orient, and he joined me at Spurs. Pat and I got on really well, and still do funnily enough (I'm still in touch with Pat). I've got to tell you that Patsy was a fantastic partner, and his knowledge of football was great. We'd just sit and talk until it got dark in the evening, with a big old-fashioned pot of tea, and we'd have the magnetic board out and we just talked football nonstop. We planned how we were going to produce good players for the first team.
In my early tenure, I remember often being criticised, by several people funnily enough, that I was tiring the youth team: working them too hard and too long. I was training them too much they said, as we did three sessions a day some days. We'd train longer than the first team in the morning for about two hours, and then we'd clear everything away as the first team players would disappear. Then the youth team would go out again in the afternoon to train for another couple of hours, and then in the evenings I'd often take them back to the ball court that we had at White Hart Lane. It was the best training environment for youth players, ever! If ever I went back to a football club as a manager, then the one thing I would insist upon is having a ball court that was just like that one. It was just fantastic. It was indoor Astroturf with a huge high ceiling and although it had glass in the roof to let the light in, there was some wiring in there to stop the balls smashing the glass. It was well lit, and you had four big high walls which were painted white, but on the white, were painted goalposts and targets to play at. For me it was all about technique and so every afternoon we'd go back to the ground and each player would have a ball each, and they'd go and stand near a blue circle, or red square, and I'd say, chip it with your left foot and the first to get to 25 in the target – shout out, then with your right foot, then left foot, then curl it, drive it – left foot, right foot etc. . everybody would do ball work for nearly four hours.
When Patsy Holland first arrived at Spurs, he said to me that I think you're doing too much ball work. But by the time he left he said that he could see why I did it, as it was amazing seeing the players at 16 and then two years later after two hours of ball work every afternoon for two years. He said to me that their technique work was just superb.
When I was criticised for training them too hard, my answer was that I've got two years to take the players from being a schoolboy footballer to an international footballer. I'm not going to do that by giving them time off work, and I don't care that they're going to be tired for the game on Saturday as the game on Saturday is immaterial. I've just got to get as much football into them as I can in two whole years, that's all I've got. So that was my reasoning for doing what I did. I didn't have the players running up and down hills or lifting too many weights, it was all with the ball. Everything was about manipulating the ball and understanding what you're trying to do when you're on the field of play. So, the morning sessions were all about tactics and how to defend as a group of players. We'd spend hours working at defending as individuals, then in small numbers, then as a back four or five.
Attacking in football to me was a lot more about what the players brought to it. We had some phenomenal players who could do things and who saw things that I could never see, because I wasn't as good as them. I used to say that I can't coach what you do, so whatever you want to do try it. If you've tried it 20 times and it's not come off once then maybe we need to think it again, but if you try it and you perfect it, and it works for you then let's keep it going. So in an attacking sense in their heads, they could do what they like with the ball, but defending's much more about team cohesion and all understanding what we're trying to do as a defensive team. So that I coached very heavily. I remember talking to George Graham once when we were doing one of these refresher courses at Lilleshall, and he and I were roommates. He asked me how I coached the youth team and how do I keep winning the South East Counties League with them? I said that every single day I do back four/five/three defending. George said that's what I do at Arsenal. They had some great defenders; Tony Adams, Bould, Keown, Dixon, Winterburn and David Seaman in goal. He said that every single day he took the back four and told them what to do if this happens, then if that happens then you do this, and so on. And I said that's exactly what I do.
George Graham asked me what about going forward? And I said to him that it was more about what they can bring to the party, and of course he brought Ian Wright to Arsenal. So, he didn't have to coach him much as he knows what he's doing, so I just let him do his stuff. Graham and I had very similar philosophies about how to play the game, he won the double with Arsenal, so it can't be too bad.
What was it like to be Spurs' youth team manager?
Keith: First of all, obviously it's a great honour to be asked to do that at a big club like Spurs. But it wasn't daunting for me, and I didn't think oh! and panic, I just thought that it was a great job, and it just came like second nature to me really. I was privileged to have the people around me that I did, like John Moncur and Bill Nicholson, and Doug Livermore was a great guy. He was very calming, and he knew the game, having played at a very high level, so he was great to have around. And also, Ray Clemence was on the coaching staff as well, but we all got on together so well during that era, regardless of who the manager was, so all of that side of it was fantastic.
Could you talk me through your memories of the 1989/90 FA Youth Cup winning campaign? And what it felt like to lead such a talented group of players to winning such a prestigious trophy?
Keith: There's always an element of luck about everything, and I remember that one of the goals in the semi-final at Manchester City, (from Scott Houghton) deflected off somebody and looped over the goalkeeper and into the goal to win 2-1, which sent us through to the final. So, we had a bit of luck, but we got into the final which was two legged, and we drew away and then won at home. We had some very, very good defenders at that time, and that was without Sol Campbell, but we had five of the England youth team playing for us at that time. Three of them were defenders and so I knew that defensively we would be ok; it was just a question of whether we could open up the opposition enough to score the goals. I wasn't best pleased with our performances in the final, but I guess that the occasion might have got to the players a little bit. But I didn't think that we played anywhere near our best performances in the FA Youth Cup final. Some of our best performances were in the Southern Junior Floodlit Cup or the league that we played in in those days. Although the FA Youth Cup final wasn't one of our best performances the result was very good. For me performances really mattered, and I wanted the team to play and impress people. I thought that the win was more for the players than it was for me, and so I didn't show my disappointment at the performance.
During your time at Spurs as a coach and being in charge of the youth team, Spurs had a very talented group of players at the club. What was it like to coach them?
Keith: That was the joy for me, the whole joy. Mostly I was with the youth team, but often I'd have to take the reserves or the first team and so Terry Venables for instance for a whole season would ask me to take the defenders and he'd take the forwards. So I thought that Terry Venables might have thought that I was quite good at coaching, and so he would ask me to take the team sometimes, like the defenders or the forwards. I was therefore coaching the first team in the morning and Patsy Holland would take the whole of the youth team squad on his own, and then in the afternoon I'd coach the youth team again. But with whatever team I was with (including the youth team) all of them had phenomenal skill level. And like I said to you Terry Venables used to say to me to not take the first youth team over because the first team couldn't get the ball off them. That is an accolade to the players for the abilities that they had, and I can only take reflected glory that I was in charge of them at that time. Whether they'd have achieved that or more without me, I don't know. Maybe they'd have gone on and achieved better things.
What was your time at Spurs like on the whole?
Keith: It was excellent, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. They are a big club and at that time we still had Bill Nicholson at the club, and I'd sit and chat with him and we got on really well. We'd sit in his office near to where I was in the afternoons, and I can remember the sun coming in through the window, and we'd just sit and chat football, it was brilliant. And it was the same with Patsy Holland, as we'd sit and talk football until it was getting dark at night. Doug Livermore and Ray Clemence were great characters, and Clem was such an inspiration in lots of ways, and he was always lively. He is sorely missed. So, the whole period for me there was fantastic. I was always a bit in awe of the people around me like Glenn Hoddle and Chris Waddle, and all of these kinds of people. And, on the management side as well, because they were all big-name people like Terry Venables, but I never felt uncomfortable about chatting with them about football. Even though they were big name people, but I was pretty solid in my own views on how I should coach players, and I think that just flowed really. Like I said Glenn Hoddle was the best passer of a ball I've ever seen, but to coach those sorts of players was fantastic.
I remember also that when Terry Venables became the manager at Spurs, he wanted me to bring the youth team over to training every Friday morning, as to do an 11-a-side with the first team, to try things out.
We used to have two youth teams in those days and one day Terry Venables said to me "next week to bring the second youth team", as the first team couldn't get the ball off us! So, from then on, we had to take the second of the two teams over and I would go with them. Then one day something funny happened when one of my players got injured and so Terry Venables asked me to go in at left-back. I went in at left-back and I was up against Chris Waddle, and well, he just turned me inside out! I was 40-something years of age and in a nice way I was a laughingstock, and the players thought it hysterical. After that, Terry said to bring ten of the second youth team and me! So, I'd have to play at left-back.
What was it like to work with former Spurs coach Keith Blunt?
Keith: Keith Blunt was a great coach and a very strict disciplinarian who was quite straight about how he went about things. I think that it was his organisation that allowed me to flourish more when he went. Had "Blunty" not organised things so well, I don't know if I could have put together such organisation. And the team that I inherited when Keith left made my start easier. I had it easy really and just couldn't go wrong, as he set it up so that I could coach.
Were there any people who you looked up to during your time at the club?
Keith: Of course. You can imagine that I was a bit part player, mostly in non-League and now I'm talking to people who have played 50, 60, 70 times for England. I looked up to most of the players and the coaching staff as well, so I was enlightened by them and that enthused me really, because I was talking to top, top players. So, it was rather an uplift than anything else, and you could ask them anything and they'd answer honestly, so again I was very lucky, as I had some fabulous people around me.
Are there any memories from your time at Spurs which really stand out to you?
Keith: I think that would probably be in the delight that I had from some of the performances from the youth team in games. I watched them do things which I didn't coach them to do, but they had a skill level above my grade and could do things that I couldn't imagine, never mind perform! What I could do was try and tie it all together, so as a coach, if so and so could do this; or so and so could that; then how could we make the best use of that. Everything that I did was to try and get the best out of the youth team players by whatever it was I coached, and I can remember on several occasions actually saying to players I can't coach what you can do. They were far better players than my coaching knowledge, and so that used to make me smile. I remember when we played Gillingham once, and we were 5-0 up at half-time and I said "You've proven that you can score five goals in that half. If you drop your level a little bit, then you won't score five again, so I want you to keep all of this going and we need to at least score another five goals in this half otherwise I'll be a bit upset". We beat Gillingham 10-0, and our lads were magnificent. Even the Gillingham manager came to me afterwards and said I've never seen a team play like that in the South East Counties League. So that kind of thing really impressed me, as it was all down to them really.
Were there any players who you coached at the club, who you were surprised never played for the first team?
Keith: There were so many good players! Some lovely lads too. Some players didn't make as many appearances for the first team as I thought they might, while others went away and did very well. We had a player called Lee Hodges, who for me could have been a very, very good player. But I think that he would get nervous in amongst that calibre of player and then maybe wouldn't have shown his real true class, but he was such a nice lad. One of those who disappointed me with how far he went in the game was Jeffrey Minton. Jeffrey had phenomenal ability with his feet, was quick off the mark and had wonderful skill. But he didn't go as far as I hoped he would, and I think that he'd tell you that he wasn't the most disciplined person, but he was a wonderful player.
I could eulogise about so many of them. It was that era where the players were just fantastic, and they just really impressed me and could play fantastic football. Nicky Barmby, Steve Robinson, Ian Walker to name but a few (Apologies to those I have not mentioned). But some of them never went on to make fantastic careers. According to John Fennelly, the press officer, in my ten years at Spurs, 44 players from the youth ranks made their debut at Spurs! A phenomenal number. Some went on to have great careers. I can remember working with Sol Campbell and I wasn't sure what position he was going to play in. And that thing that I'm going to take him from schoolboy to international level came true with him, because I just worked and worked with him. At so many lunch times we'd go out with a bag of footballs, and we'd work on his left foot and on his headers, and so I worked very, very hard on making him a fantastic footballer. But I used to tell him that if he didn't make it as a footballer that he'd be a good 400 metre runner, as he was also a very good athlete, but he wanted to be a footballer.
I also played Sol in midfield and up front, and in all different types of positions. So that he could get his feet better and his understanding of what was around him better, but then finally it was that he was going to be a centre-half, and of course his career was a very good one.
What would your advice be to the Spurs youth team players of today as they look to make it in the game?
Keith: The advice is very simple, and you've got to make use of every single moment of every single day when you're in the youth set-up. Like I say, you've got two years to go from a schoolboy to an international footballer, and you cannot waste one single second of that. You need to focus, especially with the ball as you don't get fatigued if you're just playing with the ball. If you improve your skills and understanding of the game and you've got a very good chance.
After all these years how do you look back on your time with Spurs, and are they a club who you still hold close to your heart?
Keith: Yeah, I watched their game against Liverpool the other day and I still watch all of their games. But I'm detached from the club now because I don't know the people who are there now, so for me it's not about the clubs it's about the people I know. So, everybody says are you a Spurs supporter? Well actually, I was an Arsenal supporter, but then I went to Chelsea and so I kind of supported them, and then I went to Millwall and so I kind of supported them. And then I'm at Spurs and so I support them a bit, but I still do watch the Spurs games and I hope that they win a trophy again soon. I also hope that they'll produce that skilful footballer again, like Man City do. Bill Nicholson would tell you about push and run, and all he'd ever say was pass and move, and don't stop doing that and you'll become effective. And if you watch Man City that's all they do – pass and move. And they've always got options and players to receive the ball, whereas if you watch most teams someone's got to take about three touches of the ball before someone makes an angle so they can pass to them. But what Man City do is the kind of thing that I'd like for young players to get their head around, as if you haven't got the ball at your feet then you should be getting into a position to receive the ball. And if you can do that and also manipulate the ball properly then you're going to become a player.
Posted in Memory lane
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The Caged Bird Who Couldn't Sing | "Go ahead…take a sip"
Learning when to let go and let God… Short story long: Growing up as a child, teenager and adult, I didn't have a father to nurture me, nor did I ever have a positive father figure in the home. That being the case, I yearned and searched for that lost love and security in men. A painful lesson that I repeated was not listening to my intuition. After all, how could I? I didn't know how to because I didn't know me. I had no idea what my inner voice sounded like because I was so busy listening to the outer voices, in hopes of finding acceptance. Throughout my journey in life I asked God to show me how I was created in his image, however I couldn't comprehend the full essence of being a spiritual person because I hadn't learned that you cannot measure healing by physical results only. I had to learn that healing occurs on so many different levels. So I continued on the vicious roller coaster ride for many years. Nonetheless, every step leading up to this point in my life has shown me a different perspective for growth. I've often asked myself "Why did the same situation keep presenting itself to me over and over again?" "What is it that I am doing wrong?" I am a believer that certain coincidences are not random. They are instances of spirit arranging things for us to see, take notice and gain some insight of the situation. Apparently, if the first time you don't learn the lesson, it will be presented to you again so that hopefully you will get it the next time. In some cases it may have to be repeated over and over again. Pain gets our attention. And I finally came to the conclusion that this frequent place of pain is not a leisure spot that I want to keep visiting. This time I listened intently to the messenger and I made a conscious decision to spend quality time alone with God, and as I sought answers, He began to reveal Himself to me. It was through a great journey of pain that I came to understand that I had wrongly trusted that human relationships would fill a void that only God Himself can fill. This lesson has taught me that the ultimate trust is knowing that Jehovah God loves me and that I am enough… Now after much prayer and daily time set aside to be alone with God, I can relate to Him as a loving Father from whom I can draw a deep sense of secure belonging. As I have matured spiritually, as well as in other areas, I now understand that the lesson that you don't learn the first time, you will be doomed to repeat until you learn what God is trying to teach you. –When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.
Hi Deb, Thanks for your feedback. The next Coffee With Cathy Session will be held in October. As soon as I have a definite date, I will post it. Thank you for the encouragement and the anticipation.
I just recently started taking dancing lessons, and although my instructor and the other students keep telling me that I am doing good, I know that my lack of confidence and not practicing enough is stifling me from being the best that I can be. It gets frustrating, and at times I want to give up, but I know that will make me a quitter, so I keep attending my classes, knowing that in the near future when I look back, I will be able to smile with confidence knowing that I accomplished my goal and did not give up.
Welcome to our discussion JT. Don't give up. You will eventually get it. My vocal coach says, in order to master or learn something new, you have to be comfortable being bad at it first. That is a hard place to be in. I think qualities that help in the learning process are humility, patience and love. Humility to be in the place of a learner…it's uncomfortable. Patience to know where you are today as a dancer is temporary, you will improve and love. Love yourself to know that you/we don't have to be perfect, we just have to do our best, and modesty helps us to know when we've pushed ourselves as far as we can go and yet submitting to our limitations. (Micah 6:8) There is so much to learn in taking up a hobby…it truly does build character. Thanks for sharing JT.
Oh yes it has. I find it difficult to form and maintain solid healthy friendships. I know a lot of people but to have healthy friendships has been a challenge. I was afraid that people may not like me or was afraid of letting the real me out for fear of judgement. As a child I was seen and not heard. But since attending "coffee with cathy" workshops I'm learning how to not be so afraid and step outside my comfort zone I am realizing I can be seen and heard. She encouraged me to try new things and that should help me. Well I'm glad to say I am. Just this week I am signing up for swim lessons that I have been putting off for awhile. Ladies it feels good to try something new.
My Dear Sheila…what a jewel of a friend you are. It's amazing how in the right environment we can discover the courage, strength and support to shine from the inside out. I'm thankful to be in your company and enjoy your sense of humor, your candor and your strength. I am so happy you have found value in our Coffee With Cathy sessions and you have found your voice. I can't wait to hear all about your swim lessons. When I started Coffee with Cathy, I had no idea how it would turn out, I'm so privileged to be right along side you sharing in your growth. You truly are brewing a robust life! You Rock Shero!
Empty and depressed the owner cried.
Your caged bird reminded me of this butterfly, but unlike you this dream died. So my comment to all you dreamers is to dream your dream, free your butterflies and you caged birds… Sing!
Love your thoughts, and proud of you for pursuing your dreams !
I was so surprised to read that You have Fear of Anything! I see You as the most Fearless Woman I know! You're such a Special Angel i guess I forget that you're human lol!
OMGOODNESS Cathy! I was so excited to see this sip of coffee in my email this morning! This is my life story! I have lived my life in the comfort zone! There have been very few occasions in my life where I welcome the discomfort for growth reasons which often leave me feeling very stagnant! I have found it to be a cycle in my family. I have been raised in a family of many single mothers. This being the case, it seems that we've all focused on just "surviving" not living our dreams. As a child I wanted to be a model. As I got older I wanted to be a journalist and then as I got into the nursing field of work I started attending college to become a nurse. I never realized any of those dreams. I still live with that regret. Fear has been a driving force in my life 😕. Right now in my life my dream is to become a foster parent. I have a fear of not being good enough that has been consistent throughout my life. I also worry that it would put a damper on my marriage and affect my relationship with my grands but it is really what I wanna do. I used to say I would become a foster parent after my girls became adults. It's where my heart is.
My Dearest Kiki, I think you would be an awesome Foster parent. Your fear of not being good enough is something you can control, that is your internal monster that has dictated your life for quite sometime and it sounds like you're fed up with it…Either you can sleigh that monster on your own, or I can coach you through it. Remember fear is such an inhibitor to truly loving yourself and others. (1 John 4:18) AS far as your marriage is concerned, talk to your husband and share how important it is for you to do this. You definitely need your husband's support on this one, because he would have to share you with the foster children. However, you being a happy person within the marriage will contribute to you being good wife, which will help your marriage to not just survive, but continue to thrive. In order for that to happen…you must also transition from the mentality of just surviving to thriving. I believe in you Kiki…but most important you have to believe in you. Thank you Kiki for sharing a piece of your heart.
I feel caged when it comes to losing weight. I really want to make it a main priority but I keep going back to what is comfortable. I eat pretty healthy, splurging every once and a while. But I just can't motivate myself to go to the gym, I pay for the membership faithfully but I can't commit to walking into that gym. I feel caged and it bothers me so knowing my family health history. How can I get out of this cage?
My Dear Keeshi: My advice to you is to get a personal trainer. You inspire, encourage, and motivate so many in your life that by the time you get an opportunity to go to the gym, you don't have the emotional energy to talk yourself into it. However, if you knew a personal trainer was expecting you at a certain time at the gym and that person would motivate and inspire you, I bet it would make it a lot easier for you to get there. Treat yourself to something good with lasting results my friend…you deserve it!


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This Machine stills the metronome. Richard Higgs leads this issue with his search for John Joseph Mathews. Look also for an essay on the Cheyenne Ghost Dance, a new poem by Amy Susan Wilson, and the saga of quite the unlikely couple. Plus, a portrait of one of Oklahoma's top canine units, and a guide to fall fun in Oklahoma.
SOUNDS BEYOND THE VEIL: A young Paiute gets a dancing lesson from God, a waltz that spread to the North Canadian by the feet of apostles. By Donald N. Brown.
OKLAHOMA BOYHOOD: A poem from behind closed doors. By Amy Susan Wilson.
THE SONG OF THE PLANTING MOON: A roadmap to the home of one of the Osage Nation's most important writers. By Richard Higgs.
AND THE ANGELS SANG: When the leader of one of Oklahoma's black churches drove to Arkansas to save souls, Oklahoma's former Grand Dragon rode shot gun. By Steve Gerkin.
ORIGINAL OKIE: Don't let Officer Kaiser's smile fool you. This Belgian Malinois is known on the Idabel Police Department as "the force multiplier."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


We live in an age where advancement in technology is very fast. There are two types of businesses these days, one that makes use of technology to maximize its use in their business, and others who adopt technology so that they will not be left behind in this world of high technology. Many business owners have technology in place yet do not know how to use it to their own advantage and they fail miserably in its use. They are wrong in thinking that merely having that technology ensures business success, but it does not; it is when we use technology properly and maximize its potential in helping our business grow that we benefit from the technology that we have.
People before did not enjoy that technology that we have today. People who lived in the past did not have the conveniences and technology that we had, but whatever they had, they used to make their business succeed.
The technology that we have now can be compared to the horses that they had before. They used horses in order to make their business grow and increase. Horse can carry more workload, they can move faster, and business owners who had horses made sure that their horses were used to grow their business. But, if you had a horse but did not know how to use it or what to make it do, then your horse has no use to you. This is very much the same today with technology. If you don't know how to apply technology to make your business grow, then it has no use to you.
The only way you can benefit from the technology that you already have is to hire IT managed services or if you have an in-house IT department composed of IT professionals in your workforce, then you will be able to use it correctly and maximize your business potential through its use. Most of us need help when it come to technology since we don't have the knowledge and expertise to make it work for our business. Professionals can teach you how to apply technology to your business if you don't have the knowledge and understanding of the technology software available for your use.
Some business owners think that they know how to apply technology to their business even if they don't. So it results in a waste of money since their technology is useless due to their ignorance, or things that don't improve business at all. So, more harm is done to the company than good. In order to avoid wasting money, make sure you know what you are dealing with. If you have personnel that tries to do everything themselves, produces inconsistent results and does not know how to handle the technology you use in business, then you should consider getting another professional who can apply the technology to your business.


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𝘽𝙞𝙯 𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨
𝘽𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙇𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙎𝙏 business 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙣
Sinhala News
Huawei places in CDP's A-list for its transparency and performance on climate change
Huawei has earned a top rank from CDP for its actions on climate change and transparency of disclosures. The international environmental non-profit organisation placed the company among its Climate change "A List", the only firm from mainland China to get the accolade. CDP also granted Huawei an "Excellent Environmental Leadership Award". Huawei adheres to the…
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Over 40 young artists spotlighted at the One Mic concert organised by Umara Music Studio.
Umara Music Studio (UMS) recently organised 'One Mic 2021' at Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo, witnessing the enthusiastic participation of several aspiring young artists, music icons, celebrities and well-wishers. One Mic was a grand event organised by Sri Lankan music icon Umara Sinhawansa, with the desire to offer her students a stage to showcase their wonderful skills…
School Stationaries from Moratuwa to Katugastota and Pussellawa
The Leo Club of Moratuwa organised a special project to provide school equipment and books for the new school term for the students of the Siri Gnanawasa Vidyalaya, Pussellawa and Dharma Vijaya Vidyalaya, Katugastota. The main objective of this project is to ensure that the children stay in school and have the necessary stationary to…
Sri Lankan Entrepreneur Shaping Digital Landscape in Bhutan; Opens University, Silicon Valley Equivalent
Sesiri Pathirane is a tech investor and entrepreneur who has been highly instrumental in – with blessings of the Government & cooperation from Private sector investors – revolutionizing the digital landscape in Bhutan in a bid to position the country as a digital hub in the South Asian region. As a result, the country's first…
The Big Bad Wolf Book Sale Howls Online
Looks like it's time for Sri Lanka to howl along with their favourite Wolf. That's right, – the Wolf will be back in Sri Lanka for the 4th consecutive year with a twist from the 1st – 4th of October 2020. Book lovers and avid readers all around the island nation will once again have…
A "Slow Boat" around Sri Lanka launches
In an all new, exciting edition of the Slow Boat series, Chandan Lahiri from India and Timm Kruse from Germany will paddle their watercraft around the coast of Sri Lanka. The expedition will begin on the 8th March 2020 from Mount Lavinia and paddle till 17th April through one of the most beautiful destinations in…
Google's Women Will to host 'SheLeads' for the second consecutive year
As part of a broader mission to promote Gender Equality; Google's Women Will Program and Google Business Community – Sri Lanka (GBG Colombo), together with Hatch Works, is hosting ''SheLeads'', an event celebrating the International Women's Day on 21st March at Hatch Works, No. 14 Sir Baron Jayatilaka Mawatha, Colombo from 9 a.m. onwards. This…
Power Woman – All Set for Sri Lanka's largest Women's Day Celebration in 2020
Festival at Avenra Garden Hotel on 8th March 2020 from 10 a.m. onwards She could be your mom, sister, girlfriend, fiancé, wife, boss, peer, friend, or any combination of the above. International Women's Day is celebrated on March 8th with a mission to help forge a gender-equal world, and this year in 2020, the Rotary…
Sri Lanka Corporate Health and Productivity Awards 2020: Drives Change by Upholding Health and Wellness Practices
''Sri Lanka Corporate Health and Productivity Awards 2020'' conducted by the Chamber of Young Lankan Entrepreneurs (COYLE) in collaboration with Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) was held recently at BMICH. H.E Akira Sugiyama, Ambassador of Japan to Sri Lanka attended the showpiece event as the chief guest and Aminda Rodrigo, Chairman of COYLE also attended…
'Power Woman' from Rotary Negombo set for 8th March with drawing over 5,000 Women
Women from 70 Rotary Clubs across the country to join International Women's Day Mega Event at Negombo Nearly 83 years old, one of the leading charity clubs in the country – Rotary Club of Negombo has planned to organize a Mega event tiled 'Power Woman' drawing over 5,000 both working and non-working women across the…
Binance's Predictions for the Year 2023, the Year of the Rabbit
தொடக்கங்களை மேற்கொள்வோருக்கு பிரத்தியேக கடன் வசதியை வழங்க HDFC வங்கியுடன் பங்காளியாகும் Hatch
Rotary rehabilitates 3 tanks in Wariyapola
Groundnut threshing made easier with the "Agrotech" Groundnut Thresher from Hayleys Agriculture
காலி மாவட்டம் முழுவதும் பேபி செரமி பெற்றோர் கிளினிக்
சாதனைகள்நிறைந்தஆண்டைக்கொண்டாடும்பெல்வத்தை
CA Sri Lanka வின் TAGS விருதுகள் 2022 இல் தங்க விருதை வென்ற ஜனசக்தி லைஃப்
SLIM Brand Excellence Awards 2022 இல் Diva Power பெரும் பாராட்டை பெற்றது
Tianjin Port Group and Huawei announce deepening cooperation to build a digital twin of the port
PropertyGuru ஆசிய ரியல் எஸ்டேட் உச்சிமாநாடு 2022: பொறுப்புமிக்க புத்தாக்கம் மற்றும் இசைவாக்க மீள் புத்தாக்க கண்டுபிடிப்புக்கு அழைப்பு விடுக்கிறது


Posted by on Thursday, April 17th, 2014 at 2:23pm.
This is a Beautiful Newer home overlooking Private preserve in gated Mandalay. This home has all the right upgrades and shows like a model, including beautiful pool/spa/w gas heater/salt chlorinator system. Cherry cabinets in kitchen & master bath, maple cabinets in other 2 bathrooms, upgraded tile in master bathroom and decorative accent tile in other baths, extensive landscaping, zodiac stone countertops in kitchen, cultured marble in all bathrooms , radiant barrier in roof system for added cooling, beautiful 18x18 floor tile, custom built-in entertainment wall, upgraded lighting, surround sound & wired for generator. There is a three car for your and your kitchen is all in stainless appliances. The Den is just the right extra to set this home off.This is great value in a great location.
IT IS TIME TO BUY IN Sarasota / Bradenton FLORIDA !!!
It's Florida: Incredible soft weather that varies 5 degrees all year around. with moderate winters. Surrounded by water. Outdoor activities are endless. All this equals healthy living.
Sarasota/Bradenton Living: There is exceptional and varied living opportunities available. Go to "sarasota34236.com" and see some Properties.


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Hallowicked 2004
Place: State Theatre, Detroit, MI
Headliner: Insane Clown Posse
Opening Act: Mack 10, Esham, ABK, Filthee Immigrants.
Give Away: Murda Cloak [feat. ABK] (CD)
A few songs before Halls of Illusions, people who were crowd surfing ended up in front of the barricades with the bouncers. The X-Men security wasn't doing shit to move them out of the way, so Juggalos started climbing over the barricade to get closer to the stage. Towards the end of "How Many Times", everybody started getting onto the stage along with J and Shaggy. They continued as long as they could into "Halls of Illusions", but ended up leaving the stage when a few hundred Juggalos were up there. The music played on for several minutes while more and more ninjas got on stage. The show was out of control…just like a Hallowicked should be! Cops were there to disperse the crowd and a lot of juggalo's didn't get their free CD.
31/10/2004 State Theatre - Detroit, MI
01. Walk Into The Darkness
02. Dead Body Man
03. Assasins
04. Crooked Preacher Killers
05. Suicide Hotline
06. Night Of 44
07. Piggy Pie
08. Chicken Huntin
09. My Kinda Bitch
10. Southwest Voodoo
11. Stomp
12. Everybody Rize
13. Fuck The World
14. Who Asked You
15. Everyday I Die
16. Santa's A Fat Bitch
17. How Many Times
18. Halls Of Illusions


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1. Cut the lobster into cubes. Marinate with turmeric, salt and lemon juice. Set aside.
2. Heat ghee, garam masala and fennel. Add onions, green chilli, ginger-garlic paste. Cook till onions are golden brown.
3. Add the chopped tomato and powdered masala.
4. Add coconut and cashew paste. Simmer till cooked.
5. Add the marinated lobster cubes. Cook till done.
6. Garnish with lemon juice and coriander leaves. Serve hot.
1. Heat ghee in a pan and add aniseed, cinnamon, clove, bay leaf, fennel and peppercorns.
2. Add sliced onions and chopped garlic and ginger. Cook till onions are golden brown.
3. Add chicken and salt. Sauté till the chicken is half done.
4. Pour in fresh coconut milk and cook till done.
5. Garnish with lemon juice, salt and coriander.


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Italy's Jihadists in Syria: The Case of Maria Giulia Sergio ("Lady Jihad")
Dr. Francesco Marone 28 Sep 2016
As is well-known, today the danger of so-called "foreign fighters" in Syria and Iraq has ranked high on the agenda. In this regard, Italy represents an interesting national case. It presents noteworthy particularities that distinguish it, in part, from other European countries.
The contingent of Italy's jihadists who have travelled to Syria and Iraq appears to be fairly small, with a little over 100 individuals having left the country. Recently, during the traditional press conference of Ferragosto (the Italian public holiday on 15 August), Interior Minister Angelino Alfano stated that Italian authorities have monitored 110 foreign fighters linked to the country. Out of these, 32 individuals have already died and 17 have returned to Europe. Only a minority of the jihadist foreign fighters linked to the country have Italian passports: thought to be fewer than 20. These are clearly modest figures compared to recent estimates for other European countries in absolute terms and even more modest in relation to the population (fewer than 2 foreign fighters per million).
In general, there is relatively little public information on Italy's jihadists in Syria and Iraq. However, the case of Maria Giulia Sergio, nicknamed "Lady Jihad" by Italian media, is well-known and deserves attention. In particular, Sergio's communications from Syria, intercepted for months by Italian authorities, give a valuable insight into the activities and motivations of this muhajira (female "emigrant").
Maria Giulia Sergio, a 28-year-old woman, was born near Naples to a Catholic family (father, mother and an older sister). Her parents came from a humble background and had some economic problems, although not dramatic. The family decided to move to northern Italy around 2000. After high school, Sergio studied at university and worked in part-time jobs to pay for her studies. In 2007, she converted to Islam on her own initiative and took a new name, Fatima az Zahra (the name of Prophet Muhammad's youngest daughter). In her own words, the internet facilitated a sudden conversion experience. Initially Sergio's parents did not approve of her decision. Nevertheless, in the following years they converted to Islam, too.
Later, she adopted the niqab (the veil that covers the entire face with only a slit for the eyes). Sergio felt she was a victim of religious discrimination in Italy. On the other hand, she was well aware that her lifestyle and habits were regarded with suspicion or even hostility in some places she went in everyday life. Furthermore, it can be assumed that she even wanted to mark a difference and seek a confrontation.
Over time, her positions became increasingly radical. For Sergio, the self-proclamation of so-called "Islamic State" (IS)'s 'caliphate' in June 2014 represented a crucial event. She soon decided to leave for Syria. To this end, on 17 September 2014, she married an Albanian citizen she barely knew, Aldo "Said" Kobuzi, in an apparent marriage of convenience, facilitated by a mutual acquaintance of Albanian origin. Unlike other "IS brides", Sergio wanted to marry a man she met through personal contacts before her departure, so as not to be compelled to marry a total stranger in Syria in circumstances that were out of her control.
Just four days after the marriage, Sergio and her new husband took an airplane and joined IS. They took up residence in the Aleppo Governorate, where they were reunited with Kobuzi's sister and joined the Albanian contingent which had settled in the area. It is possible that the couple was helped initially by a sophisticated Albanian recruiting network linked to Kobuzi's family. At a later stage, their arrival in Syria was coordinated by a specialised facilitator, named Ahmed Abu al-Harith, who is considered to be a member of IS by the Italian authorities.
In her eyes, Maria Giulia/Fatima fulfilled the duty of the "journey" (Hijra) to the newly-claimed "caliphate", responding to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's call. In Syria, Sergio took up firearms training, waiting to take part in combat someday. She explicitly expressed her willingness to fight, but, as a woman, she has not been allowed to fight. She also expressed the desire to "die as a martyr".
Sergio is a strong-minded and self-confident woman. At the time of her departure to Syria, she did not have profound knowledge of Islamic and Arabic studies, but had shown interest in learning about these issues, outside formal educational paths. In fact, her dogmatic and proud insistence on doctrinal questions was evident. After all, it can be assumed the commitment to study can be an important factor of social recognition and legitimacy for a woman like Maria Giulia who cannot aspire to take combat roles within armed groups such as IS. Like most Italian foreign fighters, she did not suffer conditions of severe poverty or social exclusion.
Sergio's story became public in January 2015. In the meantime, one by one, all her family members had converted to a very strict form of Islam. On 1 July 2015, Italian police arrested Sergio's father, mother and sister in their house, on charges of travel for the purposes of international terrorism and criminal association: they had been preparing to go to Syria and join the self-proclaimed "caliphate", convinced by the young woman's pressing requests. Eventually, Maria Giulia/Fatima was able to recruit her whole family, using both carrot and stick approaches. For example, in one intercepted conversation Sergio peremptorily told her family members: "The Hijra [to Syria] is compulsory. I don't mind what you're thinking, ok? We don't mind. You must to come here to … save your soul from hell and that's all".
Interestingly, Sergio's relatives presented different attitudes and motivations. Her older sister was easily persuaded to leave for Syria: she was already showing sympathies for the cause of IS and, in addition, was apparently interested in finding a new husband, after her divorce. By contrast, her father and especially her mother were more sceptical and hesitant. In the end, apart from the emotional attachment to their daughter, they were also convinced by the promise of a better social position in IS-controlled territory. Italian authorities also found out that Bushra Haik, an Italian-born woman of Syrian origin, indoctrinated Sergio and other women via the internet.
On 5 July 2015, following the police operation, Sergio gave a striking interview to an important Italian newspaper. In this conversation, Maria Giulia/Fatima glorified IS as a "perfect state" based on Sharia law. She denied the accusation of human rights violations or torture in the newly-proclaimed "caliphate" but at the same time defended the use of beheadings and other forms of corporal punishment. During the entire interview she displayed a self-confident, doctrinaire tone.
The arrest had a dramatic impact on Sergio's family. The health conditions of her mother deteriorated rapidly in prison and she died in October 2015. Her father, apparently a fragile person, maintained, under house arrest, that he was manipulated by his daughter Maria Giulia. It seems that his previous acquiescence turned into anger and shame. Furthermore, he stated that he wanted to return to Roman Catholicism. By contrast, her older sister is still in prison and has not showed repentance.
In conclusion, Sergio's case presents interesting details and vividly illustrates many noteworthy peculiarities of the Italian case, including the relevance of foreign recruitment networks operating within the country and the prevalence of individual pathways of radicalisation over group mechanisms.
The Foreign Fighters Phenomenom in the EU – Profiles, Threats & Policies (2016) Van Ginkel, B. & E. Entenmann
Pathways of Foreign Fighters: Policy Options and Their (Un)Intended Consequences (2015) Bakker, E., Reed, A., & J. de Roy van Zuijdewijn
Motives and Considerations of Potential Foreign Fighters from the Netherlands (2015) Bakker, E. & P. Grol


Woah, I haven't posted in nearly 2 weeks! This summer has been busy. Spending lots and lots of time outside (because who wants to be inside when it's so nice?) and hubby took me to San Diego last weekend. Oh you know, just because. He actually surprised me with an animal encounter. I got to swim with one of my favorite animals - an otter! I'll spare you pictures of my shirtless husband. Here's one of my getting surprised by one jumping up on me. I'm holding a cup with marbles in it because it's one of their favorite games. I'm wearing a tshirt over my swimsuit because they love to crawl in and out of shirts. Trust me. They did it several times!
And here's a video I took when we were playing with them before we swam with them. They love bubbles.
Anyways there was your daily dose of cuteness. You're welcome.
So the last thing I did before vacation was spend 2 days on the US 40 Yard Sale. You may want to go back and refresh your memory. I mean, it was so long ago, even I had to. There I shared a lot of sneak peeks of what I bought. So, today I'm going to share pictures of what I've gotten through so far. And, if you can believe it, there's still more to go. The pictures are all in different places because I took them while I was at my booth, in my house, in The Beast, and while cleaning them up. No one ever said the life of an antiques dealer was easy. But it is fun. Well, the cleaning part -- not so much.
You saw these already in Quickie #3. It seemed to be a popular quickie project. It's super easy and hope I see some of you re-create it soon!
Picked all of these items from the second barn mom and I picked on Saturday.
Bought a box of bottles from one guy for a GREAT deal. See the other half below.
Lots of vintage kitchen items. All mostly found for 25 cents each!
More vintage kitchen items. I love the big fired-on white glass Hoosier cabinet style canister.
Lots of fun little finds. I shared the thermos on Instagram when I found it. It's a harder to find one, because it was made in the same town I found it (Terre Haute, Indiana) and not many were made. But guys... I know for a fact that they made PINK ones. PINK. With a cute little bear on it (like mine). So, now all you thermos junkies have something to look for!
$1 for a vintage window? I'll never pass it up.
File under: what the hell are you going to do with that thing?!
Picked from the big warehouse/pole barn thing with mom and the second day of yard sale-ing. We could've not gone anywhere else that day and I would've been happy.
Kids table and chairs for a fiver. No brainer. I've sold 4 or 5 of these sets.
I told you, I was in various stages of cleaning. These were all getting sprayed out. The 3 soda crates came from the first barn pick on day 2.
All these letters came from the first barn pick on day 2. I hung the Cozy Cafe sign up in my booth in Carmel. I love it so much, so priced it as such. I hope it stays so that way when I get the farmhouse of my dreams, I can hang it in my kitchen or something. As for the other letters. I have no idea what they once spelled or what sign they may have been from. So, I thought I'd throw it out into blogland and see if any of you had any ideas.
I came across this big lot of railroad ephemera. I love old paper. Something about it is just so cool.
2 bags of vintage plastic Christmas ornaments and a Gurley turkey for 25 cents each. No brainer.
I have a guy that I've been buying wood spools off of for several years now. I finally bought him out of all of his spools. These blue ones are big sellers for me.
The rest of the bottles! For what I paid for the box, they broke down to be about $1 per bottle. Which I'd do all day everyday for good embossed antique bottles!
I had to show you this one - it has a giraffe on the front of it!
Framed 1940 Plymouth ad from the first barn pick.
Framed 1921 map of Hamilton County from the first barn pick. I bought this, not because I live in Hamilton County, but because one of my booths is in Hamilton County. Bottom row, very left green square. That's where it's at.
Okay, so the 2 toolboxes came from a lady I always buy stuff from several times a year. She always gives me great deals. The grey toolbox came from barn pick number 2. More about the wood stacked under the next picture..
These actually weren't from the yard sale route. My brother rescued these from one of his friends mom's house. They were in her garage and she was moving. She was going to throw them away.
Well, luckily my brother had enough sense to save them. The cheese boxes were made into drawers at some point. I promised him a commission on all these items once they sell. Boy, he perked right up from that, so I'm sure you'll be seeing more picks from my brother soon.
Stack of 1960s American Geographical Society Around the World Program magazines.
WAY back in the early days of this blog (gah! the pictures are worse than they are now, if you can believe it) I had a "Lonely Green Shaker" collection. Well, my tastes have clearly not changed in the last five years. I'm still collecting them. One of these days I'll showcase them all. And maybe I'll finally find some of them some mates. You never know.
Edward Mobley squeak and the Fisher Price Happy Apple made appearances on Instagram during my trip. Never ever pass up a Big Little Book! These are each valued at $4 for good condition, $8 for vintage, and $16 for excellent. HERE is the best resource for pricing and info on big little books.
Vintage kitchen! All reasonably priced and found for $1-$3 each.
I sell a lot of dresser sets. No clue why. So, I buy one every time I sell one.
I see a quickie in the future of this little wood shelf that was picked up for 50 cents.
Bag of cookie cutters for $1. Yes. Take out the good ones and off to goodwill with the rest.
Lots of fun finds here. More berry baskets. They were all found in the same place. Would you believe I got the Cinderella carpet sweeper from the same guy I bought all the railroad paper from?
The Skotch Jug is a very unique one! I thought I had a pretty hard to find one. Then Jann found one!
On day one I found one pack of this webbing for lawn chairs. On day two I found a big box full of it. When it rains, it pours. Most of these are unopened and seem to fetch at least $10 a pack on ebay. You will catch them in my ebay store soon.
I bought this box of bottles for a song. This is prior to me cleaning them up. The ones with rust inside are soaking with Bar Keeper's Friend. Another helpful hint if you buy lots of bottles - invest in a baby bottle cleaner. It's $4 you won't soon regret.
Picked from the first barn on day 2. Sad story - I actually picked (and paid for) 2 of these. And somehow in the midst of packing up everything, it got left behind. Kicking myself, because it drastically cut into my profit margin. Have you ever done something like that before?
This Dr. Pepper picnic basket got lots of heart eyes on Instagram. Also picked from the first barn.
Lots of the smalls I picked from the first barn. No, the 1 GAL jug wasn't hiding inside, but it got shoved into this picture. It was also picked at the first barn and it's a keeper. Never seen one with the writing like that.
See that brown covered book looking thing in the picture above. Well, it's this.
I thought I was getting an old Christmas tin. SURPRISE!
And... 2 wood tennis racquets.
Yep, there's still more. Will I ever get to it? Probably not. Just use your imagination!
So, I'm debating on taking The Beast on another little junkin' road trip this weekend to Kentucky for the Highway 41 Sale. Anyone have any luck with that sale?
It will be the last one for awhile. I mean, honestly I need the entire month of July to mentally prepare for THE WORLD'S LONGEST YARD SALE (click for my tips/tricks)! Guys, I'm super excited for it. I cannot wait!


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Cubs line up Lester, Hendricks for first two games of playoffs
By Gordon Wittenmyer Sep 22, 2016, 12:24am CDT
Share All sharing options for: Cubs line up Lester, Hendricks for first two games of playoffs
John Lackey (10-8) beat the Reds Wednesday with seven strong innings.
As if it didn't already seem like the obvious choice, the Cubs have rearranged their rotation for the final 10 games to line up Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks for Game 1 and 2 playoff starts.
Manager Joe Maddon pushed Hendricks' next start to Monday, one spot behind Lester, who starts Sunday night against the Cardinals.
With a bullpen day scheduled for Tuesday or Wednesday in Pittsburgh, that would line those two leading Cy Young candidates up for the final two regular-season starts and the start of the playoffs Oct. 7 and 8 at home.
"We had a primary meeting today," Maddon said after the Cubs finished a sweep of the Reds with a 9-2 victory Wednesday night. "By no means did we settle on anything, but we laid the groundwork for the discussion among [staff and front office]. And there are a lot of really tough decisions there. In your bullpen, how many are you going to keep and who are they going to be? And then the guys coming off the bench, all that stuff is still up in the air a little bit."
One guy no longer in the air is World Series veteran John Lackey (10-8), who retired the final 14 he faced in a strong seven-inning start, his fourth since returning from a sore shoulder.
"I'm still building up a little bit," he said. "I felt like I got better tonight as far as arm strength and that sort of thing, and should be right on time for when this gets real."
Lackey also got the most run support he's had this season since April 13 – his lack of support much of the year the biggest reason he's the only starter on the staff without 15 wins despite a 3.39 ERA in 28 starts.
"I definitely feel like maybe I've pitched better than my record shows, for sure," he said. "There's usually one guy on the staff that kind of gets that. What are you going to do? Hopefully, I'll win a couple games when it matters a little bit more."
In preparation for that "real" time Lackey is talking about, Maddon said: "There's going to be a lot of manipulation with the pitching staff over the rest of the regular season."
Some of the specifics involve scripting bullpen use ahead of the final two series, at Pittsburgh and Cincinnati next week.
And this: Not doing any of that playoff-prep manipulation until after the Cubs are done with the Cardinals this weekend in their final home series of the regular season.
"It's our responsibility to play those games straight up," Maddon said of the playoff implications.
The Cardinals, who lost to the Rockies Wednesday, are locked in a three-way tie for two wild-card playoff berths with the Giants and Mets.
The Cubs are expected to play one of those three in the first-round National League Division Series.
The Cubs lowered their magic number to two for clinching home-field throughout the National League side of the postseason by matching last year's 97 wins with 10 to play.
Notes: One day after taking a line drive off his right wrist, Lester, the veteran left-hander, was dismissive of questions about the bad bruise. "It doesn't matter of it's broken; it's my right hand," he said. "But it's fine." … Outfielder Jorge Soler, who hasn't played since leaving Friday's game with tightness in his right side, had his anticipated return pushed back again, this time to through Thursday's scheduled off day into Friday's series opener against the Cards. "We're trying to be conservative with that," Maddon said. … MVP candidate Kris Bryant hit his 38th home run of the season, a Waveland Avenue shot that kept pace with NL home run leader Nolan Arenado, who hit No. 39 for the Rockies Wednesday. Bryant said he doesn't scoreboard watch things like that. "I watch Netflix," he said. … With two starts left, Hendricks (2.06 ERA), has a sizeable lead for the MLB lead in ERA over Lester (2.36) as he tries to become the first Cub to lead the league in that category since Ray Prim (2.40) in 1945 – first to lead the majors since Bill Lee (2.66) in 1938. … Pitching matchups for the Cardinals series: Jake Arrieta vs. Mike Leake on Friday, Jason Hammel vs. Alex Reyes on Saturday and Lester vs. Carlos Martinez on Sunday.


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Me Too SeriesJoanna Valente November 06, 2017 Danielle Perry, me too, poetry
Danielle Perry: #MeToo Series
i have wanted to be holy. that is: i have wanted to be whole, i have wanted to be healthy, i have wanted to be not-violated. there is also sin to consider, but not mine. (look at the sinless whore.) sins must be washed away in blood. (when she said his blood i thought yes. i thought i caused this. i thought finally.) i will not ask for forgiveness; i cannot. there is nothing to forgive, only confronted. the path to holiness lies in transformation, & like all beginnings it must be spoken into existence.
Danielle Perry graduated with a degree in English Lit and Religious Studies from Guilford College in Greensboro, NC. She now lives in Portland, OR, but will always be an East Coaster at heart. Her work has been published in The Toast, FLAPPERHOUSE, and Potluck Magazine, among others. Her chapbook Phases (2015) was published by Sad Spell Press. She spends probably too much time on Twitter (@jekyllian).
Me Too SeriesJoanna Valente November 09, 2017 Caitlin Wolper, me too, poetry
Caitlin Wolper: #MeToo Series
Caitlin Wolper graduated this past May from Penn State, where she earned a Master's in English with a focus in poetry. Her most recent and upcoming publications include the Voices Israel Anthology and Z Publishing's Best Emerging Poets series. Also a journalist and writer, she has bylines in MTV News, Brooklyn Magazine, Reuters, and New York Family, among others. She currently works as the Social Media Manager for Northside Media in Brooklyn. Follow her on Twitter @CaitlinWolper
Me Too SeriesJoanna Valente November 14, 2017 Julia Knobloch, me too, poetry
Julia Knobloch: #MeToo Series
Julia Knobloch is a journalist and translator turned project manager and executive assistant. Before moving to New York from Berlin, she worked 10+ years as a writer and producer for TV documentaries and radio features. Her essays and reportages have been published in print and online publications in Germany, Argentina, and the US (openDemocracy, Brooklyn Rail, Reality Sandwich). She occasionally blogs for ReformJudaism.org, and she recently was awarded the Poem of the Year prize from Brooklyn Poets for her poem Daylight Saving Time. Julia lives in Sunset Park.
Me Too SeriesJoanna Valente November 21, 2017 AJ Wolff, me too, poetry
AJ Wolff: #MeToo Series
AJ Wolff is a Midwest poet/wanderer/human with work forthcoming in Rust + Moth, Arcturus, Firefly Magazine, Neologism, and Parentheses. These poems come from a chapbook in progress on agency and abuse, called A River is Never Broken.
Me Too SeriesJoanna Valente December 06, 2017 Demi Wetzel, me too, poetry
Demi Wetzel: #MeToo Series
Demi Wetzel's work can be found in Broad! Magazine, Face á Face Collective, and her chapbook—Life of the Party— was chosen as a 2017 Floating Bridge Press semifinalist. She graduated from University of Southern Indiana located in the same city where she was born and raised. Demi now lives and writes in the U.K.
Me Too SeriesJoanna Valente January 22, 2018 medina, poetry, me too
medina: #MeToo Series
medina is a honduran non-binary trans human. medina graduated from emerson college with a b.a. in communication studies and now lives in nyc. @medinawrites
Hannah Cohen: November 2017 Poet of the Month
Poet of the MonthJoanna Valente November 02, 2017 Hannah Cohen, poet of the month, poetry


24-year-old Sanne Cant has had a great season, winning a myriad of races. However, lately Vos, Nash, Lechner and Ferrand-Prevot have turned up, but she has held her own, finishing at an average of third for December, winning 3 C1 races, and her National Championships. On Sunday, she won the World Cup to boot.
However, it is clear that she had a better November, I believe that that was her plan: peak for November. However, can she come back? Re-peak if you like? Let's have a look at her results.
At the beginning of the season, we see her win Neerpelt, the first race of the season, as she has done for the past three years. She then won in Gieten, like mens' Worlds favourite Van der Poel, but had less fortune, outside the top 10 for the only time all season, in Ronse.
Well, well, well. See why she wanted to peak for November? In doing so, she won some of the biggest and most coveted races known to 'cross, including Zonhoven, Gavere and Koksijde, with a daring move on the final lap. She also outsprinted Compton in Milton Keynes. If Koppenberg had a tradition of being on Hallowe'en, she'd have had an unblemished record. In November she became European Champion, World Cup leader. She had the best month of cyclocross seen for, well, let's say a long time. Could she keep it up?
Now. We can see how her results at the start of December mirrored her November form, winning BPost Hasselt, Druivencross and Scheldecross before her first "loss" in over a month, 3rd in Zilvermeer to Stultiens. She came second in Essen, expending a lot of energy chasing down De Boer, which cost her in Namur, finishing sixth, as some big names arrived in the form of Vos, Lechner and Nash, making the race faster and harder. Cant had been racing quickly since September, so it was expected that they'd beat her, but did she ease off here? Should she have, for Worlds form? She then got sick, for Diegem.
The races thin out in January, but she still managed to win two races, take 2nd in another, and regain her driekleur. She was doing well in Hoogerheide too, but had an incredibly unlucky fall, her front wheel tripping over the barriers. She still came 4th, but was sticking well with PFP and Nash before going down. She finished well ahead of fifth despite the crash, comfortably beating Stultiens. Interestingly, she beat Vos and Compton by minutes.
Personally, I don't think Cant has many good races left in her, but there's a chance.
Is it possible to peak for November and win worlds? It can't be easy, but isn't November enough? Sanne Cant is the World Cup winner. She won 3 Superprestiges, 2 BPosts, 2 World Cups and 8 standalone races. Even if she doesn't get a top 10 in worlds, this is by far her best season. She could win Worlds, oh yes indeed, but it's unlikely. Nash will be ultra-motivated, Compton has a point to prove, Vos is...well, Vos. However, one point. I forget this all the time, but Sanne Cant is 13 years younger than Nash and 12 younger than Compton. She has time.
How can she win? Cant will not be able to out-bludgeon Vos and Nash through mud, nor outsprint them. What she can do is surprise them with interesting tactics, like in Koksijde when she attacked at exactly the right moment, or attack when Vos and Nash are looking at each other.
My Opinion? Cant won't win Worlds, but she'll be a factor, there's no doubt about that.


Slow Down Your Sodium Intake!
36.9% of average sodium consumed came from grains, and these included highly processed foods like bread, frozen meals, and soups (5).
27.9% of average sodium consumed came from meats, poultry, fish, and mixtures; most of this is from processed meats and fried items (6).
12.4% of average sodium consumed came from vegetables (7). Vegetables are naturally low in sodium, but this category does include processed versions that come in cans or with prepared sauces.
Grains make up almost half of excess sodium intake. Here are 3 grain-based dishes that you can adjust in order to reduce sodium consumption.
Boxed rice - make your own flavored rice -- you'll save money and sodium. Combine 1 cup brown rice, 2 cups water, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, black pepper, and paprika to taste, then prepare according to package directions. For a treat, fold in fresh chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon once the rice is cooked. For every cup of rice that you prepare in this manner, you will save 600-900 mg of sodium, compared to boxed rice mix.
Pizza - if you make your own crust, use pitas without salt or buy pre-made pizza crusts that are low in sodium. You can also top the pizza with sauce that contains no added salt. Be sure to go light on the cheese too. One slice of store or restaurant pizza contains 600 mg of sodium -- your at-home solution will have much less.
Pasta - instead of using sauce from cans or mixes from boxes, get creative and cook the pasta yourself! You can top pasta with fresh veggies that are lightly cooked in olive oil or roasted in the oven. You could also use no-added salt tomato sauce or steamed veggies. Top your creation with fresh basil or parsley instead of cheese. For every cup of frozen, canned, or restaurant pasta you skip, you will save about 600- 1000 mg of sodium.
Fresh herbs are a great way to add flavor to meals without increasing the sodium content. At this time of year, it is especially easy to track down fun new fresh herbs. Experiment until you find flavor combinations that work for you. You can even grow herbs at home!
Add freshly chopped herbs to pasta or rice dishes right before serving.
Chop a bit of basil, oregano, and rosemary and add them to a dish with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar for a great bread or veggie dip.
If you buy more herbs than you can use, chop the extras and freeze them for later.
A chiffonade of basil adds a refreshing twist to almost all summer drinks.
Sodium Intake Among Adults --- United States, 2005?2006; Weekly; June 25, 2010 / 59(24);746-749.
This post is brought to you by The Nutrition Education Store. Check out our wide selection of helpful posters, handouts, presentations, games, and more!


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Q: what does this syntax in Java mean? I'm a Java newbie and stuck with this:
BufferedReader br1 = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in));

and
InputStreamReader ISR = new InputStreamReader(System.in);
BufferedReader BR = new BufferedReader(ISR);

*

*What is the difference between them?

*Also, is it compulsory to throw IOException when i'm getting inputs from user?
thanks.

A: The only difference is that the second form explicitly saves the reference to the InputStreamReader to a variable, which may or may not be useful depending on if you do something with it afterwards.

A: No difference, just a matter of preference.
Those methods throw checked exceptions, so you're obliged to either handle them if you can or throw to the calling method.

A: The difference is that the second one is more verbose and uses a temporary variable for the InputStreamReader. You get the first version by substituting  ISR with new InputStreamReader(System.in).
But both do the same thing. Advantage of the the later one is that you can still access the InputStreamReader later in your code through the variable ISR (if you have/want to).

A: - Answer to 1st question
There is absolutely no difference except that you will create a reference to InputStreamReader also which again you can avoid....I personally prefer avoiding it
- Answer to 2nd question
I/O Exceptions are checked exceptions i.e exceptions are checked at compile time while we have unchecked exceptions also in Java which are checked at run time
For more on checked and unchecked exceptions you can refer here

A: There's no real difference between the two other than the fact that the first does not allow you to distinguish between exceptions from the instantiation of the two objects without careful inspection of the exception.

A: *

*Actually second variant allows you to use ISR directly, in this case it can cause some problems.
But second variant also allows you to close ISR if closing BR fails.

*No, it is not compulsory. It is better to show him human readable message.

A: They will result in the same thing. a BufferedReader based on System.in in BR and br1.
If you need the ISR later on for some other reason then you would go with that version first.  Just a matter of preference really, shorthand vs verbose.

A: Well,
The question has been answered comprehensively. Yet, I would like to stress to use the first syntax since you can avoid the extra reference allocated. Moreover, allocating the extra reference has the potential of making the garbage collector in delaying its job. It does not necessarily mean that it would not garbage collect, but still it poses a slight overhead.
So, the answer would be try to use the first syntax at all times except that you need to do some manipulations with ISR variable later.

A: No difference, just first form is more compact and efficient if you might say because no extra reference for InputStreamReader is created.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Parental comprehension and satisfaction in informed consent in paediatric clinical trials: a prospective study on childhood leukaemia
Objective To evaluate the extent to which parents are satisfied with and understand the information they are given when their consent is sought for their child to participate in a phase III randomised clinical trial and the reasons for their decision.
Patients and method The authors carried out a prospective study. The authors included all parents whose consent was sought for their child to participate in the FRALLE 2000A protocol (acute lymphoblastic leukaemia) at two centres. The parents were questioned twice by a qualified psychologist using a semidirected interview, 1 and 6 months after consent was sought.
Results 43 first interviews were carried out. All the parents declared they were satisfied with the explanations provided by the physician. 35 (81%) parents felt that the information provided with the request for consent was appropriate. Eight (19%) parents did not realise that their child had been included in a research protocol. 16 (39%) parents did not understand the concept of randomisation. Half the parents could explain neither the aim of the clinical trial nor the potential benefit of inclusion to their child. Only one third of the parents were aware that they had an alternative. The principal factor underlying their decision, as stated by 29 parents (67%), was confidence in the medical team.
Conclusions The parents signed consent forms without having fully understood all the elements specific to the experimental protocol. Rather, the parents based their decision on their confidence in the medical team, even when their child's life was at risk.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/adc.2009.180695


The Black Mass is one of those strange treasures of Old Time Radio. The program came at the very end of the golden age of radio era, produced between 1963 and 1964. Most of the OTR programs we are used to hearing from OTR were from the commercial networks, and their ultimate purpose was to make money for the networks and the sponsors. The Black Mass was a production of KPFA Berkley and the Pacifica Network. Pacifica was the first "Listener Supported" radio network in the US.
KFPA Drama & Literature Director Jack Nessel came up with the concept for The Black Mass and suggested it to Erik Bauersfeld, professor of aesthetics and philosophy at the California School of Fine Arts. Bauesrsfeld was already reading classic and modern literature over the air and was not immediately enthusiastic about The Black Mass concept. The idea of seeking out tales of the supernatural from authors who were not widely known for writing in that genre eventually won him over.
The production was exceptionally well done with relatively primitive, for the time, technology. Bauersfeld first adapted the stories as radio plays; adapting them to a workable length and creating dialog in a dramatic form. KPFA Production Director John Whiting would record Bauersfeld, sometime, assisted by other actors, reading the scripts, and Bauersfeld then took the tapes for editing. After editing, the pair would secure what studio time they could, painstakingly adding music and effects to the voice track. Because they did not have access to multitrack recording equipment, this process could run late into the night.
The result deserves a place among the best of late-night horror radio shows like Quiet, Please, Hall of Fantasy, Mysterious Traveler, The Whistler, Lights Out, or Suspense.
The Black Mass featured adaptations of "Bartleby the Scrivener", Virginia Woolf's "Haunted House", Edgar Allen Poe's "Imp of the Perverse" and "The Tell Tale Heart", "The Outsider" and "The Rats in the Walls" by H.P. Lovecraft, and Gogol's "Diary of a Madman", among others.
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\r\nHe has been a lead modeler on a number of key United Nations projects including the ICPD @ 15 Costing, High Level Task Force on Innovative Financing, and the Adding It Up reports. He is credited with being the lead developer of the tool used for costing the health-related Millennium Development Goals. He is also an adjunct professor at School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University.
\r\nPrior to joining the United Nations, Howard ran Analytic Solutions LLC, which provides consulting services in designing, developing and modeling data. This work also included teaching data mining and modeling techniques for major international corporations and foreign governments. Prior to that, he was a Director at Capital One, where he led teams of statisticians, analysts and programmers in operations and marketing.
\r\nHoward is the author of over 35 scientific articles and book chapters in areas of applied statistics, health economics with recent publications in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, Current Medical Research & Opinion, Clinical Therapeutics, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy, Clinical Drug Investigation and Value in Health.
\r\nHoward Friedman received his BS from Binghamton University in Applied Physics and a Masters in Statistics, along with a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University.
\r\nPlease note that all comments on this blog reflect the opinions of the author and not those of the United Nations or Columbia University","url":"https://www.huffpost.com/author/howard-steven-friedman"},"creator":{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Person","name":"Howard Steven Friedman","jobTitle":"Statistician and health economist for the United Nations; Teacher, Columbia University","description":"Howard Steven Friedman works as a statistician and health economist for the United Nations and teaches at Columbia University. In addition to following him on Twitter at howardsfriedman you can also sign up to his Facebook fan page Howard Steven Friedman.
\r\nPlease note that all comments on this blog reflect the opinions of the author and not those of the United Nations or Columbia University","url":"https://www.huffpost.com/author/howard-steven-friedman"},"publisher":{"@type":"NewsMediaOrganization","name":"HuffPost","url":"https://www.huffpost.com","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://s.m.huffpost.com/assets/hp-amp-101ecf8047b044dce5f3122c63056162580f1c26994c73ae90dbd1c5d1545a71.gif","width":600,"height":60}},"description":"The United States spends more on its military than the total spent by the second largest (China), third largest (United Kingdom), fourth largest (France)...","keywords":["slidepollajax","france","united-kingdom","china","us-military","military","budget","australia","saudi-arabia","russia","united-states","type: contributor"],"inLanguage":"en_US","thumbnailUrl":"https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/default-entry.jpg?ops=200_150","url":"https://www.huffpost.com/entry/military-spending-united-states_b_1118851","headline":"5 Countries With the Highest Military Expenditure","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/default-entry.jpg?ops=1778_1000","width":1778,"height":1000},"mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.huffpost.com/entry/military-spending-united-states_b_1118851"}}
By Howard Steven Friedman
5 Countries With the Highest Military Expenditure
How much a country spends on its military budget is a reflection of a number of factors, including the size of the economy, the perceived military threat or opportunity, the influence of the private sector on government policy and the overall priorities of a society.
When we look at the absolute spending amount, the United States is by far the largest spender. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Yearbook 2011, America spent nearly $700 billion in 2010. This accounts for about 43% of the entire global military spending and is nearly 6 times more than the amount spent by the next largest, China. In fact, the United States spends more on its military than the total spent by the second largest (China), third largest (United Kingdom), fourth largest (France), fifth largest (Russia)... and fifteenth largest (Turkey) combined.
So, while in absolute dollar amount the United States is an extreme outlier regarding its military spending, it is more appropriate to examine the normalized spending since comparing the absolute amount each country spends on its military another isn't very fair. After all, we would certainly expect that a large country with one of the world's largest economies like the Russian Federation would spend more than a small country like Lithuania. But what is the most appropriate way to normalize the spending?
If we look at the military expenditure per capita, we can control for differences in population between different countries. In this comparison we see once again that the United States is an outlier, spending an average of over $2,000 per person versus a global average that is about one-tenth that amount. Among the top 15 countries with the highest military expenditure, only two other countries had more than $1,000 per person spent on military, Saudi Arabia and Australia.
If we chose to normalize by the size of the economy, rather than size of the population, we continue to see that the United States is an outlier. America spends 4.8% of its GDP on the military or about double the global average. In fact, Saudi Arabia is the only country in the top 15 for military expenditure that has a higher percent of its GDP dedicated to the military.
It is clear by any measure that America spends much more on its military than other countries. American military expenses have dramatically increased in the last decade due to the wars with the budget for defense more than twice what it spent in 2000 and about 20 percent of its entire federal budget.
America's military strength is critical for its stability and success in the future but there is a balance. A nation can't spend all its resources on one aspect of society and ignore the others. A nation cannot spend all its resources on the elderly and not attend to the next generation. A nation cannot spend nearly all its resources on a small percent of the population and ignore the vast majority.
Will the failure of the super committee really lead to a significant cut in the massive military budget? It's well past time for politicians to take an honest look at the numbers and find the right balance.
5 Countries With The Highest Military Expenditure In 2010
France Europe China Us Military Military
#5 Russian Federation
Russia spends about $59 Billion on military expenses, less than 10% of what the United States spends. Russia spends more on military than most other countries on both a per capita basis ($410) and as a percent of GDP (4.0%).


In the first trade, the man buys something for $60 and sells it again for $70, so he makes a profit of $10.
In the second trade, the man buys something for $80 and sells it again for $90, so he makes again a profit of $10.
Conclusion: The man makes an overall profit of $10 + $10 = $20.
You can also look at the problem as follows: the total expenses are $60 + $80 = $140 and the total earnings are $70 + $90 = $160. The overall profit is therefore $160 - $140 = $20.