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The Growth and Significance of Empathetic Marketing in Today's World
In today's episode, host Ryan Alford and guest Mike Weston, Radical's Creative Director, chat about the growth and importance of empathetic marketing.
Season 1 Business Marketing Insights Tips
Happy Tuesday, and welcome to another episode on THE RADCAST! In today's episode, host Ryan Alford and guest Mike Weston, Radical's Creative Director, talk about the traditional side of consumer relations and understanding your audience.
This episode highlights the importance of understanding and relating with your audience. Having a solid relationship with your audience is pivotal for marketers. Tap into the emotions of your audience. This doesn't mean make them cry. Empathetic marketing is bigger than that. Walk in the shoes of your audience, relate with them, and share content and information that will benefit them.
If you enjoyed this episode, share it on Instagram and tag us @the.rad.cast | Do you want to hear more from our host? - Give him a follow @ryanalford on Instagram. | Have a great week and we'll talk to you soon! #theradcast
"It has to start somewhere. It has to start sometime. What better place than here? What better time than now?"
"You're listening to the Rad Cast. If it's Radical, we cover it. Here's your host, Ryan Alford."
Ryan Alford [00:00:23] Hey guys, welcome to the latest edition of the Radcast, an episode two years in the making, I might add. Mike Weston, good friend, creative director here at Radical. What's up, Mike?
Mike Weston [00:00:37] Hey Ryan, it's a pleasure to be here. Finally. Took you long enough.
Ryan Alford [00:00:38] It's an open invite at all times, Mike. It's just a matter of fitting you on the busy Radcast schedule!
Mike Weston [00:00:49] That's right. Because we're really busy on the Radical side.
Ryan Alford [00:00:56] So how's life been treating you?
Mike Weston [00:01:03] Good. Been really busy. A lot of stuff on our plates. Holidays are coming up, trying to get work done in advance of that. So we're fortunate, I know, in these times to be busy. A wacky, wacky world we live in.
Ryan Alford [00:01:20] So I know we're going to talk about and we joked a little bit pre episode, about how some things and marketing change, some things stay the same, but empathy and marketing and we'll get to that. But Mike people are starting to show us that our subscribers want to get to know Radical and our team and we certainly talk about some of the work. But I think it would be a good perspective to just start with. Like, let's do some bragging about some of your experience. I mean, let's talk about you in the ad business. You've been in the game a long time. We both have. You're beating me, but,
Mike Weston [00:02:01] I'm still alive to be able to,
Ryan Alford [00:02:03] But no, but for people listening, let's walk through your background in the ad business. I have been fortunate enough, at least I've been fortunate enough to work with you in a few agencies now. But, let's give people that perspective. I know you've been in the game a long time and you've seen a lot, done a lot and worked on some pretty impressive stuff and still doing it here at Radical.
Mike Weston [00:02:28] Well, thanks for that. But, my career started in my hometown. I'm from New York City, born in the Bronx, raised in Westchester, and I attended the School of Visual Arts, graduated with a degree in advertising. And I was really, really fortunate to have landed that with an iconic agency, BBDO. It was a great place to start my career on Madison Avenue when a lot of agencies, BBDO, Doyle Dane, were still located on Madison Avenue. Now it's pretty much a word used to describe the business overall. But I was actually there and I was able to work on some really iconic brands early on. But I think the one that I'm probably most proud of being part of was Gillette. I was part of the Gillette team and understand teams were lots and lots of people because these accounts are so huge. But we were actually the team that developed and sold to the client and produced the early stuff for Gillette, the best a man can get. And we developed that saying 'the best a man can get' that they still use to this day. And I got to admit, I mean, it's been, I hate to say it, almost thirty years, but they're still using it. And that's iconic. And, I still admit, it's not that great. Honestly, it's not the greatest creative work in the world.
Ryan Alford [00:04:22] But it's an iconic American brand.
Mike Weston [00:04:24] And you say to people, Gillette, you're like 'the best a man can get'. I was there. I was there. So I'm very proud of that. But I left BBDO after about four years. It's a long story. New York City was probably where it's at right now. A lot of people wanted to get out because it wasn't a great place to be. And I was offered a job in Detroit by WB Donor, which is another pretty well known agency, a lot of retail, a very intense environment, some would say sweatshop. It was, for me at that point of my life, single young. I lived for the business. That's all I wanted to do. And I didn't mind putting in the long hours and being able to produce an awful lot of broadcast, because that was my goal at that point, I wanted more broadcast. In a very, very short period of time, I had every intention of returning to New York City. But love intervened. And I met my wife who was a Michigan girl and who was also in advertising, did not did not want to return or did not want to live in New York. So since then, our journeys have taken us from Detroit to, believe it or not, to Kalamazoo, Michigan, where I worked for an agency called Lawler Ballard, which is a really great creative shop at the time and it was bought by Earl Palmer Brown. And then from there, we ended up in Louisville, Kentucky, at the oldest independent ad agency in the country. Even to this day, they're still independent, called Do Anderson and at Do Anderson, I was able to touch Maker's Mark, which is another great brand, but primarily Valvoline and specifically Valvoline. It's an oil change. And I was able to do a lot of really good work on that. After that, I was lured down here to Greenville, South Carolina, and I had a look on a map like that once. But I was pretty sure when I was a kid going to Florida on the west coast of Florida, I pretty sure we spent the night once in Greenville,
Ryan Alford [00:06:33] Somewhere on the way to Florida or maybe close to Myrtle Beach.
Mike Weston [00:06:36] Yeah, that's right. I was recruited down here by an agency called Irwin Pelman, which is now called EP and Co. and is really doing some really great work for some national brands. But that is where I met Ryan Alford. He was a young account exec on the Verizon account at that time.
Ryan Alford [00:06:59] True statement.
Mike Weston [00:07:01] True. But I was hired to work on a variety of other accounts that were not Verizon. Verizon was the huge account and Ryan was part of that team. And I was heading up as a Group Creative Director. I was heading up your tires, some other Michigan brands. And, it was great. It was a wonderful town. I think the city really attracted us. And Joe Erwin and Alan Bosworth and Gretchen Irwin were all really, really cool people. Honestly, I admire them to this day because they really started from nothing. They had all come from New York. Joe was from here.And Gretchen was from Lexington, Kentucky. Allen was
Ryan Alford [00:07:52] He grew up in North Carolina.
Mike Weston [00:07:53] I think it was Michigan. Yeah. Anyway, very smart people. And they were able to grow this agency into and into a player in the southeast. And I was there for about seven years and moved on to a couple of other shops. And then Ryan went on to return to New York. He did his stint in New York City, worked on Verizon and worked for Hill Holiday. Pretty crazy. And then fate would bring us back together. And we both worked for another shop for a little while down here. And then when decided to go out and start his own gig and we probably all know that story. But, I'm happy to say we're reconnected. We didn't work together much at Irwin Bauman, but we knew each other and stayed in touch. And now we've got this little, this agency called Radical, it's kind of gaining some momentum and, uh, hopefully will grow. And, I look to the Irwin Penland model because, again, Joe and Gretchen and Allen really grew that thing. And hopefully we do the same thing here.
Ryan Alford [00:09:03] Yeah, I think we're headed in the right direction. And I think the work's been good. I think Mike has come on full time and is nurturing the team. And I think we're seeing the fruits of that with the work and the quality of it. We're working with small, medium brands, but those brands are growing both in number and size which I think a lot of agencies start in that model.
Mike Weston [00:09:28] You start small and listen, we want our stake in the stand to be like a lot of agencies, hopefully, creative that makes a difference and stands out. Not necessarily wins awards, but gets results. And that's huge. It took me twenty five plus years to realize that it's not about the award book. It's about creating success for the clients. When you create success for the client, a great success for everybody in the agency. And then life is good.
Ryan Alford [00:09:56] In this day and age. I feel like those worlds can coexist. The work being good and the clients being successful It may not always be as provocative as you want it to be potentially. But with social media and other channels, it's given, I think, fresh life to pushing the envelope a bit.
Mike Weston [00:10:16] I think so, too, and there's so many more tactics out there now to get the message out. But, again, it's like I've had to forget everything I learned in the first 25 years of being in this business with the advent of digital, basically being the medium of choice for most marketers and certainly most of our clients. But one thing has not changed. I'm convinced of this, and that is you still need to have a strategy. We still need to have a roadmap. And creative is still important. Again, I tell people this all the time, that the average consumer is exposed to over 8000 ad messages a day. If you live in a major metropolitan area, probably 10000. We don't even realize we're seeing ad messages, but they touch us all the time. And it's still a matter of breaking through that clutter. How do you break through? And creative is a big part of that.
Ryan Alford [00:11:10] It is a huge part of it. And I think what's starting to come back to, I think people recognized it. And I've said this a lot, that the greatest denominator of success is the creative. It's like a lot of things are of the tactics are table stakes, but the creative is what ultimately breaks through and drives it. But I think where you're seeing a marriage is the creative has to come quick. That is not just because AEs like me, who used to bug the shit out of you. But it used to be not just because the AEs was being anal and wanted to get it done and want to please the client. And now it's because attention is so fleeting. The channels are so fleeting.
Mike Weston [00:12:01] It's amazing. Everyone's got the attention span of a gnat, myself included. Yeah, it's very hard to get anybody to stop and really spend time with your messaging. And that's true for I think that's true for most agencies. I mean, of course, again, I mentioned the media tactics. You still have television. Although I discovered that the younger generations, my kids included, barely watch TV. I can't believe it. I cannot get my kids to sit down and watch something on Netflix with me. And they want to go upstairs and they want to lay in their bedroom. They want to look at their personal devices and do tick tock and everything else that their generation does. It's amazing. They don't read newspapers. Right? I mean, I know I still to this day, although I get most of my news from my news feeds on Google and Apple. I still love to turn a newspaper page, to read a paper, to read the printed word, the rustling of the paper. I still love that. But I recognize that there are very few people like me out there. And most of what we do we're not reaching them anyhow.
Ryan Alford [00:13:13] Well, it's actually a good transition to kind of the topic, the juror, I think you've seen this bubbling up. I mean, in your LinkedIn feeds and you hear it within the industry is a buzzword, I think we'll talk about momentarily. In a way, it's the way brands should always be thinking. But this notion of empathy and marketing, especially with covid going on and everything that's happened that's really thrown, everyone's life is different -- thrown it for a twist from moms. They have to stay at home to dads that to stay at home to two kids being home all the time to just the realities of the economic impact, the social impact, the events. We can go on and on and on. But it has become more important than ever that brands think this way about their messaging. But what's been kind of your overall perspective on seeing that dynamic and I know you've you've seen the buzz word creeping into a lot of discussion.
Mike Weston [00:14:14] Yeah, that's the other thing that's changed about this business is more buzz words. And I can keep track of the content. Content with it tends to be creative. Didn't there's not creative content, copywriting and an art direction design come together to create the concept content, content, content. I get it. It's much more than that. But, empathetic marketing is interesting. And I joke that I think we used to call it customer relations. You want you as a marketer, want you want to dwell in the hearts and minds of your customers and your audience. Right. And empathetic marketing should be ingrained into all your business strategies you want. It's not philanthropy, but it's certainly empathy before profit. It's connecting with customers on a positive level, not just because you want them to buy.
Ryan Alford [00:15:06] And so I think what's interesting, we were both, having done this a long time, somewhat cynical with the buzzwords, because it's at the end of the day as a brand and with anything that you any messaging or strategy is how do we want consumers to think, feel and act? If you're thinking through that lens, then in a moment when the consumer is in this, it's what's the insight about your target and what act and action do you want them to take? I feel empathy. Marketing Bisbal for the empathetic notion belongs in the insight of the consumer. Moms and dads are home. If you're Zoom or if you're a product that plays perfectly into this, the insight is the fact that people are home, they're using their house more like that's the insight as much as anything.
Mike Weston [00:16:02] Yeah, it's funny. American greetings to did a really nice effort. It was essentially for Mother's Day. Obviously they sell greeting cards, but it was a job interview and it was people interviewing for the toughest job imaginable. And that job required that they work 24/7, that they work nights and weekends. These people were interviewing for this incredible job and they were serious about it. As it turned out, they were interviewing for a job as a mother, right. In American great as being apathetic towards moms. And we know what the hell you go through. You have an incredibly tough job and the spillover effect there is that kids make sure she gets at least a nice card on Mother's Day.
Ryan Alford [00:16:49] Yeah, I love that. That is truly the brands that I think that are breaking through or the ones where the difference to me is the pandering, empathy versus the insight like what you just said there is the emotional tug of that of like playing into their mindset and being thoughtful in it. What I can't stand is, is the brands where you feel like it's complete pandering or like complete. We've suddenly taken on this cause like cause marketing, like that's not empathetic marketing. That's like I just see through that. Yeah, yeah.
Mike Weston [00:17:25] No, you're absolutely right. It's funny because it reminds me -- I've worked on Scott Paper of BBDO and my partner and I back when we worked all the time as our director copywriter tips came up with something from Scott paper called Helping Hands. And now looking back on it, it's kind of like every time you buy a roll of Scott paper toilet paper, we're going to donate X amount to a child, a children's charity. I can remember what the charity was at this point. But now looking back on it, it was very disingenuous. Because it wasn't there wasn't a specific organization. We're just going to donate money to children's charities. And it seemed like a ploy to me, again, in hindsight to sell more toilet paper. So I think about something that's truly empathetic marketing that worked. And it wasn't that long ago, and I think it was this summer, Delta Airlines hundreds of flights were delayed because of storms. All right. And passengers are stranded on runways all over the place in Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana, Ohio, Kentucky. And Delta took the opportunity to actually order pizzas for I don't know if it was all the passengers on all the flights. But again, and certainly some of the markets, they had pizzas delivered. I don't know how they got through the TSA. Yeah, but they had them delivered to the planes.
Ryan Alford [00:18:53] I love that.
Mike Weston [00:18:53] And they serve them pizza. And here's the thing. So apathetic marketing, customer relations back the day, whatever the heck it was me, it took literally days and weeks for that to get out. But this was getting out the news of Delta's benevolence. Or at least taking care of their customers got out immediately because of social media. Yeah, it was out there in a heartbeat. It was big news and a spillover effect. There is you know what? Not all airlines are uncaring and callous.
Ryan Alford [00:19:32] I saw it is funny. You bring up Delta. I just read this last week. And I don't know if it was done by marketing or demand or whatever, but they are literally handing out the flight attendant's personal handwritten specific notes to everyone on the plane, like for flights that were over like three hours or something like that. The flight attendants were writing like, Mr. Harrison, I want to thank you for flying today. They are our service, our industry has been impacted heavily. You don't know how much we appreciate your willingness to continue to fly and how much it provides for our livelihood. I mean, go figure personal note,
Mike Weston [00:20:12] That demonstrates a company, Delta in this case or whether that
Ryan Alford [00:20:16] It was Delta, same company,
Mike Weston [00:20:18] Beautiful. Going above and beyond customer service, which again, you don't necessarily expect from airlines.
Ryan Alford [00:20:23] But Delta has been there's always been, I don't know, higher kill for me.
Mike Weston [00:20:32] They have. But they're demonstrating. They're empathetic side by truly caring for the customer. And that's what empathetic marketing is all about.
Ryan Alford [00:20:46] And I think that's really the point that I think for consumers is like, there's certain things that we've talked about this on a few other episodes, like convenience rules, like a pack of gum in the line. Do they do sympathetic marking or how much money they gave to charity, or is it just convenient cuts in the store line? There's certain purchases. They're less considered than others, right? But for most things, when a brand truly cares is going out of the way, we all know we're in a capitalist country like people. No brands are in business for money. Go figure. I mean, after last looks and we might be headed for companies that although But anyway, the the point being, I think consumers know when when brands are making a true effort,
Mike Weston [00:21:40] When it's genuine or when it's disingenuous. People are not fools. They absolutely know
Ryan Alford [00:21:48] If you were a small business or brand and you might be listening or something like that, are there things or ways that you might would you feel like for I don't know, from someone in the creative side of things like that, they should I think about or consider in trying to do this more or better?
Mike Weston [00:22:09] Well, I think first of all, they have to pay attention to their feeds. Yeah. And they have to act quickly and decisively when they do get a complaint or criticism. I mean, I've since I've seen some clients, some markets or some products who have clearly, clearly been slammed. And there's been no response whatsoever. Yeah. And I think that's the worst thing you can do. Airbnb to remember this, there was some discrimination. Some somebody had been legitimately discriminated against because of the color of their skin by somebody who was a doctor. That was suppose it was earlier this year, Airbnb. They had reserved a place. And the owner of the space, the room, the apartment discovered that they were African-American and they basically scared
Ryan Alford [00:23:06] That shit even happens anymore!
Mike Weston [00:23:07] Yeah, it's disgusting. It shouldn't happen on the stage anyway, so. The guy consequently was refused his booking and he reached out to Airbnb and Airbnb, they could have sent him an error and moved on. But what they did is they not only got him another room, another place to stay. They also created an open door policy, basically as a result of this. So it's much bigger, just the one guy, because I think they're smart enough to realize it's probably happens a lot more than we think. So they can't change the minds of the person who refused the booking, although they can probably kick them out of Airbnb if I did. Hopefully. But when a guest faces discrimination, Airbnb is going to place them in another listing or paid for hotel on them.
Ryan Alford [00:23:56] I love it. And they could have easily written it off. And I think back to what you're saying, like listen to your customers. And I think that's for me for the future whether small, medium, large brand, whether it's customers like you have to have a pulse on your customer base. There has to be some kind of feedback loop. They're going to come to you through social media, like you just said, one way or another. And if you're either listening or you're not, but whether it's surveys or like it and I know you see some of this like incentivisation, but you've got to be having a lever that you can pull to know how your customers feel because in this day and age, if you don't, they're not going to be a customer for long.
Mike Weston [00:24:37] No, you're absolutely right. From a creative standpoint, I think there's a lot of opportunity, certainly to listen. That pizza thing, Delta, it wasn't a creative team that came up with that. It's a simple operational. One of the things I like about radical and one of the things I've tried to incorporate other industries and I've been at or that the the opportunity to lead teams was that a good idea can come from anybody, even an account executive? Well, I do acknowledge that. In fact, one of the best headlines I've ever been a part of was written by a print production guy.
Ryan Alford [00:25:15] so I think that's big with empathy. Marketing, if you will, is a company embraced the notion or brand or an agency or whatever. Those ideas can come from anywhere. You're going to get those broader perspectives because your customer base is so wide and large. And so Sally and in H.R. operations or H.R. accounting or account executive or Robby, who's doing operations, whatever that is, they have a perspective that perhaps the people that would typically be the idea people or the marketing people might not have. And so how do you bring that perspective?
Mike Weston [00:25:54] Yeah, that's a great point. I mean, there are opportunities for creatives to to actually develop what we do, create spots, create stories and video. For example, another airline, JetBlue. Etiquette is something that is going to be sorely missing on flights. Yeah. Especially now people refusing to wear face masks, people getting into fights. I mean, it's absolutely crazy. And I remember seeing JetBlue. I created a whole series of flight etiquette videos. It was just hilarious. But they bang the the point home in a really creative, memorable way.
Ryan Alford [00:26:32] What's on your radar, as Radical is growing, brands are paying attention to in general, other where do you go for I mean, creative energy. Where I mean now it's like I know with social, I mean like social kind of the answer for everything. But is there something that feeds your spirit?
Mike Weston [00:26:57] So obviously there's the agencies I absolutely admire, like Martin and Goodbee and Droga five and still BBDO of course I'm partial there, of course. But sure. There's still agencies whose work I'm constantly checking Widney Kennedy. I mean, there's just so many really great agencies out there doing so much great stuff. And I like to tell my designers and copy our designers and copywriters here that guys, you need to spend time with those, be inspired. Don't rip off the ideas, but be inspired by what you see. And I hope because it's again, it's breaking through that clutter. There's there's there's there's so many messages out there and they're all vying for your attention. They're all waving their hands, but no one is standing out. So certainly agency websites are a great place to go. I like to go to places like Vimeo and some really great creative stuff on Vimeo. So I like to spend time there, too. But there's influences everywhere, I think, thanks to the Internet. I remember we used to have to wait for the latest edition of CA Advertising to come out to get to see who's doing the greatest work. And now with this Internet machine, it's at your fingertips. So, yeah.
Ryan Alford [00:28:23] I love it. I think recapping and things like that. I think if brands are if you're thinking about this and you're either working with a brand or you're a small business or something like that, I would challenge you to get more in-depth with your strategy and understanding your target and less about, I think, calling yourself in. We're doing empathy marketing this month or whatever. Like I think, don't make empathy marketing a buzzword, make it a referendum on understanding the customers that that service that come to you that you serve and building that into the insights for why you're doing something. And then I think, like leveraging more of your team and more people and all those avenues and perspectives to bring in a broader understanding.
Mike Weston [00:29:19] Yeah, that's a great point, because I used to jokingly say everyone's creative. It's just as some of us do it a lot better than others. And yeah, I'm creative. I can draw, I can write, but everyone is empathetic and everyone can have an idea when it comes to empathetic marketing. And as I said before, it should be ingrained into any company's business strategy.
Ryan Alford [00:29:48] I love it. Mike, really appreciate you coming on. Let's keep doing it. I appreciate you being here. Hey, man, you don't know how much I appreciate you being with me on this ride and likewise being part of Radical. And, if you keep up with the Radcast, but with Radical, you're seeing some of Mike's work is either touched or built or created. So we appreciate having them. Yeah. And we'll see you next time here on request.
Mike Weston [00:30:15] Be empathetic.
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UN Security Council reaffirms ban on chemical weapons
United Nations, United States | The United Nations Security Council reaffirmed its opposition to chemical weapons on Friday in the face of high-profile instances of their use worldwide.
The 15-member body unanimously passed a declaration proposed by Britain expressing support for the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons.
"The Security Council expresses its strong conviction that those responsible for the use of chemical weapons should be held accountable," it said in a statement following the declaration.
Yet the Security Council has in recent years seen squabbles between western powers and Russia over the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian civil war, with Moscow scuppering attempts to hold Damascus to account.
Meanwhile in 2017, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's estranged half-brother died after having his face smeared with the outlawed VX nerve agent at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
The UN was also divided over its response to the nerve agent poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia with a Soviet-era nerve agent in the English city of Salisbury in March last year.
In its Friday resolution, the Security Council urged countries to ratify the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction.
The 1993 convention came into force in 1997. North Korea, Egypt and South Sudan have not signed it, while Israel has signed but not ratified the pact.
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Mariya Strauss
A writer and editor who lives in Baltimore, Mariya Strauss has had her work published in The Baffler, The Nation, In These Times, The Public Eye (a quarterly of Political Research Associates), and publishes a column three times a year at the journal New Labor Forum of the Murphy Labor Institute of City University of New York. Her 2013 investigation for The Nation on safety protections for teen workers in agriculture earned her a Clarion Award, and was shortlisted for the MOLLY Award at the Texas Observer. She is currently managing editor at Peoples World. Last updated July 2017
Dying on the Farm
Under pressure, the Obama administration withdrew rules barring children from dangerous agricultural work — a decision with grave consequences.
November 14, 2013 | The Nation Child Labor on the Farm


Oviya is the current sensation in Tamil Nadu. The actress, who's trying to make inroads into Tamil cinema, has won the hearts of the audience after appearing in the television reality show Bigg Boss Tamil, hosted by Kamal Haasan.
On Saturday, Oviya left the show citing health issues. After her exit, a tweet from one of Simbu's fake accounts said that he wanted to marry Oviya. The tweet was widely circulated on the internet. So much so that some section of media carried an article based on the tweet.
Earlier today, Simbu issued a statement and slammed the media for falsely reporting the news.
"I always believe media is a place where responsibility and accountability are the forte. But this irresponsible act of some media persons is something I cannot keep quiet and encourage. I hereby request the media to publish the news that comes from my desk and my verified accounts personally", said Simbu.
Taking it to Twitter, Simbu has warned the miscreant who posted a fake tweet. Oviya became the trending topic for several reasons. After she was cornered by the housemates, several celebrities including Simbu supported the actress on Twitter.
I know who's behind this fake news. Final warning, if you still? Different reply in a very different way. Don't unleash the god of a devil.
On the work front, Simbu awaits the release of his yet-untitled next, which is slated to release in September this year.


This photo, taken from the memorial plaza, shows the terraced steps, portico and triangular pediment, and the open air circular rotunda. Note the Jefferson statue can be seen inside.
The Jefferson Memorial building is a circular, open-air structure featuring a shallow dome supported by a circular colonnade composed of 26 Ionic columns. An additional 12 columns support the north portico, and 4 columns stand in each of the memorials 4 openings. The memorial is constructed of white Imperial Danby marble from Vermont and it rests upon a series of granite and marble-stepped terraces. A flight of granite and marble stairs and platforms, flanked by granite buttresses, lead up from the Tidal Basin. The stairs rise to a portico with a triangular pediment, which features a sculpture by Adolph A. Weinman, depicting the five members of the drafting committee of the Declaration of Independence submitting their report to Congress. A dentiled cornice with an egg and dart molding surrounds the pediment, below which is a plain frieze.
The Jefferson Statue, standing 19 feet tall atop its pedestal, is surrounded by columns, quotes from Jefferson and the coffered ceiling above. NPSphoto by AnthonyDeYoung.
The Jefferson Memorial interior is constructed of white Georgia marble with an axed finish, and the floor is made of pink Tennessee marble. The interior freize is topped by a dentiled cornice and a massive Indiana limestone dome. The dome's interior is divided into two parts: the lower section has a coffered surface containing lights that illuminate the statue and the upper section has a smooth, uninterrupted surface.
Rudulph Evans' bronze statue of Jefferson stands centered in the chamber on a black Minnesota granite pedestal, which is inscribed with the dates of Jefferson's birth and death (1743-1826). The statue depicts Jefferson in mid-life, holding the Declaration of Independence in his left hand.
Four quotations from Jefferson's writings are carved into the walls of the memorial chamber. An excerpt from the Declaration of Independence, the document for which Jefferson is best known, is located on the southwest wall. The southeast wall features a statement on the evolution of law and the constitution, which was taken from a letter written to Samuel Kercheval in 1816.
The northwest wall is inscribed with a combination of six quotations taken primarily from Jefferson's "1786 Notes of Virginia" and "Summary Views," which illustrate his beliefs in the evils of slavery and the need to educate the masses. The northeast wall contains a quote from the "Act of Religious Freedom," which was adopted in 1779 and eliminated the state church of Virginia; this quote expresses Jefferson's views on freedom of religion.
A fifth quote is engraved on the freize encircling the memorial's interior. This quote "I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man," is taken from an 1800 letter from Jefferson to Benjamin Rush.
The Jefferson Memorial sits on the south side of the Tidal Basin on reclaimed land created during the construction of Hains Point. After reclamation and before the memorial was built, the area of newly created parkland was planted with trees and lawn. This area was often use for swimming by city residents. Japanese cherry trees were planted on the site in 1912 when the Mayor of Tokyo presented three thousand trees to the city.
Well-known 19th century landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. designed the memorial landscape. The Olmsted planting plan installed at the time of construction featured a simple design within a circular driveway; primarily evergreen trees with limited flowering trees and shrubs. The design was perceived as too thin, so white pines were added and some other plantings took place before the dedication in 1943. Many changes to Olmsted's plans occurred in the 1970s, and restorations in 1993 and 2000 have attempted to restore integrity to Olmsted's altered design.
Once the site for the Jefferson Memorial was chosen, there was never any question about its visual relationship with the White House - a direct line. In fact, President Roosevelt ordered trees to be cut so that the view of the memorial from the White House would be enhanced. As the National Park Service manages most of the land in the viewshed from the Jefferson Memorial to the White House, the commanding view from the memorial across the Tidal Basin to the Washington Monument and White House remains largely unchanged.
At the time of construction, much thought was also given to the relationship between the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials. Additional tree pruning was completed to ensure a narrow view from one memorial to the other.


Ready to find a better energy deal in Marmong Point, 2284, New South Wales?
Marmong Point, a suburb of Sydney in New South Wales is beautifully located north-north-east of the town of Toronto on the western shore of Lake Macquarie. Though it stretches in length and breadth up to 0.7 km2 yet it is well connected with various mode of transportation. The population of Marmong Point is approximately 762 people. A best place to be in Marmong Point is Marmong Park. Some suburb around Marmong Point are Booragul, Woodrising and Lake Macquarie.
Why Marmong Point should compare energy prices using Econnex?


In an official blog, Google has put out a post saying that Android 5.0 Lollipop has started rolling out already. Google has confirmed that Android 5.0 Lollipop would be coming to all the Nexus devices – Nexus 4, Nexus 5 and tablets Nexus 7 (2012 and 2013 editions) and Nexus 10. The Nexus 9, which has launched internationally, comes pre-loaded with the new operating system, and so will the Google Nexus 6 when it comes out.
Motorola has already confirmed the update for most of its phones available in the market, which includes the Moto X (1st Gen. & 2nd Gen.), Moto G (1st Gen. & 2nd Gen.), Moto E, Droid Ultra, Droid Maxx and Droid Mini. HTC confirmed that it will be releasing the Android L update within 90 days of receiving the final software from Google. Here's a full list of devices confirmed to receive the update, to see if your device made it, click here.


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"Spook Show 2018 – 06: Shaun of the Dead" by Richard F. Yates
Posted on September 21, 2018	by richardfyates
I'm not a big fan of zombie movies. As a little kid, I saw Night of the Living Dead, Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things, Dawn of the Dead, Evil Dead, Return of the Living Dead, and On Golden Pond, and after watching the terrifying and disgusting things that happen in these films, reanimated corpse stories just seemed sort of DONE for me. What else could anyone possible do with ZOMBIES to make them interesting again? Leave it to a couple of British blokes to breathe new life (or new DEATH?) into a tired genre…
Shaun of the Dead is a 2004 horror / comedy directed by the brilliant Edgar Wright and based on an original script written by Wright and his buddy, Simon Pegg. The film stars Pegg as the titular character, Shaun, whose life (playing video games, shambling to the store for a can of soda, wasting his days at an electronics store, and going to the same pub every evening) has become so boring and repetitive (and zombie-like) that his girlfriend, Liz (played by Kate Ashfield), decides she's had enough and gives him the old heave-ho! Meanwhile, his best friend, Ed (played by the irrepressible Nick Frost), who has been couch surfing at Shaun's flat for far too long and who Shaun is constantly defending, seems perfectly content to smoke pot, play games, and make fart jokes all day, every day. (It's the classic conflict: FRIEND VS LOVER—which one do you need to make most happy?)
As Shaun is dealing with the mess that is his life, (a rather tedious, repetitive mess, but still,) in the background all around him, a global epidemic has begun to spread—people are getting sick, folks are biting other folks, dead bodies are getting up and walking around, while Shaun (who is completely oblivious) wallows in his own misery. When he and Ed are finally confronted with the reality of the situation, that the DEAD have returned to feast on the living, Shaun makes a startling realization: he can use the APOCALYPSE to win his girlfriend back!
Edgar Wright is a fantastic director, and the craftsmanship on this film is evident from the opening scene on. The soundtrack is exceptional, the pacing and timing of the dialog are needle-sharp, the social critique implicit throughout the film is devastating, and the whole damn thing is both laugh out loud funny and genuinely gory and horrific. There are NO punches pulled in the death scenes—even for prominent characters who you wouldn't expect were going to get bumped off! Make no mistake, this IS a horror film, but a hilariously funny horror film, which I would image is a pretty tough trick to pull off.
Two of the techniques that Wright uses, superbly, and which make the film a joy to watch over and over again, are foreshadowing and repetition. A third flat-mate, Pete, a no-nonsense fellow, is sick of having Ed laying around the place all the time and complains that Ed doesn't pay any rent, doesn't clean up the apartment, and is constantly forgetting to close the front door properly. A few scenes later, when the zombie invasion is in full swing, a television news anchor says that everyone should stay inside and lock their doors. Shaun and Ed look at each other, realize that Ed never shuts the door properly, and sure enough, as they turn towards the front door, a zombie comes wandering through it and into the room! (Maybe Pete was right about Ed?)
In another sequence, which combines foreshadowing and repetition, Shaun is at work talking with a young kid. The kid spots an ink stain on Shaun's shirt and says, "You've got red on you," obviously caused by a broken pen in Shaun's pocket. Later in the film, a number of other characters also mention that he has "red" on him, even his mum, only in these cases, his shirt isn't covered in red ink but in zombie blood! I could spend about 20 pages discussing repeated phrases, double meanings, and recurrent themes in this film, but as this is supposed to be a quickie review and not a literary analysis, I'll go over just one more example, and then call it good.
In an early scene in the film, Shaun walks to the store. He passes a kid kicking a soccer ball around, almost gets hit by a car while crossing a busy street, gives some change to a homeless man, and then buys a snack at the shop—all seemingly in a daze, tripping over curbs and barely paying attention to his surroundings. In a slightly later scene, after we (the viewers) have become aware that a zombie apocalypse is unfolding, Shaun again walks to the store. He walks past the sidewalk where the kid was kicking the soccer ball around, and we see the ball on the ground, but no kid. He walks across the street, which now has no moving vehicles on it, as far as the eye can see. He passes the homeless man, who we can tell is a zombie, and just says that he hasn't got any change for him today. Shaun goes into the store, slips and nearly falls in a puddle of blood on the floor, opens a refrigerator door with bloody hand prints all over it, drops some cash on the counter and says (to nobody in particular) that he's a little short and will have to pay the extra bit the next time he comes into the shop, and then he leaves—all without noticing that a horde of slow moving zombies have begun shambling towards him as he walks home. It's a perfect scene that manages to be both very funny (in a tense kind of way) and super creepy. If we remember how alive the neighborhood was from his earlier trip to the shop, the quiet and lack of movement as he starts this second walk can be extremely unsettling, even before we spot the first zombie.
So for folks looking for a genuinely funny horror film, I definitely recommend Shaun of the Dead. It's well written, has some great music in the soundtrack, manages to be scary and funny and sometimes a little sad, all at the same time, and (once things start going bad) it doesn't skimp on the blood and violence. It's definitely not a kids' film. The language is explicit, the blood flows freely, and for those looking for a sharp critique of societal values and expectations, there are a lot of deep concepts to be found hovering around the subtext of the plot. (One of my favorite moments in the movie takes place in the electronics store when a young kid accuses Shaun of being old, and Shaun says he's not going to be stuck working in that store forever—he's going to DO something with his life—and the kid, deadpan, just says, "When?" It's kind of a sad moment, but there might be just a tiny bit of HOPE in that question as well. How about doing something with your life RIGHT NOW?) Anyway, it's a great film. One of my favorites! (But I still don't really like zombie movies…)
This entry was posted in writing and tagged cult films, horror, humor, movies, reviews, social critique, zombies. Bookmark the permalink.
1 Response to "Spook Show 2018 – 06: Shaun of the Dead" by Richard F. Yates
Mary (Iba) Counts says:
I'm not a big fan of Zombie flicks either, but this one kicked ass. Time to watch it again!


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About Joju Solar
Academic First for SOAS
The first crowd-funded solar project at a higher education institution was installed at the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)
After crowdsourcing funds combined with university investment Solar SOAS, a project led by student group The Energy and Climate Justice Student Society, successfully raised the funds needed for a 29.6kWp system to be installed at the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). This was the first student-led crowdfunded project of its type and Joju were delighted to be involved. We pride ourselves on pioneering solar PV and community funded projects and this was yet another example of a solar first for Joju.
The SOAS community will decide how to spend the profits generated from the system (estimated to be £2000 a year) with a voting process to be opened each year to determine what green project or cause will be selected over the lifetime of the scheme.
Joju installed an East to West solar PV array with a Solis inverter in September 2016. It is a 29.6kW system which will generate 24.15 MWh per year for SOAS. It consists of 114 260W Amerisolar panels all attached to a K2 frame. The University has it's own mini electricity grid with equipment, which while stunning in its antiquity was also listed so provided a unique challenge for us to incorporate a modern, high-tech solar PV system in to (see the picture).
This project was extremely unique, Joju Head of Engineering James Page said "What made this project really special was the fact it happened because of the combined forces of an enthusiastic bunch of students who kicked the thing off, all supported by accommodating staff: with just one or the other it wouldn't have happened."
The project also gained political support from Keir Starmer, local MP for Holborn & St. Pancras. He said he was "absolutely thrilled to see the first university community energy project in the UK happening in our constituency. We hope this will lead the way for further similar projects around the country!"
The installation demonstrate SOAS's continual efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, with the installation thought to save over 10 tonnes of carbon every year, therefore, building on its success as a green institution. In 2016 SOAS topped the Brite-Green university league table with a 55% reduction in carbon emissions since 2005. SOAS have also been awarded the Carbon Champion mark of achievement by the Camden Climate Change Alliance.
Solar SOAS is hoping that they will act as a pilot for other UK universities and even set up UniSolar, a community benefit society to administer and introduce community energy to other higher education establishments. They also plan to build on the success of this project, with other solar installations.
Isobel Annan, co-founder of Solar SOAS said: "We overcame many obstacles and met some hair-raising deadlines over the past two years, as full-time students and alumni endeavouring to do something green and good in a challenging policy environment. But we are live and generating, and ecstatic to see those shining panels."
Baroness Valerie Amos CH, Director of SOAS said: "I am always impressed by the commitment of SOAS students to engage with the pressing issues facing our world today. Solar SOAS is an excellent example of our students taking a constructive and positive approach to tackling one of the great challenges of our time – climate change."
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NNMi9 (and iSPI for Metrics) allows threshold alerting on node components (or interface stats), however this needs to be set up at interface or node level within the monitoring configuration menus.
Edit Routers (or another monitoring group, which refers to the node group you want) and in the Threshold Settings Tab, Add a new count based threshold setting.
Select CPU 5Min Utilization and set thresholds as desired. It's best to disable the low value completely by setting Low Value and Low Value Rearm to 0 as we're only concerned with a high value. You may want to set the High Trigger Count to 2 or more rather than 1, considering the fact that config writes and other normal activity can cause CPU spikes.
Now Save and Close down to the Monitoring Configuration menu, then either Save or Save and Close from there.
Add a new Count based Threshold, Select Input Error Rate and set as follows to alert for any amount of errors on any given poll.
Save & Close to Monitoring Configuration, then Save again. Repeat this for Output Error rate then save and close from the Monitoring Configuration menu.
Now you get alerts like the following in the alarm browser!


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Franson Is A Sabre
September 10, 2015 sammo1980	Leave a comment
After several weeks of rumours doing the rounds, free agent and former Maple Leaf, Cody Franson has penned a 2 year deal with the Buffalo Sabres.
Since making his trade moves before and during the draft, Sabres GM, Tim Murray has openly admitted that he was in the market for an experienced left handed defence man either from Free Agency or by another trade.
Well today Tim got his man, all be it a right handed defenceman, not quite the lefty he was after. But will that really matter?
Not really if you ask me, for me Sabres have now got a strong very experienced man on the blue line, he boasts a heavy shot and will quarterback one of the powerplay units I'm sure.
After missing out on Jonny Oduya, despite throwing a stupid amount of money at him, Sabres certainly needed to make a move and looking at some of the depth players we had already picked up in Carlo Colaiacovo and Matt Donovan a trade was really looking like an option but that might have meant giving up a fair amount.
In the end the addition of Franson certainly gives us a top 4/5 defenceman. I can certainly see him lining up on the right hand side of our defence in October and actually gives us a balance with the depth guys.
Looking at the roster I perhaps wonder if he'll line up alongside Josh Gorges in our top 4.
Interestingly too in Tim Murray's interview he also mentioned that a deal with signed FA Pat Kaleta is still not dead in the water. I'm still hopeful that Tim can find a role for the heartbeat of the Buffalo team I have followed for so long.
Here's hoping!
Let's go Buffalo!
Here's hoping that the Sabres can reach an agreement with Pat!
buffalocody fransonpatrick kaletaSabresTim Murray
Following the end of a disappointing NHL season where the Buffalo Sabres couldn't even win the 2015 NHL Draft Lottery to get the 1st pick all eyes were on the Sabres at the draft to see if they would make any moves.
A couple of days before the Drat rumours were flying around about various players the Sabres were chasing. Cam Talbot was the main name doing the rounds as everyone knew the Sabres needed a number 1 goalie.
The Sabres at the start of Day 1 of the draft held 3 picks in the first round at numbers 2, 21 and 31. I think deep down I always knew GM Tim Murray would make a move and in the weeks leading up to the draft Murray himself has said all along he would always listen to offers.
The Sabres 1st round 21st pick was traded for goalie Robin Lehner and center David Legwand
The morning of the Draft saw the news break that Murray had traded away the 21st pick to the Ottawa Senators.
In return the Sabres received goalie Robin Lehner and veteran center David Legwand.
Lehner moving from the Sens was something that was always going to happen with the Sens having a lot of depth in the position with Craig Anderson and Andrew Hammond seemingly being the main goalies battling for the number 1 spot in Ottawa, especially once Lehner has suffered a concussion part way through the season.
Kane and Lehner now on the same team in Buffalo
With Lehner only being 23, I would say it's a great pick up for the Sabres with a goalie that really excites me and it also gives the team a genuine number 1 goalie. Could the Sabres have picked up a goalie with the 21st pick or through the UFA list that can match the potential of Lehner? Probably not if I'm honest.
The interesting part of this trade for me though is the addition of Legwand and what role does he have with the team?
Legwand scoring in his time in Nashville!
Legwand is a 34 year old 15 season NHL veteran, he played 14 of those seasons with the Nashville Predators including 3 season with an 'A' on his jersey before being traded to the Red Wings as part of the Eaves and Jarnkrok trade and then signing for the Sens as a free agent last summer.
He's never had huge goal or point production but he still has a lot to offer the team that's for sure and with the Sabres having such a young team his leadership skills both on and off the ice could well match that of Sabres Captain Brian Gionta.
To quote GM Tim Murray as he always says "We want to get better every day!"
Did the Sabres get better on the morning of the draft? Absolutely no question in my mind, we certainly did!
But all this was just the beginning of an incredible day for all Sabres fans!
I'll look at the Draft itself and also a surprise Trade that caught everyone by surprise a it happened moments before the Draft itself in Part Two.
2015 DraftBuffalo SabresDavid LegwandNHLOttawa SenatorsPart 1Robin LehnerTim MurrayTrades
Dancing Dan's The Man In Buffalo!
June 4, 2015 sammo1980	Leave a comment
It's been awhile since my last blog post so I thought it was about time I caught up with some recent developments!
The 28th of May finally saw the announcement of the new Buffalo Sabres head coach.
After a couple of weeks following #Babwatch and it looking likely that the Sabres were going to appoint, former Detroit Red Wings Coach, Mike "Whitley Bay" Babcock as the new head coach. The Sabres then lost out to the Leafs as they gave him a contract that he just couldn't refuse.
Babcock turned down the Sabres to join the Leafs!
It seems that an 8 year $50m dollar contract was an offer Mike just couldn't refuse.
The Sabres had been reported as offering the same $50m dollar contract but over a 10 year period.
But who knows and we move on. I personally thought that Babcock would have been a great fit for the Sabres and was pretty gutted that he had decided to join the Leafs.
As soon as the rumours that Mike had signed with the Leafs one name was instantly linked to the still vacant Sabres post and that name was Dan Bylsma, the former Pittsburgh Penguins coach who has also coached the United States senior mens team in the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
Just days later a press conference was called by Tim Murray and on 28 May Dan Bylsma was formally introduced as the new Buffalo Sabres head coach.
Dancing Dan unveiled as Sabres Head Coach
So what can we expect from the Sabres under their new leader?
Well one thing that immediately stands out is the attacking brand of hockey that Bylsma got the Penguins to play.
With the young exciting roster that we now have, due to the rebuild that has taken place over the last 2 years, there is certainly plenty of potential to work with. There is also the addition of the exciting prospect that is number 2 pick Jack Eichel, things have really taken a good step forward.
As Tim Murray says, his aim is to make the Sabres better every day and hopefully with the appointment of Bylsma he has done just that. Over the next few week there are bound to be more changes as we head towards the start of next season and also into training camp.
There are still several areas of the squad that need looking at with the Goaltending situation being possibly the biggest question mark. Next up though is the draft, again something that the sabres couldn't win, as we select at number 2.
One thing's for sure though, there will never be a dull moment being a Sabres Fan. I look forward to seeing what "Dancing Dan" can do with this team.
Dancing Dan is our leader!
Buffalo SabresDan BylsmaHead CoachMike BabcockTerry PegulaTim MurrayToronto Maple Leafs
Sabres Trades are like Buses….
Just when you're getting used to the idea of losing both Tyler Myers and Drew Stafford, Sabres GM Tim Murray then announces that he's made a 2nd Trade on the same day.
Jhonas Enroth teaming up with Lindy again in Dallas
This time the trade would the Sabres move on current starting goalie Jhonas Enroth to the Dallas Stars to link up once again with former Sabres coach Lindy Ruff.
With the Stars in the hunt for a playoff place and needing a goalie Sabres GM Tim Murray said 'it seemed like the right time to make a deal.' Let's hope hes right on this, at least it give us more time to look at guys and assess our needs before the end of the season.
In return for Jhonas going to Dallas the Sabres get Anders Lindback and also a conditional third round pick in the 2016 draft, although this could become a 2nd round pick should Enroth reach 4 playoff game wins.
Anders Lindback is a now Sabre!
For me it's a shame Jhonas is going as he's shown signs that he is finally stepping out from the shadows of Ryan Miller that held the number one spot for so long. Again though Enroth is an UFA in the summer and GM Murray admitted that we may go back in for him then.
Jhonas has posted a 3.27 GAA and a .903 SV% in 37 games this season, leading the team to 13 wins. Lindback in comparison has a 3.71 GAA and a .875 SV% with 2 wins and 8 losses in 10 appearances this season, including last weeks 3-2 Sabres win over the Stars where both goalies went head to head.
The deal is a good one for the Stars as they are serious playoff contenders so need the depth at the goalie position. I just worry that we will now see a similar situation with our goalies like we had at the end of last season with anyone who is fit donning the mask.
Murray says he'd like to see more of Neuvirth but the guy has had so so many injuries. I'd personally like to see more of Matt Hackett and Nathan Lieuwen but for now it looks like Lindback and Neuvirth will get the nod.
We still have several weeks until we hit the trade deadline and it wouldn't surprise me to see another couple of movements involving the Sabres. It is however vitally important for me that we keep the likes of Girgensons, Ristolainen and Zadorov who for their ages have been superb and I look forward to seeing them develop further.
One thing is certain though Tim Murray isn't afraid to shake up the roster, but when you're the worst team in the NHL I guess you have to do something.
LETS GO BUFFALO
Anders LindbackBuffalo SabresJhonas EnrothNHLTim MurrayUK Sabres Fans
Sabres Turning The Corner?
December 10, 2014 sammo1980	Leave a comment
Are the Buffalo Sabres turning the corner and starting to turn into a playoff team? Well it's certainly a long way off yet the the Sabres form over the last 10 games certainly gives me some hope.
Following possibly the worst start to a season for a long long while and being the worst team in the NHL by a long way, the Sabres have now won 7 of their last 10 games.
The latest win came with a 1-0 win over defending Stanley Cup Champions the Los Angeles Kings. This young team certainly seems to have a lot of spring in it's step at the moment.
At the back Jonas Enroth seems to be edging ahead in the race to be the starting net minder and with Josh Gorges return from injury the Sabres defensively look a lot stronger.
Up front Tyler Ennis is in fantastic form and Brian Gionta seems to be bringing great leadership. One returnee from injury that for me is helping the team is the return of Patrick Kaleta. For me he is one of the most underrated players on our roster and his return for me has been key in our recent good form.
Coach Ted Nolan is really believing in this team and giving them time to develop, although there is still a long way to go for us to get back into the playoff picture it certainly seems that things are on the up.
My other team over the pond, the Belleville Bulls, are still performing well and looking good for a playoff spot. The excellent early season form though has now died off as a 7 game losing streak proved last month.
However form seems to have picked up over the last week or so and the team still sit 3rd in the Eastern Conference, hopefully the team can keep up the recent momentum and have a strong Christmas period.
Finally back over the pond to the Nottingham Panthers who find themselves at the right end of the table and challenging for the elite league title.
Now although the team doesn't seem to be a team in the traditional 'Sexy Neilson Hockey' style, this team certainly epitomises the sense of 'TEAM'. An injury to Craig Kowalski has seen Mattias Modig return between the pipes for a 2nd spell.
The team densely as I have said before certainly look strong but the forwards have seem to struggle to find some consistency and form. This hasn't been helped by several injuries that we seem to pick up every weekend.
Panthers though despite this find themselves sat 3rd in the league and just a point behind the Clan and Steelers. With a busy Christmas period coming up I'm sure we'll see whether we are genuine contenders in the new year!
One thing I do have to say though is that there does seem to be a lot of parity in the league this year and it could be a real fight right down to the wire.
Belleville BullsBuffalo SabresEIHLIce HockeyNottingham Panthers


text:
require 'keen/http'
require 'keen/version'
require 'keen/client/publishing_methods'
require 'keen/client/querying_methods'
require 'keen/client/maintenance_methods'
require 'keen/client/saved_queries'
require 'keen/version'
require 'openssl'
require 'multi_json'
require 'base64'
require 'cgi'
require 'addressable/uri'

module Keen
  class Client
    include Keen::Client::PublishingMethods
    include Keen::Client::QueryingMethods
    include Keen::Client::MaintenanceMethods

    attr_accessor :project_id, :write_key, :read_key, :master_key, :api_url, :proxy_url, :proxy_type, :read_timeout, :open_timeout

    CONFIG = {
      :api_url => "https://api.keen.io",
      :api_version => "3.0",
      :api_headers => lambda { |authorization, sync_or_async|
        user_agent = "keen-gem, v#{Keen::VERSION}, #{sync_or_async}"
        user_agent += ", #{RUBY_VERSION}, #{RUBY_PLATFORM}, #{RUBY_PATCHLEVEL}"
        if defined?(RUBY_ENGINE)
          user_agent += ", #{RUBY_ENGINE}"
        end
        { "Content-Type" => "application/json",
          "User-Agent" => user_agent,
          "Authorization" => authorization,
          "Keen-Sdk" => "ruby-#{Keen::VERSION}" }
      }
    }

    def initialize(*args)
      options = args[0]
      unless options.is_a?(Hash)
        # deprecated, pass a hash of options instead
        options = {
          :project_id => args[0],
          :write_key => args[1],
          :read_key => args[2],
        }.merge(args[3] || {})
      end

      self.project_id, self.write_key, self.read_key, self.master_key = options.values_at(
        :project_id, :write_key, :read_key, :master_key)

      self.api_url = options[:api_url] || CONFIG[:api_url]

      self.proxy_url, self.proxy_type = options.values_at(:proxy_url, :proxy_type)

      self.read_timeout = options[:read_timeout].to_f unless options[:read_timeout].nil?

      self.open_timeout = options[:open_timeout].to_f unless options[:open_timeout].nil?
    end

    def saved_queries
      @saved_queries ||= SavedQueries.new(self)
    end

    private

    def process_response(status_code, response_body)
      case status_code.to_i
      when 200..201
        begin
          return MultiJson.decode(response_body)
        rescue
          Keen.logger.warn("Invalid JSON for response code #{status_code}: #{response_body}")
          return {}
        end
      when 204
        return true
      when 400
        raise BadRequestError.new(response_body)
      when 401
        raise AuthenticationError.new(response_body)
      when 404
        raise NotFoundError.new(response_body)
      else
        raise HttpError.new(response_body)
      end
    end

    def ensure_project_id!
      raise ConfigurationError, "Project ID must be set" unless self.project_id
    end

    def ensure_write_key!
      raise ConfigurationError, "Write Key must be set for this operation" unless self.write_key
    end

    def ensure_master_key!
      raise ConfigurationError, "Master Key must be set for this operation" unless self.master_key
    end

    def ensure_read_key!
      raise ConfigurationError, "Read Key must be set for this operation" unless self.read_key
    end

    def api_event_collection_resource_path(event_collection)
        encoded_collection_name = Addressable::URI.escape(event_collection.to_s)
        encoded_collection_name.gsub! '/', '%2F'
        "/#{api_version}/projects/#{project_id}/events/#{encoded_collection_name}"
    end

    def preprocess_params(params)
      params = params.delete_if {|key, val| val.nil?}

      preprocess_encodables(params)
      preprocess_timeframe(params)
      preprocess_max_age(params)
      preprocess_group_by(params)
      preprocess_percentile(params)
      preprocess_property_names(params)

      params.map { |key, value| "#{key}=#{CGI.escape(value)}" }.join('&')
    end

    def preprocess_encodables(params)
      [:filters, :steps, :analyses].each do |key|
        if params.key?(key)
          params[key] = MultiJson.encode(params[key])
        end
      end
    end

    def preprocess_timeframe(params)
      timeframe = params[:timeframe]
      if timeframe.is_a?(Hash)
        params[:timeframe] = MultiJson.encode(timeframe)
      end
    end

    def preprocess_group_by(params)
      group_by = params[:group_by]
      if group_by.is_a?(Array)
        params[:group_by] = MultiJson.encode(group_by)
      end
    end

    def preprocess_max_age(params)
      max_age = params[:max_age]
      if max_age.is_a? Numeric
        params[:max_age] = params[:max_age].to_s
      else
        params.delete(:max_age)
      end
    end

    def preprocess_percentile(params)
      if params.key?(:percentile)
        params[:percentile] = params[:percentile].to_s
      end
    end

    def preprocess_property_names(params)
      property_names = params[:property_names]
      if property_names.is_a?(Array)
        params[:property_names] = MultiJson.encode(property_names)
      end
    end

    def method_missing(_method, *args, &block)
      if config = CONFIG[_method.to_sym]
        if config.is_a?(Proc)
          config.call(*args)
        else
          config
        end
      else
        super
      end
    end
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Simple AskGeo API wrapper. See [AskGeo](https://askgeo.com) to obtain an API Key.

## Installation via npm

    $ npm install askgeo

## TimeZone Object

  `timezone` returns a `TimeZone` object. An example:

    {
      IsInside: 'true',
      AskGeoId: 12580,
      MinDistanceKm: 0,
      TimeZoneId: 'America/New_York',
      ShortName: 'EDT',
      CurrentOffsetMs: -14400000,
      WindowsStandardName: 'Eastern Standard Time',
      InDstNow: 'true'
    }

## API

  Account id and api keys can be set as environment variables and will be attempted to retrieve at `process.env.ASK_GEO_ACCOUNT_ID` and `process.env.ASK_GEO_API_KEY`. If they are set then the callback in each function can be moved up two arguments.

### .timezone(lat, lon, id, key, callback)

  Given a lat, lon point, return a `TimeZone` object.

    askgeo.timezone(38.9001028, -76.9997817, console.log);


Hey everyone! Today I have a post from an awesome fellow blogger. So many of you are interested in staff writing, so I figured this post is PERFECT for you all. Enjoy!
One of the most common questions that Michelle and I both get asked is, "How do you get hired as a staff writer for blogs?" So, today, I'm happy to share some of the techniques I use to not only find the job postings but to make sure I actually get hired too!
I know that there are many stories of people who have secured contracts for $100/post right out of the gate; however, my success story doesn't sound like that!
Instead, my work as a staff writer began gradually and grew organically as I became more skilled and more respected in my niche.
While I totally cringe at the thought of that topic now, I can't deny that the job gave me extremely valuable experience. Eventually, I became the beauty editor for the site, and by the time I left to pursue a higher paying writing job, they had published over 115 posts that I wrote for them.
I'm telling you that story to illustrate the importance of building a portfolio. A blog is a great way to do that. If you don't have one, Michelle has a great tutorial of how to start a blog. Write excellent content on your site, and when you apply to staff writing jobs, send links to your published posts. The more websites you write for, the more links you can send to show how versatile you are as a writer.
I find most of my staff writing jobs on the ProBlogger jobs board. However, I'm also obsessed with people's "Hire Me" tabs on their blogs. You see, not all websites advertise that they are looking for staff writers. Instead, they choose people based on frequent commenters or by seeing their posts on other sites. So, the most challenging part of finding jobs is realizing which websites actually hire writers and which just feature guest posters.
By looking at bloggers with "Hire Me" tabs, you can sometimes see the sites they write for, which then tells you which sites pay writers! While this is not a foolproof method, it has helped me find several websites that I didn't even realize hired writers. Additionally, you can also look at larger sites that have a "Contributors" tab, and if it shows that they have several writers, you can often e-mail them and ask outright for a job. Just be warned that e-mailing blogs out of the blue like that does not always guarantee success. I wrote a post about The Truth About Side Hustling that discusses this method in more detail.
I should mention that you can use Odesk, Freelancer, and Craigslist for finding jobs, but just remember that thousands of other people are using those sites to find jobs too. Sometimes using ninja techniques like the ones I listed above give a greater return.
When applying for staff writing jobs, one mistake a lot of people make is thinking about staff writing as an "extra" job and not a "real" job. So, they might be a little more casual in their approach, which can cost them the gig.
Instead, I encourage you to be extremely professional when applying. Pretend it's a 6 figure, high-level job, and give it the same amount of respect. Once a website owner knows you take your writing seriously and that you are a professional, they'll realize that you're going to be on time and will send good content.
Extra tip: Never write a free "sample post" for a site if they tell you that's part of their interviewing process. That is a sneaky way for sites to take your content. Real, legitimate sites will always pay you a fee to produce work if they want to see a certain type of writing. Most of the time, sending links to past work will suffice.
As you can see from the tips above, starting your career as a writer in the online world takes some time and patience. It's not a get rich quick scheme, and it takes a considerable amount of time, creativity, and professionalism to be successful.
Although I started out writing $10 posts about pimples (haha!), just a few weeks ago I had the biggest surprise of my career when I got published on the Huffington Post.
Honestly, when the Huff Post blog team sent me an e-mail with a link to my published article, I ran down the street and busted into the library where my husband was studying to tell him. I actually cried because I was so excited. I've devoted a lot of time and given up a lot of sleep to pursue my goal of becoming a full-time writer, and I'm happy to say that using the techniques above has helped me to make this come true. I hope the same happens for you.
If you have any questions about anything I mentioned above, please feel free to leave it in a comment, and I'll be sure to answer it!
Catherine Alford is a personal finance freelance writer who is currently based in the Caribbean. When Cat is not writing for other websites on all topics frugal and fabulous, she enjoys sharing her adventures on her blog, BudgetBlonde.com.
Do you staff write? Have you thought about it? What side hustles do you have?
Related tip: My friend Cat Alford started a course called Get Paid to Write for Blogs that I highly recommend. She has written for many large sites and is extremely successful. Now, she is sharing her amazing tips so that you can become a full-time writer as well. If you want to earn money as a writer, I recommend you check out her course.
Get Paid to Write For Blogs is a comprehensive online course that teaches you everything you need to know about getting hired to write for blogs. With 29 videos within 8 modules, this course covers every single step to start a successful and lucrative writing career online. Use my link here to receive 15% off your course!
Great tips Cat!! So glad everything is taking off for you 🙂 thanks for sharing your experiances.
Thanks girl. Blood sweat and tears literally! Haha!
Thanks for the post Cat! You have come a long way from the $10 posts. Though I am not really interested in being a staff writer one thing people seem to ask a lot about is how much should they charge. Do you have any ranges for people to use as a guideline?
Thanks so much! Great question. If you are a brand new staff writer trying to get started, I would ask for $20-$30 a post if you are applying to smaller personal blogs and just writing 300-500 words. If you have 1-2 years experience, you can start asking for the $40-$50 range. If you're going to write big 750-1,000 word posts that take time and research, you can definitely fetch $100 a post or more from the start. If you are an expert or have an MBA in finance and someone wants your opinion specifically, you can go even higher. Other staff writers will differ in their opinions on this, but this is what's been true for me personally. I usually offer a rate sheet with different levels, with the lowest level including a post in a word document e-mailed to the client and the highest level including logging into wordpress, formatting the posts, finding a picture, SEO, descriptions, social media promotion, etc.
Oh wow, $100 for a 750-1000 word post, I didn't realize that you could actually charge that much. That could give you a pretty nice income if your fairly prolific at writing quality pieces. I guess I was always thinking that since people are charging $5 on odesk and fiver that the pay wasn't really that high. Looking back though, most of those people are probably non native English writers from places in Asia where those rates would be a lot of money.
Thanks Cat for the information! I appreciate the breakdown and think others will find it helpful as well. 100$ for a post is def not bad!
Thanks yall. For sure, if a company wants to pay you $5 for your post, they don't value your work. There are many people out there who will pay what you're worth so don't settle!
Great post Cat! I think having a portfolio is important because people who hire freelance writers want to know they are hiring someone who can write quality blog posts. What better way to show that than to have posts online that they can view?
Thanks DC! I couldn't agree more. 🙂 Also thanks for hiring me to be your staff writer, haha!
This is a great and informative post! I staff write for two blogs at the moment, and am definitely up to my eyeballs in workload what with summer vacations, a full time job, and my wedding. Perhaps in the fall when that has all settled down, I might look at expanding my portfolio or finding better paid gigs. When I do, I'll definitely keep these tips in mind!
When you do expand, e-mail me. 🙂 I love your posts.
Hope your journey to FT blogging is going well!
I was pretty lucky and landed a nearly $200/post gig very early on. It's not super regular, but it's actually quite fun and works out to a great hourly rate.
A $200/post gig is awesome! You go girl!
Great info here, thanks. I haven't gotten into staff writing yet but it's definitely something to consider. Congrats on getting published by the Huffington Post! That's a pretty awesome accomplishment.
Thanks Matt! I appreciate that!
Great tips Cat! I think you hit the nail on the head about taking it seriously and treating it like a job interview. If a blog owner is taking their site seriously (which I hope they would) that'll go a long way to communicate your seriousness and ability. Creating that portfolio is a big one as well, especially as you're able to build it up and show diversity.
Thanks so much, John. 🙂 I feel like the more I treat it like a legitimate job, the more it will become one!
These are great tips. I'm sure it can be tough to start out, but once you get going the opportunities probably start coming to you. Thanks for the detailed how-to and congrats on being in the Huffington Post!
Great post. I will use these tips once I start looking for writer jobs.
Great tips! I never thought about adding that part in my hire me tab but I will now!
Thanks Tonya! I appreciate that!
These are wonderful tips. I was actually invited to be a staff writer without applying, but for the future these are really great and will help many!
That's the best kind of staff write job, Jules! Congrats!
Thanks for the tips Catherine. I wrote my first post for a popular website and it will be posted in a couple of months. I hope to continue writing for them. They found me so I hope it will be a lasting relationship. I've learned lots about my own blog posts just by reading how they set up their own posts. Everything with blogging seems to be a learning experience. We all make mistakes and hopefully learn from them. It's always nice to get feedback from those that write on a consistent basis as I hope to do some more writing in the future.
Congrats on your first gig! I'm sure it's the first of many!
Great post! So many great writer out there, I'm not sure if I'll qualify. As for the side gig, I sell stuff on Craigslist. I usually always sell about 2-3 items a week. It's not much, but it helps.
You'd be surprised! I think you should go for it!
Great tips, Cat! And thanks so much for clarifying the difference between staff writer and guest blogger. I love seeing your freelance career thrive!
I'm not sure I necessarily understand the value of a low paying staff writer position. Wouldn't it be more lucrative/fun to be working on your own blog? I get how guest posting can be valuable, but I don't see the benefit in this situation.
Awe some post! I'm always interested in how people make money online.
Good tips, Cat. I've thought a lot about writing content for other sites. I like to write and have a lot of knowledge on niche topics. Plus you and Michelle just make it look so easy!
Aw you're so sweet! Good luck finding a gig!
Almost all veterans of writing staffs agree that the hands-on experience you get at a publication is more important than your degree.
This is such a great blogpost!
Thank you for inspiring me to keep writing!!!
Happy to do it Monica!
Congratulations. You should be very proud of your achievements. Well done!
Great article Cat, I've never looked at the Pro Blogger job boards; I'll certainly be exploring these later!
Hey. I write on my wordpress.com site. If I apply for a writing post and say I write on WordPress and they look, couldn't they take it and use it without me knowing and say can't use me?
Do you mean if they just take an article that you've written for your personal site?
Catherine, this post is very helpful. I'm going to check out your course on the topic, as I just got my blog off the ground. Thank you for sharing your experience.
Thanks for this post. Good tip about not being talked into writing a sample post. I've done that a few times and it's a lot of work for little (if any payoff). I love the idea of looking at the "hire me" tab. I've always looked under contributors, but this is a new avenue for me to check out. Lately I've enjoyed finding gigs on Contena.
Hey Michelle! I'm a stay at home momma of a four month old, and have always had a heart for writing. My husband found your blog and it's been lovely reading so far. I'm currently a photographer, fiction writer, and blogger, but I (weirdly) love research and would like to enter the world of staff writing. How do you find the gigs? Do you query blogs you've come across?
Hey Emily! I found all of my staff writing gigs through my blog. People found my blog and then contacted me directly.


The $130 million project, opening the end of 2018, allows MGM Grand to grow with the needs of its clients and drive new and expanded business to Las Vegas. When completed, the conference center will total more than 850,000 square feet including a 22,000-square-foot expansion of Stay Well Meetings, the industry's first-ever wellness meetings experience.
MGM Grand's new space comes on the heels of expansions at sister properties Mandalay Bay and ARIA. Mandalay Bay completed a 350,000-square-foot expansion totaling over two million square feet while ARIA is currently adding 200,000 square feet to create more than 500,000 square feet at the resort (opening February 15, 2018). Upon completion of these projects, MGM Resorts International will offer a total of 4 million square feet of leading meeting and convention space within a two-mile stretch on the Las Vegas Strip.
The widespread development of new meeting space in Las Vegas is a solid indicator of the city's position as the number one trade show destination in the United States for 23 consecutive years, as determined by Trade Show News Network.
Event Photo Caption: (Las Vegas – January 30, 2018) – Topping out of MGM Grand's $130 million expansion of its award-winning Conference Center. On hand to celebrate this milestone were MGM Grand President & COO Scott Sibella, MGM Grand Vice President of Sales Ernest Stovall and MGM Resorts Design President Bill Ham and THOR Construction Chairman Richard Copeland.
MGM Grand Hotel & Casino is "The Entertainment Authority," creating the ultimate Las Vegas experience. The hotel features the astonishing KÀ by Cirque du Soleil; world-famous dance crew Jabbawockeez; Brad Garrett's Comedy Club; master illusionist David Copperfield; a flagship Topgolf location; and world-class entertainment at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. MGM Grand offers signature restaurants by celebrated chefs including Tom Colicchio, Michael Mina, Masaharu Morimoto, Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck and Joël Robuchon. MGM Grand is home to many of today's hottest DJs including Tiësto, Calvin Harris and Steve Aoki who share residencies between Hakkasan Las Vegas Restaurant and Nightclub and WET REPUBLIC, The Strip's hottest day life destination. The hotel also features a state-of-the-art, non-smoking Five Green Key conference center, the Grand Spa and an inviting six-acre pool complex. Upscale accommodations include SKYLOFTS at MGM Grand, an exclusive boutique luxury hotel within the hotel and The Signature at MGM Grand, a luxury all-suite, non-gaming hotel located adjacent to the main resort. MGM Grand is a wholly owned subsidiary of MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM). For more information and reservations, visit mgmgrand.com, call toll free at (877) 880-0880 or find us on Facebook and Twitter.


Be stylish and comfortable in the easy, flowy dress. Bra friendly straps are perfect for showing just the right amount of skin while giving you the coverage you want. Flowy bottom makes this dress effortless and relaxed while the keyhole back adds a bit of flair.


Did you know that Baltimore has its very own Little Italy? We've heard that the BEST Italian food in Baltimore can be found in downtown's Little Italy—check out the complete list of restaurants here.
We asked our friends and family where their favorite Italian restaurants in Baltimore area are, and they shared everything from pizza-only joints and family-style restaurants to mouthwatering upscale joints with date night-worthy atmospheres.
Here's a few of our top Baltimore Italian joints!
Top-notch pizza restaurants in and around Baltimore are not in short supply. Looking for hand-crafted pizza with fresh ingredients? Iggies Pizza takes "fresh ingredients" to a whole new level… they even make their own mozzarella, ricotta, and gelato in house. They just do pizza (well, and dessert), and they do it well.
Another standout choice for pizza is BOP Pizza (BOP = Brick Oven Pizza), voted "Baltimore's Best" on CitySearch.com from 2001 to 2008, for starters (...their list of awards and features is a long one)! While they're known for their pizza ("Lucky 7 White Cheese" and "Barbecue Chicken & Shrimp" pizza are standouts), they have a large menu that's packed with pasta dishes, salads, wraps, chicken wings, and a big selection of "extras" (like Pizza Skins, Breaded Zucchini Sticks, and Jalapeno Poppers).
Joe Squared boasts two Baltimore locations, and their Baltimore-bred, award-winning dishes are something to write home about. They feature coal-fired, thin-crust sourdough pizza, and if you love risotto, then you're in luck—they have 25 varieties on the menu! Plus, along with their meat-packed options, they have 10 vegetarian/vegan pizzas to choose from. Fortunato Brothers is another fantastic family-owned pizza joint option, located a bit farther out in Abingdon. Fortunato Brothers also has a wide variety of menu options from their signature pizzas to homemade pasta, sub sandwiches, salads, soups, calzone, stromboli, and more.
Bagby Pizza Company makes their light and crisp pizza dough from scratch using Italian flour. Their extensive pizza list includes unique combos like the Duck Confit & Pear Pizza (herb oil, duck confit, bosc pear, caramelized onions, blue cheese, dried cherry drizzle, parmesan, arugula), Tennessee Honey Chicken Pizza (tomato puree, grilled honey chicken, roasted red peppers, roasted artichokes, mozzarella, provolone, ricotta), and more. Pasta Mista has three different locations, and you can find a lot list of Italian specialities at this family-style restaurant!
Looking for a more upscale Italian restaurant? Try Facci Ristorante! This top-of-the-line dining experience takes pizza seriously—in fact, their imported wood burning oven was built by Neapolitan artisans (pizza originates in Neapolitan cuisine!) and reaches an intense 1000+ degrees. Facci is also home to an exquisite wine bar. You can find another upscale Baltimore Italian dining experience at La Scala. Chef and owner Nino Germano left Sicily as a young boy, and it is his goal to "provide great traditional, home-style cooking with quality ingredients and personal attention." La Scale has received a long list of awards and rave reviews from too many customers to count—and based on their dedication to quality and excellence, it's no surprise.