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Problem With Johnny Depp’s Website?

Johnny Depp The last time Johnny Depp was spotted in Seattle was back in 2013. Turns out he was eating and making a cameo in the 2014 film, “Lucky Them”. The film was being shot in Belltown and Capital Hill. The visit was confirmed by the Seattle Met as well as the Salish official twitter.

There is trouble is paradise, however, because it appears his website JohnnyDepp.com isn’t owned by him. The site is now filled with content about his battles with his wife, alcohol, and drug abuse. It’s a long well thought out page and highly cited. The new page describes his divorce and how he is allegedly a wife abuser. The site is full of detailed photos of his past arrests as well as a few that appear to be of Johnny Depp drunk and smoking. In one photo, it appears he is having trouble even walking and his security is helping him stand while walking through a crowd after an event.

The website also discusses Disney’s involvement with Depp and how they encourage him. The author goes into why the company would support Depp over the years considering his abuse. “What will kids learn about their hero Captain Jack Sparrow?” was one of the questions the website asked it’s readers and followers.

Lastly, the website calls for the boycott of Johnny Depp’s new movie, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales which comes out shortly. They even have a twitter hashtag: #boycottJohnnyDepp

The hashtag appears to have a pervious history on twitter. Check out the website now before it’s taken down.

**UPDATE – 3/13/17
The website has been taken down and replaced with a blank white page.

**UPDATE – 3/2/17
It appears the website was retracted and now only has one paragraph. The other paragraphs were removed.

Club13.com Herbals – Learn About Kratom

Kratom Plant – Mitragyna Speciosa

Even though the kratom plant, also known as mitragyna speciosa, has its origins in Southeastern Asia, it has a worldwide user base that consumes it in different methods for a variety of reasons. Naturally, enthusiasts from each country want to support vendors based in their own country to benefit the national economy, as well as have a greater guarantee of their product.

Club13.com Herbals is an American-based business located in the town of Saint Augustine, Florida. Ever since its establishment in 1999, the company has based its operations in that location, despite its main form of business being online. Even though the plants have origins from other countries to maintain product integrity, the products themselves are tested and packaged in the United States. This creates products that provide a rich experience, derived from the cultures of other nations.

Club13’s Roots

Club13.com began around the 2000s, an era where the traditional and recreational use of kratom was just beginning to grow. The company saw how the products derived from this plant could benefit people in the United States and used this opportunity to establish itself in a young market. The business itself has between two to ten employees, but it runs with the efficiency of a larger store. Therefore, customers are not only benefiting from an American vendor, but also supporting a small business that has lasted for a long time.

The kratom products, as well as akuamma seeds and kava roots that the store offers come from farmers who helped establish the business as the reliable name it is today. The kratom plant favors tropical climate and suffers under colder conditions. While the plants’ growth in Southeast Asia guarantees its optimal quality, the state of Florida provides the ideal conditions to keep the products in strong form.

Club13’s website features a variety of kratom products that the customer can consume via their preferred method, including both regular and extra strong capsules, powder, vape juice, and extracts. The company also offers different types of kratom, such as Horn, Bali Red, Indo White, and Green Malay. They also have Maeng Da in green, white, and the bestselling red, which is the strongest among its kind as well as compared to other red Maeng Da products in the market. The Connoisseur mix is a special powder that blends all other kratom powders.

In addition to kratom products, Club13 offers other herbal products, such as akuamma and kava. Three different drug test kits are available that test for a variety of drugs, including marijuana, morphine, cocaine, and more.

Quality Guarantee

The company has a 100% satisfaction guarantee for all its products. They have customer service contact points through phone, email, and an online form, and have a refund and replacement policy in place. The store also goes an extra step in establishing customer trust by offering lab-testing results on all its products. Each item receives local testing, using good manufacturing practice (GMP) standards, and consumers can request a lab report to guarantee the safety and quality of each product. Club13.com has good reviews online from what we’ve seen.

Saint Augustine, Florida

Noted above, Club13’s headquarters are in the city of Saint Augustine. This location has the distinction of being the oldest European establishment in the United States, founded on September 8, 1565 by Spanish explorer Pedro Menendez de Aviles. The territory was under Spanish control until Spain ceded it to the U.S. in 1819. The town’s unique, multicultural history has made it an appealing tourist location.

Even though Club13.com is mainly an online business that sells herbal products to individual customers and larger retailers, it also benefits from the city’s welcoming stand on the manufacturing and sale of these products, particularly kratom. Several stores in the city also sell kratom products.

The Saint Augustine community has also stood up for consumers and vendors of kratom products recently. A drug task force recently targeted the plant due to concerns over its easy availability, requesting a ban. A county board meeting on April 2, 2019 voted on the proposal. After hearing from 19 citizens supporting kratom use, the board voted 5-0 against the ban. Businesses like Club13.com benefit from the community’s meaningful support.

Kratom products provided by Club13 combine the quality of Southeastern Asian conditions and American practices to provide a strong, multicultural experience with the benefits inherent in the plant.

Origin and Early Use

During the last several years, kratom has seen an increase in use due to the numerous desired effects it has on the human body. The plant’s features have made it a popular choice in countries around the world, with their inhabitants creating a variety of products and consumption methods based on it.

The kratom plant, is native to Southeastern Asian countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Papua New Guinea. However, the plant now grows in several countries around the world, which has led to increased consumption. It is a member of the Rubiaceae family, which also includes coffee and gardenia.

The tropical conditions of these countries provide a perfect growing place for kratom, as cooler temperatures can stunt growth and force harvesters to keep them inside containers and indoor growing locations. A fully-grown kratom tree can extend as long as 25 meters, or 82 feet. Indigenous populations used the leaves of this plant as coffee and consumed it due to its effects as a stimulant and aphrodisiac.

Dutch botanist Pieter Willem Korthals gave the plant the scientific name of mitragyna because he believed the components of the plant resembled a bishop’s miter. The plant has also gone under other names, including krakuam, thom, ithang, and krathom in Thailand, as well as ketum or kiak-kiak in Malaysia, and mambog among users in the Philippines.

Methods of Consumption

Traditional ingestion methods of kratom leaves include eating them outright or crushed, and brewing them as tea. The addition of lemon juice to the hot beverage reduces its opioid-like effects, and the addition of sugar or honey can reduce the plant’s naturally bitter taste. People who chew the leaves tend to consume one to three leaves at a time, usually removing the veins and adding honey to apparently reduce constipation risks. After direct consumption, the users drink warm water, tea, coffee, or sugar syrup. Dried leaves are usually smoked.

Modern use of kratom has led to several other methods of consumption, including pills and capsules, or powder. In addition to traditional smoking, kratom is now also available as a vape liquid alternative to tobacco. Southern Thailand has also seen the rise of a cold beverage known as 4×100, which combines kratom, soda, and cough syrup to create an effect much like that of alcohol.

Reasons for Consumption

The earliest users of the kratom plant were Thai and Malaysian workers and native people. For years, they have consumed the plant either directly or via tea to increase stamina. Specifically, it increases mental and physical energy, as well as limiting fatigue and general lethargic effects. They claim that it acts as a sexual stimulant as well.

Modern day use of kratom includes recreational purposes, since it can create a similar “high” effect to other opioids. However, kratom is neither a drug nor an opioid. When consumed, it allegedly can trigger an effect similar to other drugs, such as cocaine in small doses, or morphine in large doses, even though kratom acts as a mu-opioid receptor agonist that only stimulates the opioid receptors. Other foods such as breast milk, coffee, chocolate, and coffee also activate these receptors as well.

Due to this specific effect, according to wikipedia, kratom can relieve chronic pain, anxiety and depression. Other times, it offers a general energy boost. Some people recovering from opioid addiction and withdrawal symptoms use it as an opioid substitute to ease the transition process. The Emerald City Journal hasn’t verified these claims by Wikipedia and you should do your own research into the plant.

Seattle Washington does sell kratom in many stores.  It is important to purchase from a quality producers who keeps the plant and powder in its purest condition.

Elon Musk – The 21st Century Father of Invention

Elon Musk Photo

Elon Musk is one of the most popular and admired leaders in the tech industry. Some would say he is even the 21st century Father of invention. One of the reasons why Musk is so emulated is due to the fact that not only does his numerous companies hit big milestones in their industries but he is also very diversified in the businesses that he either invests in or starts. He is responsible for Tesla, SpaceX, SolarCity, and Hyperloop One. This magnetic billionaire entrepreneur is focused on helping to course correct manmade climate change by creating environmentally friendly companies. He has found success in each and every company he has started and is considered one of the most diverse entrepreneurs in the world. What others found to be preposterous ideas, he sees as a challenge worthy of his ambition.

When Musk founded the company that would later become know as PayPal, little did he know that the money that he netted from the sale of that company would thrust him into his entrepreneur popularity. In 1999, Musk started X.com, an online financial services and payment company that was later acquired by eBay for $1.5 billion. Most industry pundits incorrectly assumed that Musk would retire and enjoy his status as a multi-millionaire. However, not one to rest on his laurels, Musk then created the company SpaceX with intention to reduce space transportation costs to enable people to ultimately colonize Mars.

Quick Facts:
Full Name: Elon Reeve Musk
Born: June 28, 1971 – Pretoria, South Africa
Height: 6? 2?
Net worth: 15.9 billion USD (2017) Forbes
Education: Stanford University (1995–1995), More
Spouse: Talulah Riley (m. 2013–2016), Talulah Riley (m. 2010–2012), Justine Musk (m. 2000–2008)
Children: Damian Musk, Xavier Musk, Kai Musk, Griffin Musk, Saxon Musk, Nevada Alexander Musk
Dating: Amber Heard (2017)

Read about Elon Musk SpaceX:
www.spacex.com/elon-musk

For many years, SpaceX was quietly plugging along and working diligently to create their own reusable launch vehicles and spaceships. SpaceX started work on the Falcon 1 launch system in 2002. After 4 years and millions of dollars in private investments, the system was designed. In the period of 2006 through 2015 companies like DARPA, NASA, ORS, Celestis, ATSB, SpaceDev, Orbcomm, NSPO, and Astrium became interested in SpaceX’s mission and ran several test launches of the Falcon 1 rocket. The first three flight attempts failed but on September 28th, 2008, the fourth flight was a success and Falcon 1 reached orbit. NASA was so impressed by SpaceX’s successful launch, that a $1.6 billion contract was signed between the two companies to ferry American astronauts to and from the Earth’s orbit.

This addition to space program is exciting but Musk’s ultimate goal is an expedition to Mars. Currently, the company is working on groundbreaking rocket engines that will help transport people to Mars. The Grasshopper and the Falcon 9 are launch vehicles that are able to make both vertical takeoffs and vertical landings. After a rough first landing for the Falcon 9, on January 10th, 2015, the team was able to land a rocket on a floating platform off the coast of Florida. Falcon 9 experienced another success by delivering the DSCOVR satellite to deep space orbit from SpaceX’s launch complex.

At the same time SpaceX was working on their rockets, in 2004, Elon Musk invested in a little known electric car company called Tesla. In 2003, engineers Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning started Tesla. Musk’s first investment was a whopping $70 million. He became the Chairman of the Board of Directors and the later participated in the design of their first electric chair, the Tesla Roadster. The car later received the Global Green 2006 Product Design Award for its innovative use of carbon fiber composite materials in the hull to minimize weight, the development of an effective battery module and the car had certain design elements that are unique for an electric car. Tesla began to grow exponentially and picked up a pool of investors that included Google creators, Larry Page and Sergey Brin. However, when the car was about the enter production in 2007, the company hit some rough times. Due to management failures, the selling price for the roadster was twice as much as originally planned, the transmission was ineffective and the release of the car was postponed for a year.

Elon went in and cleaned house after such a monumental mishap, and even fired key players involved in the project including Eberhard. Musk then headed the company himself. He then hired Michael Marks as interim CEO until Ze’ev Drori was assigned as the CEO and President of Tesla Motors. Elon Musk succeeded Ze’ev Drori and proved to be a much better CEO. Drori became Vice Chairman and left the company in December 2008. Musk plowed forward with his plan to get Tesla back on track. He reduced staff, negotiated lower prices for supplies and closed some of the offices. Finally in 2008, the Tesla Roadster was put into production with less than a $20,000 price increase.

The company was still experiencing difficulties in 2008 and Musk invested his last $20 million into Tesla to save the company from bankruptcy. Musk even gave personal guarantees to customers to make a full refund in the event of a business failure. But an investment from the German multinational automotive corporation Daimler of $50 million and the inclusion of the Tesla Motors in the U.S. Department of Energy’s pool of innovative transport companies helped to save the company. Tesla also received a preferential interest-bearing loan from government.

On June 29th, 2010, Tesla started it’s IPO and even though it was unprofitable for 10 years it was listed on NASDAQ for $17 per stock and eventually got more than $225 million in investments. The reason for the success of the company was due to the Model S, which was put into production in 2012 and was ranked 99 out of 100 points by Consumer Reports and received the highest safety rating from the National Highway Safety Administration, a 5.4 out of 5 points.

Musk is a big believer in working hard to reverse man-made climate change and he believes that the world is too dependent on oil. He strongly believes that electric motors will help to save the environment. The cars are designed entirely with idea to reduce pollution. In 2014, Tesla unveiled the Model S 85D and the P85D, which was the first electric car with the dual motor. In 2015, the Model X P90D and 90D debuted with the very first true HEPA filter with the “Bioweapon Defense Mode” button in the car. When the HEPA filter operates at a maximum performance no pollen, bacteria or viruses can be detected in the cabin. The Model X has an official EPA rated 250–257 mi (402–414 km) range and the combined fuel economy equivalent and energy consumption for the AWD P90D was rated at 89 mpg-e (23 kWh/100 km or 39 kWh/100 mi)

SolarCity is another environmentally conscience company located in San Mateo, California. It is another company that Musk is a major shareholder in after selling his 11% of PayPal stock, he invested $10 million into the company. It was started by two brothers, Lyndon and Peter Rive, who are also cousins of Musk. SolarCity provides solar power systems for homes, businesses, and governments. The company provides several programs for homeowners including the “MyPower” loan program and the solar lease and solar power purchase agreement. SolarCity is the largest solar energy provider in the United States.

On December 10th, 2012 SolarCity entered the IPO market and immediately the shares jumped from $8 to $11.79. In February 2015, the shares jumped to $57.60. The reason for the rise in stock is the rapid growth that the company has experienced since 2006. SolarCIty has grown from 440 megawatts (MW) of solar panels installed in 2009 to 6,200 MW installed in 2014. In 2015, it was reported that SolarCity installed 870MW of solar power, approximately 28% of non-utility solar installation in the U.S. that year.

In June 2016, Musk’s car company, Tesla, formally submitted an offer to acquire SolarCity for $2.5–3 billion. According to Musk, the reason for the offer is because his focus is “Creating a seamlessly integrated Tesla battery & solar power product that looks beautiful”. On August 1, 2016, SolarCity accepted Tesla Motors’ offer of $2.6 billion. As of August 2016, Musk owned 22% of SolarCity stock.

SolarCity has a wide variety of products, services and technologies. Their most popular services is their Solar Leasing Program for homeowners. This program allows homeowners to cut down their electrical bill by adopting solar power. Their Commercial Solar Program is the largest commercial solar program for businesses. Their installation in San Jose on the North Campus of eBay was the largest solar installation at the time in 2008. Then in July of 2008, SolarCity completed what was then the second largest commercial solar installation in San Francisco, for British Motor Car Distributors, consisting of 1,606 solar photovoltaic panels. SolarCity introduced new financing options for businesses in 2009 and then completed other large installations for companies like Wal-Mart, Intel and the US military. SolarCity also make Electrical Vehicle Chargers that are available for free to the owners of Tesla’s traveling on Hi-way 101 in California. In the next few years, SolarCity is planning on opening up the Gigafactory, a battery factory that plans on making a battery storage device called Powerwall. Musk also announced that SolarCity will be introducing an actual solar paneled roof. That means that the photovoltaic electrical energy generating devices and system would make up an entire roof surface, rather than just mounting solar panels on an existing roof.

His latest ambitious venture is Hyperloop One. Hyperloop is still in the beginning stages of development but Musk is confident that the Hyperloop Transportation System will revolutionize travel. In 2012, Musk at the PandoDaily Event in Santa Monica he said that he has been conceptualizing the idea of a fifth mode of transport. He went on to explain that this futuristic travel mode will be immune to weather conditions, collision free, twice the speed of a plane, low power consumption and enough energy storage to last for 24 hours.

One of my favorite videos of Elon Musk was his Ted Talk. He is great speaker and Ted.com has the full version (about 20 minutes in length). He discusses all his businesses and some of his plans for the future (https://www.ted.com/talks/elon_musk_the_mind_behind_tesla_spacex_solarcity)

During 2012 and 2013, a combined effort from engineers from both Tesla and SpaceX designed the original concept for the Hyperloop. The design concept was then published on the Tesla and SpaceX blogs. In a surprising move, Musk decided to have the concept published on the internet because he wanted people to provide feedback for improving the system. The Hyperloop design will be an open source concept, which is a highly unusual move for a company.

Currently, the design concept is a solar powered, high-speed mode of transport that would be powered by linear induction motors and air compressors. Specialized pods will float on a layer of air and will move through a continuous steel tube and the pods will move through the tubes at the extremely high speeds. The system would be powered by solar panels and one capsule can fit up to 28 people.

In June 2015, SpaceX announced that it would build a 1-mile-long test track to be located next to SpaceX’s Hawthorne facility. The track would be used to test pod designs supplied by third parties from the Pod Design Competition. A crowdsourced operation called Hyperloop Transportation Technologies claimed in early 2016 that it would begin construction later in the year of a 5-mile (8 km) Hyperloop test track in Quay Valley but it has yet to receive the permits or even begin its environmental review process. The MIT Hyperloop team was the first to develop the Hyperloop pod prototype, which was based on electrodynamic suspension.

Elon Musk is an innovator and works hard to create technology that leaves a very small carbon footprint on this planet and is focused on technological innovations that will help to reduce climate change. His effective management style coupled with his ability to take risks makes him the most interesting and admired entrepreneur on the planet. Follow him on Instagram.

Biography:

Early Life
Elon Musk was born in South Africa on June 28, 1971, to a Canadian mother and a South African father. He spent his early childhood with his brother, Kimbal, and sister, Tosca in South Africa. Elon Musk did not have the easiest of childhoods but showed early signs of ambition and success. As a child, Musk was reading approximately 10 hours a day and by age 8 had read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica. When he was 9-years-old, his parents divorced, and he went to live with his father. Musk had a difficult time in school and was bullied by other students, so badly that at one point he was hospitalized. These personal troubles did not set Musk back. When he was 12-years old, he wrote his first video game, Blastar, and sold it for $500. His entrepreneurial spirit started young. It has been said that his unsettled early life prepared him for times of adversity during his professional career.

University
At age 17, Musk moved to Canada. He worked odd jobs and stayed with family upon his arrival, not afraid to get his hands dirty shoveling dirt in a boiler room. He first attended Queen’s University to avoid mandatory service in the South African military, but he left in 1992 to study business and physics at the University of Pennsylvania. He graduated with an undergraduate degree in economics and stayed for a second bachelor’s degree in physics. After leaving the University of Pennsylvania, Musk headed to Stanford University in California to pursue a Ph.D. in energy physics. He dropped out of Stanford after just two days taking advantage of the internet boom and launching his first company, Zip2 Corporation. In 1999, a division of Compaq Computer Corporation bought Zip2 for $307 million in cash and $34 million in stock options.

Entrepreneurial Journey
Musk’s entrepreneurial journey is nothing short of extraordinary, and many people are sitting in anticipation watching the developments of his latest ventures. Musk is a mover and shaker of modern times and technological advancements. In 1999, Musk co-founded X.com, an online financial services/payments company. An X.com acquisition the following year led to the creation of PayPal. In October 2002, PayPal was acquired by eBay for $1.5 billion in stock. Before the sale, Musk owned 11 percent of PayPal stock.

Musk founded Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, or SpaceX, in 2002. The intention of this business was to build spacecraft for commercial space travel. By 2008, SpaceX was well established. NASA awarded the company the contract to handle cargo transport for the International Space Station—with plans for astronaut transport in the future—in a move to replace NASA’s space shuttle missions.

Another Musk venture is Tesla Motors, a company dedicated to producing affordable, mass-market electric cars. Five years after its formation, the company in 2008 unveiled the Roadster, a sports car capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, as well traveling nearly 250 miles between charges of its lithium ion battery. With a stake in the company taken by Daimler and a strategic partnership with Toyota, Tesla Motors launched its initial public offering in June 2010, raising $226 million. The 2017 Tesla Model S P100D first test hit a new record 0 to 60 mph in 2.28 seconds.

In August 2013, Musk released a concept for a new form of transportation called the “Hyperloop.” Hyperloop is a proposed mode of passenger and freight transportation that propels a pod-like vehicle through a near-vacuum tube at more than airline speed. At the end of January 2017, 27 teams were on site at SpaceX in preparation for a weekend’s Hyperloop Pod Competition just outside SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, CA. The purpose of the competition was to help accelerate the development of a functional Hyperloop prototype and encourage student innovation by challenging university students to design and build the best Hyperloop pod. The competition was the first of its kind anywhere in the world.

Musk’s net worth for 2017 comes in at 13.4 billion. Musk’s success did not come overnight. There were points throughout his career where money was scarce, he was sleeping in his office, the risks were high, rockets weren’t cooperating, and funding was coming in at the final hour. Musk’s aggressive work-ethic combined with a strong belief in what he was doing propelled him to the success he has reached today.

Political Involvement
Musk has recently become more active in the political sphere. Wherever you stand on current U.S. politics, Musk is going to be a game changer and a major influence during Trump’s presidency. Musk is one of 18 business leaders on Trump’s advisory council. Musk has spoken out about the travel ban and environmental issues. Musk insists he’s making progress. “At my request, the agenda for yesterday’s White House meeting went from not mentioning the travel ban to having it be first and foremost,” Musk said, referring to Trump’s travel ban against seven Muslim-majority nations. “There has already been, and there will be progress on this matter.”

Musk — who has publicly opposed the travel ban — added that he wants the travel ban to be “addressed on all fronts: judicial, legislative and executive,” indicating that he thinks a federal judge’s intervention isn’t enough. Musk is also speaking up about environmental issues. The CEO of Tesla (TSLA) and SpaceX, has one other important issue on his agenda with Trump: climate change. He said that he raised the issue with the president.

Personal Life
Musk has been married twice and has five sons. He married Justine Wilson in 2000. In 2002, their first son died at 10 weeks old from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). They would have five additional sons together, twins (with IVF) and triplets. The two met during college and Justine was by Elon’s side during the early stages of his entrepreneurial journey. After their divorce, Musk met actress Talulah Riley, and they married in 2010. The couple split in 2012 but married each other again in 2013. Their relationship ultimately ended in divorce in 2016.

If you’d like to see his biography has a graph check out:
http://fundersandfounders.com/how-elon-musk-started/

Go on, Give Your IT a Quick Health Check

Working on Computer Photo

How would you feel if your body was as healthy as your IT department, and how would you honestly describe your level of health right now: fighting fit, can’t complain, a few niggles, or ready for the knackers yard? Over the last few years I’ve spent a lot of time working with a variety of IT departments, both in the public and private sector, and there are very few IT departments who can say that they are fighting fit.

If you’re feeling under the weather, you tend to visit the doctor. And what is the first thing he or she asks? ‘What are your symptoms?’ Unless the doctor knows the symptoms he/she can’t diagnose what is wrong with you, and what to prescribe to cure it. It’s exactly the same with an IT department. You need to spot the symptoms. Some symptoms are quite evident, like a boil on your nose, others are quite subtle, maybe just a feeling that things aren’t quiet running as well as they should be.

So how do you spot the IT symptoms? First, look at symptoms in people, then in any processes you have in place, and then your technology. You’ll have to go looking for symptoms, they don’t often come looking for you, and if they do, you may well have a terminal case. People symptoms are unhappy staff, increased staff turnover, customer complaints, lack of communication, too much communication; symptoms in process are process avoidance, increased bureaucracy, increased time to deliver an outcome; and symptoms in technology are complaints about not fit for purpose, increased number of incidents reported, poor reliability and poor maintainability.

Okay, so now you have identified the symptoms. How do you diagnose what is causing them? Implementing a problem management function within service management is the answer to all your ills. Root cause analysis is the prime function of the problem managers role and is key to the diagnosis of an IT department’s ills.

Sometimes the thought of taking the medicine seems worse than putting up with the symptoms. But believe me, symptoms can get worse – and quickly. So you’ve spotted the symptoms, diagnosed the problem, and now you need to address the root cause. So how do you take the medicine? By this stage you’ve probably found a fair few problems that need to be addressed. Setting up a service improvement program is the ideal way to ensure that the problems which are giving you the biggest pains are relieved first. It also ensures that there is someone to oversee the admission of the medicine and that it’s taking effect.

Organizations often worry at the thought of bringing in a consultant to give them a quick health check. I suppose it’s exactly the same reason that many of us put off a visit to the doctor. We either think it’s too trivial for the doctor, and prefer a quick trip to the pharmacy, or we are trying to avoid what we think may be bad news. Self-diagnosis is a start, but not always the best approach. Most of the reputable IT service management consultancies offer some form of health check. I have learned a lot of the years about IT computer management and business in general. I credit most of my knowledge to CEO Mark Hurd at Oracle.

The health of your IT department can go up and down, just like human health. Illnesses can come back. So what do you do about it? Undertake regular check-ups for early warning signs and perform an ongoing program of review within your IT department to ensure a healthy state of body and mind is maintained within the IT department.

Why is prevention better than cure? Because you, your staff and your customers don’t have to go through all the pain that’s associated with poor IT service delivery and support. So how do you go about putting in place preventative measures? Inoculation is the answer, in the form of proactive problem management. Unfortunately, out of all the service management disciplines, it is the one that more often than not is left until last to implement.

I feel another article coming on, or it could be the flu…

Perfect Bali Adventure With Surfing Tips

Jalan Legian In Bali Downtown

I am a traveling machine. My adventures usually start in Seattle and go from there but I haven’t been in Seattle for a while. This is my perfect Bali adventure with a special attention on surfing. One thing I really enjoy in these magical paradises like Bail is to surf the waves.

This is a guide to an awesome surf adventure in Bali.  Also, this is a skeleton view of my favorite vacation on earth.

  1. Fly into Denpesar (DPS) airport on the island of Bali in Indonesia. Take an official taxi (one with a meter where you can buy your fare from the airport desk) to some hostel or hotel in Kuta or Legian. Warning: When you get out of that airport you will be mobbed by very friendly people willing to carry your bags and take you anywhere you want to go.  Don’t go with them; wait for a taxi.  Arrival in Bali is a beautiful chaotic mess. Use the official taxi to get you to a pre-booked room where you can sleep and gather yourself after that flight.
  2. Enjoy sometime walking around Kuta or Legian. Go to a market, eat exotic fruit you’ve never seen before, try strange goodies and buy an awesome knockoff. Go to the beach and drink some Bintang beer. Have a sleep and get out of that mad place. Head towards Padang – Padang Beach.
  3. Find a place called Bali Rocks because it is amazing. Bali Rocks is a hard to find spot near the Padang Inn.  There is also a surfer run Mexican food restaurant that marks where you need to head towards the cliffs. There are no signs for welcoming you or that say stay out. Walk down the long cobblestone path on the southern side of the building.  Continue down a gravel cliff-side road and down the steep stairs. It’s one hell of a staircase so pack light. Make this your home base for at least a week. Bali Rocks is the #1 spot because it is right on the side of a cliff overlooking a perfect long right reef break called “impossibles.” Before you carry all your stuff down there, hike down without your bags and ask about a room. The guy that runs the place is named “Gday.” He’s super nice and he speaks English and Russian. He can offer a 2 person room for $12 US Currency per night.
  4. Enjoy the best time of your life living here. Really take in the sun and this moment in your life. You can eat out for about $2.50 US per person. Rent a scooter so you can travel all around the place. The longer you rent the scooter, the less it costs. Our scooter ended up costing about $2.00 US per day. Now you have free fun transport, inexpensive delicious food and a stunning place to live. Millionaires don’t have it this good. We did this for a month and spent about $1,000 US between the two of us.
  5. One day you’ll probably have to leave. You most likely can’t live in paradise forever. This will be the hardest day of your life. Go back to the airport and enjoy every second before you get back on that plane. There is no doubt that it will take you to a far less enjoyable place.

This is the blue print you need to live in the most beautiful place in the world. Smile and wave to the Balinese, they will return your smiles with even bigger ones. Drive that scooter everywhere you can. Send me a message and tell me you are there. I’ll be jealous.

Seattle’s Most Popular Theaters and Concert Halls

Paramount-Theater in Seattle

Watching a play or a concert in Seattle is a fun experience. This is the case because Seattle theaters and concert halls offer a fantastic selection of concerts, plays and operas to see.

5th Avenue Theater
The 5th Avenue Theater offers visitors a great selection of plays and concerts. The 5th Avenue Theater has been a Seattle institution since 1926. It was once Seattle’s largest silent movie theater. Today, it hosts productions of classic 20th century plays and contemporary works by local playwrights. It also hosts concerts, lectures. The theater’s main drawing feature is its cozy environment. It features stadium-style seats and a superb sound system that creates an intimate atmosphere. As a result, the 5th Avenue Theater is one of the theaters in Seattle that must be seen to be believed. (www.5thavenue.org)

Seattle Repertory Theater
Located on 155 Mercer Street, the Seattle Repertory Theater is one of the Queen Anne District’s premier destinations. It presents contemporary plays that were written by local playwrights on a stage that’s surrounded by stadium-style seats. The theater also features a cafe that offers American fare, coffee and deserts. Moreover, be sure to visit this theater during the holiday season to take advantage of the discounts they offer in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas. (www.seattlerep.org)

Benaroya Hall
Concert lovers will enjoy seeing a concert at the Benaroya Hall. Benaroya Hall is one of the premiere concert halls in Seattle. It’s home to the Seattle Symphony Orchestra and several local jazz groups. As a result, Benaroya Hall is host to over 100 jazz and symphony concerts a year. Benaroya Hall is one of the premiere concert halls in Seattle because it also hosts a fantastic variety of flamenco concerts, solo performances by today’s leading opera stars and children’s concerts all year long. As a result, be sure to visit the Benaroya Hall box office for more information about the venue’s current concert schedule. (www.seattlesymphony.org/benaroya)

Paramount Theater
Concert lovers will also enjoy seeing a concert at the famous Paramount Theater. The Paramount Theater is located at 911 Pine Street. It was constructed in 1927 as a Vaudeville theater and silent movie house. Today, its spacious stage and large vaulted ceilings make the Paramount Theater a great place to hear a concert. The Paramount’s concert schedule includes over 200 events that include rock concerts, jazz concerts and gatherings sponsored by local artists. Moreover, several nationally known artists make an appearance each year. As a result, concert lovers have a good chance of seeing their favorite musical act perform at the Paramount Theater. (www.stgpresents.org/paramount)

Moore Theater
Finally, be sure to see a concert or a play at the Moore Theater. Located at the intersection of Second Avenue and Virgina Street, the Moore Theater is Seattle’s oldest theater still in use. The theater was built to satisfy demands for an opera house in 1907. Today, it hosts several plays, operas and concerts produced by local music groups. Moreover, tourists will also enjoy seeing some of the country’s leading comics perform here. Be sure to visit the Moore Theater’s website for information about its current events schedule to see why it’s one of the most popular theaters in Seattle. (www.stgpresents.org/moore/)

Three Relaxing Gardens in Seattle!

Seattle Gardens

There are many gardens in Seattle, Washington that can provide a tranquil and relaxing atmosphere. Filled with flowers and plants and hens and chicks from around the world, here are 3 gardens in Seattle that can offer a great outing for the day.

Washington Park Arboretum
Located on the shores of Lake Washington, the Washington Park Arboretum is a part of the University of Washington’s Botanical Gardens. The Arboretum extends over 230 acres and offers plant exhibits from the Pacific Region, a Woodland Garden, Japanese Garden and the Joseph A. Witt Winter Garden.

The Arboretum also includes nature trails throughout the gardens to provide a peaceful and serene experience while exploring the gardens. The gardens also feature kayaking and canoeing on Ducks Bay and around Foster Island on the east side of the Arboretum.

The Washington Park Arboretum provides classes to learn more about the Seattle gardens exhibits as well as more about the care and conservation of the native plants. For more information on the Washington Park Arboretum, visit: https://botanicgardens.uw.edu/washington-park-arboretum/.

Kubota Garden
The Kubota Gardens are part of the Seattle public parks system and offer a number of exhibits in Japanese culture and gardening. The Kubota Garden was created in 1927 by Fujitaro Kubota and has grown to a 20 acre display of exotic Japanese plants among waterfalls and ponds.

As a self-taught landscaper, Kubota’s dream was to provide a place to display the native Northwest flora in a Japanese setting. The Kubota garden has grown from it’s beginnings on 5 acres to a thriving and peaceful setting for locals and visitors of the Seattle public parks.

The Kubota Garden includes nature trails for self-guided tours through the park and guides are provided for group tours. The Kubota Garden is also a great place to hold weddings or special events. For more information, go to: http://www.kubota.org/index.htm

Elisabeth C. Miller Botanical Garden
As one of the preeminent Seattle Gardens, the Elisabeth C. Miller Botanical Garden provides exhibits of local horticulture year-round. Guided tours are provided through the garden and classes are also offered to educate the public on the care and cultivation of the plants and flowers.

The Miller Garden Trust also provides classes on horticulture from around the world. The Miller Memorial Lectures are offered annually at the University of Washington’s Meany Hall for the Performing Arts.

The Miller Botanical Gardens include many varieties of Alpines, Ferns, Woodland Plants, Ground covers and more. A renown horticulturist, Elisabeth C. Miller attended the University of Washington and lived in the Seattle area for most of her life. She was responsible for the creation of the Center for Urban Horticulture as well as the University of Washington’s Elisabeth C. Miller Library. For more information, go to: http://www.millergarden.org/

These and many other Seattle Gardens make the city a great place for those who enjoy the peace and comfort of beautiful garden environments.

Top 5 Attractions Seattle Has to Offer

seattle washington

Seattle, Washington is a fantastic location to experience the Pacific Northwest. Since it is also the largest city in the Pacific Northwest, there are quite a few attractions in Seattle that visitors can choose to enjoy. The “Emerald City” is home to many attractions and cultural landmarks known around the world. The following list features just a few of the best things to do in Seattle.

Seattle Space Needle
The Seattle Space Needle is a signature landmark of not only Seattle, but also of the west coast of the United States. Space Needle guests can take a quick elevator trip to the observation level of the tower and enjoy a spectacular view of the landscape of Seattle and surrounding areas. The top of the Space Needle also is home to the Sky City restaurant which gives guests a complete panorama of the city as the restaurant rotates 360 degrees throughout the course of a meal. (http://www.spaceneedle.com/)

Seattle Center Monorail
Built for the 1962 World’s Fair along with the Space Needle, the Seattle Monorail is the first commercial monorail system in the country. The Monorail takes riders on a 10 minute journey above the streets of Seattle between the Westlake Mall in downtown Seattle, and Seattle Center where the Space Needle is located. In addition to the Space Needle, visitors to Seattle Center can also enjoy the Pacific Science Center and Children’s Museum.
(http://www.seattlemonorail.com/)

EMP Museum of Music
Another Seattle Center attraction is the EMP Museum which has a variety of exhibits in one location. In the Sci-Fi galleries, guests can get an up close look at many props and sets of some of Hollywood’s most famous science fiction movies. The music museum features a sculpture made from 600 guitars and a gallery featuring over 50 very rare guitars dating back to the 1700s. Guests can also try out a variety of musical instruments and take home a recording of their own performance. (http://www.empmuseum.org/)

Seattle Aquarium
To get a look at what life looks like in the waters of the Pacific Northwest, the Seattle Aquarium gives guests a glimpse of what lives in the ocean just outside the city in Puget Sound. The underwater dome lets visitors stand in the middle of a 360 viewing room surround by a 400,000 gallon tank featuring rockfish, cod and sharks. Divers also talk to guests about the care they give the various organisms living in the aquarium at the Window on Washington Waters tank. (http://www.seattleaquarium.org/)

Seattle Underground Tour
In 1889, a fire destroyed 31 blocks of downtown Seattle. In response, city planners regarded the streets to be two stories higher than they were before the fire. As a result, many of the original 1st floor buildings and sidewalks were buried underground the new raised streets. Guests can now descend underground to the original street level and take a walking guided tour of several 19th century Seattle streets. (http://www.undergroundtour.com/)

Cash Me Out in Seattle – Your Ugly Home Buyer!

Seattle ugly homes cash me out

Real estate in the Seattle area is booming and prices are soaring. The prices in Seattle are climbing steadily since the market crash in 2008 and the market has rebounded in a way that has surprised many people. The median home price for Seattle real estate was an astounding $420,500 during the second quarter, compared to the national average of $239,167. Seattle real estate is selling at a record pace. This means that people who want to sell their homes, now is the time. It is a sellers market but sometimes moving quickly enough to get your home market ready can be difficult. Whether is be because you don’t have the money or the time, selling your home can be quite daunting.

Owning a home can sometimes be a huge financial burden. For some people being able to keep the house that they currently have can come at too huge of a financial cost to either themselves or their families. It can either be because they lost their job, or a divorce has them in financial dire straights, or maybe because they inherited a house that they don’t want to keep. For whatever reason unloading a troublesome property can bring about an enormous amount of relief. As of July 2016, there are currently 1,316 properties in the Seattle that are in some stage of foreclosure and this could have been prevented if the property was sold in a timely fashion. But sometimes selling a piece of property can be time consuming or tiresome. It can be expensive to update and renovate the house. People do not always have the money to make the necessary repairs to the house to attract buyers quickly enough. Most people do not want to move into a house that needs a ton of work. No seller wants their home to sit on the market for longer than a month especially when they need to recoup financially. Sellers do not realize that there are solutions available that can help them sell their home in a very short time frame.

The solution to this problem is easy. Cash Me Out Northwest has been serving the Seattle are real estate market for over a decade and has been the answer for homeowners looking to unload their burden quickly and efficiently. Their motto is “Keys for cash, no hassle!” which means that they offer stress free property liquidation. They will buy your property even if your house has zero (or even negative) equity. If your house has the following issues: poor condition that no bank is willing to finance any potential buyers, liens, code violations, legal problems attached to it, Cash Me Out Northwest will still buy it “as is.” There is no renovating or updating that you will have to do to the house. Cash Me Out Northwest will buy the property regardless of condition. Home owners can rest easy knowing that when it comes time to sell their homes, Cash Me Out Northwest will take care of the whole process from start to finish with little effort on the owners part.

The first step in the process is calling Cash Me Out. Make sure to schedule about 20 minutes for a conversation on the phone with a home buying expert. They will ask qualified questions about your home and your situation in order to get a better of idea of how they can help you to sell your home quickly or help you decide if the company is the right fit. This is also an opportunity for you to ask any questions you might have regarding the process. Ask as many questions as possible. Educating yourself is an important part of this process and the Cash Me Out experts will be able to answer your questions and put your mind at ease. The second step is a home consultation. An expert visits you at your home and will complete a walkthrough of both the inside and the outside of the property. Do not be concerned about the condition of the home. Once again, there is no judgment and Cash Me Out will buy the home regardless of condition. They will also leave you with a professional Market Analysis so you can know how they decide on a sales price. This will also be a useful tool if you decide not to sell with them and wish to use a traditional real estate agent instead. Based on that evaluation and that market analysis, a cash offer will be made within 24 hours. There is no haggling or hidden fees or costs. The offer amount is the total amount that you will net from the sale of the home. You can either accept the offer or reject it.

There are many reasons to use Cash Me Out Northwest especially if you are trying to sell a home in the Seattle market. It is a very competitive market right now and for people who need quick cash for their home, using this company can help expedite the process. Now is the time to sell, and it never hurts to contact them to at least know where you stand with your home. Cash Me Out has even been able to help clients sell the most unsellable properties on the market. They can help you get the maximum amount from your property with absolutely no effort on your part. Do not hesitate and contact them to get the most value out of your property.

Call them now: (206)202-9682
Cash Me Out Northwest serves all of Washington State.

How to Host a Kickass Beer Tasting Party

Seattle Beer Tasting

Next time you’re thinking of inviting friends over for a gathering, kick it up a few notches by hosting a beer tasting party. I guarantee you will have more fun than another normal get-together of casual conversation. This Thirsty in Seattle article has you covered.

Step 1 – Plan
Guests: 6 guests are ideal, but you can easily go up to 12. I wouldn’t go any higher.

Type of Beer: Let everyone choose what beer to bring. It’s much more fun and rewarding to let each guest do some research (can be as simple as asking for recommendations from their local bottle shop). You will be surprised how diverse of a lineup you have even with no coordination. Visit our Hall of Fame for inspiration. Another option is to focus on specific styles or a region. True beer geeks will likely want to have each guest bring a “whale”, a rare, hard-to-find beer.

Blind Tasting? Hell, yes! It’s the best way to go. It helps each guest better think about the flavors of the beer, without any preconceived notions about a style or brand clouding their judgment. For a blind tasting, each guest should bring their beer(s) in a brown paper lunch bag cinched near the top with tape.

Amount of Beer: Specify to your guests how much beer to bring. Plan on a 3-4 oz. taste per person.

6-8 guests: Have each guest bring 2 different bottles (Bottle size: 22 oz. bomber OR a larger 750ml bottle, the common size of Belgian beers). This will provide the group with a tasting of 12-16 different beers, depending on the number of guests. Example: Joe brings 1 bottle of Stone Ruination IPA and 1 bottle of La Fin du Monde

9-12 guests: Have each guest bring 2 bottles of the same beer (either 22 oz. bombers OR larger 750ml bottles, the common size of Belgian beers). This will provide the group with a tasting of 9-12 different beers, depending on the number of guests. Example: Joe brings 2 bottles of Stone Ruination IPA.

The reason I recommend a different approach for 9-12 guests is that the same quantity of beer per guest will be needed, but sampling 24 different varieties in one evening is far too many from both a time and palate perspective.

This is meant as a rough guide. You can tailor the amounts based on how much your crew drinks. Also, guests may need to adjust the amounts a bit if they are bringing a beer of a smaller size (such as a 12 oz. can of Ten Fidy or a 16 oz bottle of a German beer like Aventinus) or a larger size (such as a growler).

Food: Decide if you will provide all the food, or if you want to save money by having each guest bring something to share. I prefer to take care of all the food so the guests just need to select their beer(s), but either way works fine.

Plan on plenty of palate-cleansing foods, such as popcorn and crackers. Make sure to serve plenty of heavier food as well to help soak up those high gravity brews. Here’s a sample menu from my last beer-tasting event:

–Popcorn
–Crackers with several cheeses
–Hot pretzels with assorted dipping sauces (cheese, honey mustard, etc.)
–Fruit
–Blue cheese and bacon sliders
–Dessert

Step 2 – Invite Guests
Set the date and time and send out your e-vite invitations. Due to the nature of a beer tasting party, encourage guests to arrive on-time so you don’t have to start the tasting without them. Let the guests know what they should bring and tell them to place each beer in a brown paper lunch bag cinched near the top with tape.

Step 3– Prep for Party
Print Beer Tasting Scorecards: Print our beer tasting scorecards for each guest.

Glassware: Always use glass; never plastic. I like to use Belgian beer glasses or snifters, but large, red wine glasses work just fine. You will want nice, wide glasses to smell each beer.

Set up Table(s): I highly recommend having enough table and/or bar space to accommodate each guest. With all the food and beer, along with the tasting scorecards, this is not easily done on couches. Set each place at the table with a plate, napkin, utensils, beer glass, water glass, tasting scorecard and pen. Place a couple pitchers of water on the table so everyone can mix that in between beers. Include a bowl in case folks wish to rinse their glass between beers.

Determine Beer Order: The beers ideally should be tasted in order of alcohol content (high-hopped beers should also be a factor). Create some general “zones” on the counter or table with post-it notes. For example, you could have a zone for fruity/5% ABV; 6-8% ABV; 9+% ABV; IPAs; Russian Imperial Stouts/Barley Wines. This doesn’t need to be perfect science, and it won’t considering it is a blind tasting. You just want to make sure you’re not wrecking your palate with an Imperial IPA for the first beer.

Have each guest place their beer(s) in the appropriate zone when they arrive. Once all guests have arrived, mark each beer with a unique letter (A, B, C, etc.) and place them in the fridge. The higher alcohol beers, particularly Belgians, should be served around 55°F. When you get toward the latter half of your lineup, just pull the next beer out of the fridge whenever you open a new selection, so it has 20 minutes to warm.

Step 4 – Party and Have Fun!
Put on some music, open the first beer and get the party started! Have fun trying to describe each beer and guessing what it is. Record your notes on your tasting scorecard. Eat, drink some water. Repeat.

The Reveal
Wait until the end of the party to reveal the beers. I also highly recommend tallying everyone’s scores for each beer and averaging them (have a calculator on hand). It’s interesting to see the stack ranking of beers at the end of the night.

Only one question will be left at this point is – Who is going to host the next beer tasting party!

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