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Shoe Repairs And Several Other Things When I Was 7

Shoe Repairs And Several Other Things When I Was 7
My Dad repaired most of our shoes believe it or not, I can hardly believe it myself now. With 7 pairs of shoes always needing repairs I think he was quite clever to learn how to “Keep us in shoe Leather” to coin a phrase!

He bought several different sizes of cast iron cobbler’s “lasts”. Last, the old English “Laest” meaning footprint. Lasts were holding devices shaped like a human foot. I have no idea where he would have bought the shoe leather. Only that it was a beautiful creamy, shiny colour and the smell was lovely.

But I do remember our shoes turned upside down on and fitted into these lasts, my Dad cutting the leather around the shape of the shoe, and then hammering nails, into the leather shape. Sometimes we’d feel one or 2 of those nails poking through the insides of our shoes, but our dad always fixed it.

Hiking and Swimming Galas
Dad was a very outdoorsy type, unlike my mother, who was probably too busy indoors. She also enjoyed the peace and quiet when he took us off for the day!

Anyway, he often took us hiking in the mountains where we’d have a picnic of sandwiches and flasks of tea. And more often than not we went by steam train.

We loved poking our heads out of the window until our eyes hurt like mad from a blast of soot blowing back from the engine. But sore, bloodshot eyes never dampened our enthusiasm.

Dad was an avid swimmer and water polo player, and he used to take us to swimming galas, as they were called back then. He often took part in these galas. And again we always travelled by steam train.

Rowing Over To Ireland’s Eye
That’s what we did back then, we had to go by rowboat, the only way to get to Ireland’s eye, which is 15 minutes from mainland Howth. From there we could see Malahide, Lambay Island and Howth Head of course. These days you can take a Round Trip Cruise on a small cruise ship!

But we thoroughly enjoyed rowing and once there we couldn’t wait to climb the rocks, and have a swim. We picnicked and watched the friendly seals doing their thing and showing off.

Not to mention all kinds of birdlife including the Puffin.The Martello Tower was also interesting but a bit dangerous to attempt entering. I’m getting lost in the past as I write, and have to drag myself back to the present.

Fun Outings with The camera Club
Dad was also a very keen amateur photographer, and was a member of a camera Club. There were many Sunday photography outings and along with us came other kids of the members of the club.

And we always had great fun while the adults busied themselves taking photos of everything and anything, it seemed to us. Dad was so serious about his photography that he set up a dark room where he developed and printed his photographs.

All black and white at the time. He and his camera club entered many of their favourites in exhibitions throughout Europe. I’m quite proud to say that many cups and medals were won by Dad. They have been shared amongst all his grandchildren which I find quite special.

He liked taking portraits of us kids too, mostly when we were in a state of untidiness, usually during play. Dad always preferred the natural look of messy hair and clothes in the photos of his children.

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Advertising in the Age of Google Empire: Killing Off Big Media Dinosaurs for Your Profit

Here’s a bold claim. Whatever your business, whether it’s brand new or well established, whether you live in America, on the Continent, and almost everywhere on the globe, Google and Google AdWords affects you today and will, in all likelihood, affect you even more in the future.This is not an exaggeration, simply a statement of fact.Just two decades ago, only a few people on the globe had ever heard of the World Wide Web. Originally governmentally funded solely for things like noncommercial research and enhanced networking capabilities for universities and governmental agencies, including NASA, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and the military, the world of communications and information exploded almost instantaneously in 1992 when the United States Congress opened it to commercial activity.Most Americans’ first experience with the Web came about with the peculiar, but very useful, little communication tool called email and the development of online tools and the first search engines like AOL, Netscape, even Yahoo. But, in point of fact, for most folks it was merely a fun novelty until two bright Stanford students, one born in the U.S.A. and the other an immigrant from Russia, set the internet world on its head. The world knows their work as Google.Like an electronic tidal wave, it submerged its competitors. Seventy percent of all global searches are made on Google. Every continent, nation, and city on the planet in hundreds of languages, including Klingon for Star Trekkers.”All very interesting”, you might say, “but I thought this was supposed to be about how Google advertising affects me”. To which I say: “Two words: Google AdWords.”Here’s the real deal you need to know. Even if you aren’t advertising your business with AdWords, your competitors are, to your business disadvantage.Don’t take my word for it. Consider: “We’re not in the business of keeping the media business alive… we’re in the business of connecting with consumers.” Trevor Edwards, Corporate V.P., Nike, Inc.Maybe you ought to ask yourself whether continuing to spend thousands and thousands of dollars for so little return on your investment makes sense when there’s a better way of getting customers. Think about the antiquated marketing model, you know, the one we all grew up with: radio, television, signs and posters, newspapers and fliers, magazines, billboards, Yellow Pages, and more. So expensive, so inefficient spreading your advertising marketing message far and wide instead of targeted messages to your real audience. Such a waste of your valuable marketing budget.Thousands, tens of thousands, sometimes way more, of dollars given to Big Media, making it rich and you, well, not so much. Can you keep throwing your money down an advertising hole? That sucking sound you hear is your valuable dollars, pounds, euros, dinero in the black abyss of old-style advertising. Sure, Big Media was once the mightiest economic dinosaur of all but, like its ancient reptilian ancestors, it awaits its cruel fate.You may be concerned about the risks of making dramatic changes in your approach to marketing but it is better to concentrate instead on the risks inherent in failing to make the changes necessary to compete for the modern consumer.We all know that many otherwise-smart companies remain mired in prehistoric marketing methodologies. If you’re hesitant, think about the fate of the dinosaurs, your competitors, and Big Media. Dinosaurs from long ago, competitors of today, Big Media. Carnivores all.How can you possibly compete in the face of all that? Simple: level the advertising playing field with the revolutionary Google pay per click model, still in its infancy, but already so powerful that it already reaches 85% of the world’s markets. 85%! Hundreds of countries, every imaginable language, every imaginable market. All not only affordable (you pay only for clicks on your ads), but once you understand the techniques for writing AdWords ads, you can set your marketing campaigns around your budget, compete with the Big Boys of commerce on your terms, and dramatically increase your customers through targeted ads.There is no exaggeration here. Just a decade old, AdWords advertising is the marketing meteor that, having flamed to earth, is killing off the Big Media dinosaurs. It’s almost everywhere. You see it every time you, and hundreds of millions of others, search Google. It’s probably on your cell phone and certainly on your Gmail. It’s on every YouTube video, not to mention over a million (!) commercial websites. Imagine your AdWords ad in the New York Times, Fox.com, or Sportsillustrated.com! And, now on Google TV which some are predicting will be more than a hundred billion dollar market.Plain fact is that, whether you’re a professional like a doctor or lawyer, own a brick and mortar or virtual store, a contractor or plumber or other service provider, student, housewife or househusband who wants to work at home to make a bit more money, AdWords already affects you. If you’re not in the online marketing game, know this: your competitors are.Your choice is stark. Be in the business of keeping Big Media advertising on life support… at your expense… or get in the business of connecting with customers in today’s world.

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Achieving Optimum Health and Harmony of Its Dimensions

Being healthy is a basic requirement in order to fully appreciate the good things around us and be inspired to work for the realization of our dreams and goals. It is a fundamental necessity to earn a living in order to survive. When you are not healthy, your routine activities are disrupted. Medical news show that discomforts caused by annoying bodily disturbances or by nagging problems result in persistent unhappy moods that may drain your capacity to cope and adjust.But then, how do you know you are healthy? Perhaps you may consider yourself healthy but are considered unhealthy by another. You may have your own idea of what characterizes a healthy person. It is indeed better if everyone has a common basis for determining when a person is truly healthy. What then are the qualities that one must have in order to be considered healthy?To determine the status of your health, you should look into the six dimensions of your life which is the physical, mental, emotional, social, vocational and spiritual dimension. These six dimensions will give ideas to ascertain the level of health. Medical journals say that all these are expected to interact in conformity with each other. Any disorder involving one dimension may affect other dimensions.Physical health involves the different systems of the body. All the body mechanisms are expected to operate harmoniously to be considered fit in meeting the demands of daily activities. Each system should monitor the functioning of the organs to make the necessary adjustment in order to maintain balance. For example, when you are suffering from loose bowel movement, the other organs that release water such as the sweat gland and the kidneys will be called upon to conserve water to prevent dehydration.Mental and emotional health can be seen as your way of looking at your ability to perform your task and face problems in an appropriate manner. It is also the capacity to make and apply good decisions and at the same time feel good inside. If you possess mental and emotional health, you are optimistic in life and are appreciative of the things around you. You can also accept disappointments with courage and composure. Social health includes your ability to get along with others and create a relaxed atmosphere by being sensitive and responsive to the needs of others.Vocational health applies to your behavior and attitude in carrying out the duties and obligations of your chosen career. As an adult, you should consider your attitude in doing your responsibilities as a worker in preparation towards gaining financial independence in the future. Spiritual health is also another important dimension. Any disturbance in the operation of the other dimensions may still be handled as long as spiritual health is maintained.All these dimensions overlap and interact with one another. Therefore, to be in the best of health and experience fulfillment in life, you should see to it that all these dimensions work cooperatively to attain balance. Be alert with the latest health news and what you can do to maintain optimum health. To achieve this, you have to accept the responsibility of looking after your own health to live longer and at the same time experience satisfaction and happiness.