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|USS Hood
|Federation Starfleet
|reference stardate 2/3512
|active (2380)
The USS Hood (NCC-42296) was an Excelsior-class battleship in service to Starfleet in the 23rd and 24th centuries.
The Hood entered service on reference stardate 2/3512. (RPG reference: Star Trek: The Next Generation Officer's Manual)
Prior to Robert DeSoto assuming command, the ship was commanded by LedBetter. (TNG comic: Thin Ice). When DeSoto replaced him, Ledbetter assumed command of the USS Yorktown (TNG novel: Fortune's Light)
In 2359, the Hood was ambushed in a suprise attack by several Sindareen raiders, but managed to destroy them all. The Hood was heavily damaged in the attack. Repairs were expected to take two to three months in dry dock, but were finished over a month ahead of schedule. At that time, Lieutenant William T. Riker was transferred to the ship to become its first officer. (TNG novel: Imzadi)
Robert DeSoto assumed command of the USS Hood in 2361. His tenure as Hood's captain would last five years. (ST reference: Starfleet Operations Manual)
In 2364, the Hood traveled to Deneb IV to deliver several replacement crew members to the USS Enterprise-D, including Commander Riker who had accepted a position as first officer. Also aboard the Hood was Admiral Leonard McCoy who had been invited on a tour of the medical facilities aboard the new Enterprise. (TNG episode/novelization: Encounter at Farpoint; TOS novel: Provenance of Shadows)
In 2366, the Hood transported Betazoid mediator, Tam Elbrun, to the Enterprise-D so that Elbrun could participate in the mission to communicate with the Gomtuu life-form. (TNG episode: "Tin Man")
In 2371, the Hood responded to a distress call from the USS Voyager, when that ship suffered a propulsion malfunction during their shakedown cruise. During their rendezvous with the Voyager, both ships detected a Malkus Artifact in possession of the Maquis. Lieutenant Tuvok temporarily transfered to the Hood before infiltrating the Maquis in order to recover the artifact. The Hood followed the Artifact energy signature to Slaybis IV, where Maquis leaders Chakotay and Cal Hudson surrended the powerful weapon to Starfleet. The Hood transported the Artifact to the Rector Institute on Earth, and from there traveled to Starbase 96 to pick up supplies for Brackin's Planet.
Also in 2371, the Hood proceeded to Deep Space 9 to investigate the loss of communication with Bajoran system, along with the USS Potemkin, USS Exeter, and the Klingon vessel, IKS N'Gat. The task force found and engaged the Rugg'l, a Cardassian Galor-class vessel, in the system. The Hood helped in securing the Bajoran system. (DS9 novel: Station Rage).
In 2372, the Hood docked at Deep Space 9 for repairs. (VOY short story: "Letting Go")
The Hood fought in many battles of the Dominion War, including Operation Return and the First Battle of Chin'toka. During the latter engagement, Hood first officer Dina Voyskunsky was killed in action. (DS9 episodes: "Sacrifice of Angels" & "Tears of the Prophets", The Brave and the Bold) The Hood suffered heavy and repeated losses during the Dominion War, including the death of surgeon Keith Hughes's wife and young daughter during one battle; the loss pained Doctor Hughes enough that he decided to leave Starfleet in order to escape the violence. (TNG novel: A Time to Heal)
The Hood was to visit Deep Space 9 in 2376 to pick up an industrial replicator bound for Cardassia. (DS9 Gateways novel: Demons of Air and Darkness)
The Hood was one of the Federation starships sent to intercept the Scimitar in sector 1045. The crew of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E) was able to destroy the Scimitar before it could reach that sector. (TNG movie: Star Trek: Nemesis)
In January of 2380, the Hood visited planet Gorlak IX, where it discovered undescribed ancient machinery. Later that year, the Hood escorted representatives of the Trinni/ek to a second attempted meeting with President Nanietta Bacco. (ST novel: Articles of the Federation)
Following the Borg Invasion of 2381, the Hood responded to a distress signal from a planetoid which turned out to originate from a crashed Borg scout ship, and its newly-liberated ex-drones. Deputy Chief of Security Ensign Dmitri Nakahara killed the survivors. (ST novel: A Singular Destiny)
|Ships named Hood
|Federation Starfleet
|USS Hood (2240s) • USS Hood (Constitution-class) • USS Hood (Enterprise-class) • USS Hood (Excelsior-class) • USS Hood (Galaxy-class)
|Terran Empire Starfleet
|ISS Hood
|Excelsior-class class XIII-class XIV exploration cruiser/battleship starships
|Federation Starfleet
(primary universe)
|Achilles • Acrux • Agena • Agincourt (I) • Agincourt (II) • Ajax • Alamo • Al-Batani • Alliance • Anak • Antares • Aquila • Arcturus • Aries • Arizona • Australia • Bearn • Belknap • Berlin • Betelgeuse • Bill of Rights • Binar • Bismarck • Brisbane • Bunker Hill • Cairo • Canopus • Capella • Carpenter • Challenger • Charleston • Chekov • Chikuma • Cleveland • Columbia • Concord • Constitution • Crazy Horse • Crockett • Dallas • Darion • Dayton • De Mayo • Eagle • Enterprise • Excalibur • Excelsior • Exeter • Farragut (I) • Farragut (II) • Fearless • Fredrickson • Fuso • Galacta • Gettysburg • Gorkon • Grissom • Guirierre • Hancock • Hood • Hornet • Howland • Intrepid • Juno • Kirov • Kitty Hawk • Kongo • Lakota • Lexington • Livingston • Malinche • Matsumo • Melbourne • Missouri • Montana • New Jersey • New Zealand • Ohio • Okinawa • Orca • Paris • Pollux • Potemkin (I) • Potemkin (II) • Proxima • Repulse • Righteous • Roma • Roosevelt • Royal Oak • Ryujo • Slayton • Spica • Sussex • Tecumseh • Thunderer • Ticonderoga • Valiant • Valley Forge • Vega • Vena • Yamashiro • Yorktown • unnamed Excelsior-class starships
|Terran Empire Starfleet
(mirror universe)
|Excelsior • Punisher
The Excelsior-class Hood is an oft-mentioned TNG-era vessel, with differing details depending on the sources involved. When ILM's original Excelsior model was refurbished to be filmed for the pilot TNG episode: "Encounter at Farpoint", the decals were changed to read "USS Hood NCC-2541", although this feature was never visible on screen. By later seasons of TNG, the same USS Hood was often shown in computer readout screens as "NCC-42296", a registry that was also featured in the ST reference: Star Trek Encyclopedia and other licensed sources. By the next time the Hood appeared onscreen, in DS9, a modeler's error showed the vessel had not had its decals updated, and the hull bore the registry of the USS Lakota, the last ship that model had been used to represent. When the Hood was mentioned in the TNG roleplay module: Star Trek: The Next Generation Officer's Manual, it was sequentially numbered in the list as "NCC-2017".
|USS Hood
|active as of 2379
The USS Hood (NCC-42296) was an Excelsior-class starship in service during the 24th century.
In 2364, Hood, under the command of Captain Robert DeSoto, delivered several personnel to Deneb IV and rendezvoused with the USS Enterprise-D (TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint")
In 2366, Hood was assigned to patrol the Romulan Neutral Zone, then later delivered "Tin Man" mission specialist Tam Elburn to the Enterprise-D. (TNG: "The Defector", "Tin Man")
In 2368, Hood was deployed as part of Captain Jean-Luc Picard's blockade of the Klingon-Romulan border during the Klingon Civil War, and was one of the ships creating the Tachyon detection grid. (TNG: "Redemption II")
Upon the start of the Dominion War, while on patrol of the Federation-Cardassian border, Hood came under attack. USS Baldwin was the closest ship available, and was able to retrieve the crew and escorted Hood back to Federation Territory. (USS Baldwin: "The Find") Captain DeSoto was subsequently given command of the new USS Edmund Fitzgerald and passed command of Hood to James Trafficant. Kelly Petrelli was the ship's second officer. She moved over to the Edmund Fitzerald as Captain DeSoto's new XO. (USS Baldwin: "Wartime Productions").
Lieutenant Commander Vern, the Chief Engineer of the USS Phoenix, was transferred to the Hood in 2374, against his own personal preference. (Star Trek: Phoenix-X: "The Tilonian System")
The Hood played a part several in several campaigns, including, Operation Return, the first Battle of Chin'toka, and the operation to retake Betazed. The ship was a part of the Fifth Fleet's 10th Wing. (DS9: "Favor the Bold", "Sacrifice of Angels", "Tears of the Prophets", USS Baldwin: "Determined Warrior")
The Hood undertook routine patrols in space held by Khan Noonien Singh in 2376. During one of these patrols, Hood was struck by a subspace wave, requiring field assistance from the USS Baldwin. (USS Baldwin: "Blue Clear Sky")
The Hood also participated in the Battle of Sol against the Vendoth in 2376. (Star Trek: Swiftfire: "United We Stand")
By 2378, the Hood was a part of the Starfleet Third Fleet, under the command of Admiral Christopher Truman, and played a big part in the Coalition War. In 2381, the Hood participated in the Battle of Minark. (Star Trek: Pioneer (STP), "Torment and Woe")
In 2379, the Hood took part in Starfleet Battle Group Omega. (Star Trek Nemesis)
In the Pendragon timeline, the Hood participated in Operation Return, an attempt to retake Earth during the Federation Civil War.
In Star Trek: Liberty, Hood had been stranded behind enemy lines at the Dominion War's outbreak. Hood would join other stranded allied vessels to form the Thirteenth Fleet. (Star Trek: Liberty: "Tales of the 13th Fleet")
In the Starfleet Command (RPG) continuity, the Hood is a part of Task Group 10-2.
In a early version of the USS Baldwin story "The Find", the Hood was severely damaged, requiring Baldwin to torpedo Hood and leading to DeSoto being given command of the USS Edmund Fitzgerald. After later appearances in DS9: , the story was rewritten to salvage the ship, but DeSoto's reassignment, and the Edmund Fitzgerald, were kept.
|Excelsior class exploratory cruiser
|Canon: Al-Batani - Berlin - Cairo - Charleston - Crazy Horse - Crockett - Enterprise-B - Excelsior - Farragut - Fearless - Fredrickson - Gorkon - Grissom - Hood - Intrepid - Lakota - Lexington - Livingston - Malinche - Melbourne - Okinawa - Potemkin - Repulse - Roosevelt - Tecumseh - Valley Forge
|Other notable ships: Aldrin - Apache - Arlington - Athena - Barrington - Beachmont - Bill of Rights - Blackeagle - Bolsetu - Brisbane - Caldos - Cantabrian - Carpathia - Chesapeake - Constant - Crockett - Cunningham - Des Plaines - Dallas - Delaware - Denpasar - Excalibur - Forester - Heading - Jamestown-A - José Mendez - Kolno - Lovell - Mabo - Manila - Milano - Milburn - Minnesota - Normandy - Omaha - Palatine - Park Ridge - Pentok - Polyneices - Prospect - Regal - Resolution - Russell - Saladin - San Pablo - Sherman - Skyfox - Sunchaser - Tyr - Vasidrun - Yorktown
|Variant: Bismarck - Canada - Daedalus - Eire - Enterprise-B - Franklin - Immanuel Kant - Lakota - London - Midway - Miyazaki - Pacific - Scott - Shangri-La - Swiftfire - Tai Kamiya
|Mirror universe: ISS Repulse
|See also: Clemenceau - Curnow - Excelsior - Ingram - Joshua Paul - Leavenworth - Rothwell


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CitiBusiness / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Mastercard credit card: Lower cost, nice perks
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If you're looking for an American Airlines-branded credit card for your business, the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Mastercard® is one of two options available. The card comes with a $99 annual fee, waived for the first 12 months, and doesn't charge foreign transaction fees. It also has perks for a better airline passenger experience when you're flying on American Airlines, but doesn't have a way to earn elite status on AA. Let's dive in and take a look at why your business might consider this card if you travel regularly on American.
In This Post
Who is this card for?
The CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum card squarely targets businesses that choose American as their carrier of choice, since it offers a free checked bag and priority Group 5 boarding for up to four travelers on the same reservation. And thanks to the carrier's membership in the Oneworld alliance, businesses can use the miles they earn on the card to fly on AA partner airlines, including British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qatar Airways.
Sign-up bonus
Currently, the sign-up bonus on the CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum allows new cardmembers to earn 70,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first four months of account opening. TPG's valuations peg AAdvantage miles at 1.4 cents each, making this welcome offer worth $980.
American is one of the few airlines that still maintains an award chart, although the carrier is moving more toward dynamic pricing like Delta. But until then, those 70,000 bonus miles are enough to get you a MileSAAver round-trip award ticket in economy class from the U.S. to Asia (Regions 1 or 2), which covers Japan, Korea, China and Hong Kong.
Main benefits and perks
The CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum comes with a number of benefits that will be of use to business people who travel on American Airlines, including:
Free checked bag: This perk, valued at $60 per round-trip flight, is good on domestic flights for you and up to four travel companions on the same reservation. Using it for two passengers on a single round-trip flight more than covers the card's $99 annual fee after the first year.
Priority access: You and four travel companions on the same reservation can board American Airlines flights in Group 5, which comes after elite passengers but before the bulk of economy boarding.
Inflight discount: You'll get a 25% discount on Wi-Fi, food and beverages when using the card.
Companion certificate: Your business can earn a certificate for domestic main-cabin travel after spending at least $30,000 on the card during your membership year and each time the card is renewed (account must remain open at least 45 days after anniversary date). Note that redeeming the certificate has a $99 fee, plus between $21.60 to $43.20 in taxes and fees.
Dedicated help: You have access to personal business assistants 24/7 for help with travel, hotel and dining arrangements.
How to earn points
With the CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum, businesses earn 2 miles per dollar spent on American purchases, along with telecommunications merchants, cable and satellite providers, car rentals and gas stations. Your business will earn 1 mile per dollar spent on everything else.
Although the card offers more miles per dollar spent in those popular business-spending categories, other purchases such as hotels, shipping and office supplies aren't included and earn only 1 mile per dollar spent. However, you can give employees their own cards, allowing you to earn miles on their spending as well as your own. Also, unlike the personal Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ Mastercard®, this card doesn't have a way to help you earn Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs) toward elite status on American Airlines.
How to redeem points
American Airlines is the largest airline in the world, based on passengers carried. Together with its American Eagle subsidiary it operates 6,800 flights a day to nearly 365 destinations in more than 610 countries. When you add its Oneworld partners, that grows to more than 1,100 destinations in more than 180 countries.
That large network gives you plenty of chances to redeem your AAdvantage miles for flights. Plus you can get a bigger bang for your miles by redeeming them for off-peak or MileSAAver awards, along with the airline's Economy Web Specials and reduced-mileage awards.
You can also use your miles to buy an Admirals Club airport lounge membership, with costs ranging from 65,000 miles a year for an AAdvantage member with no elite status, to as low as 55,000 miles for an Executive Platinum member. But either way, you're only getting a poor 1 cent per mile when you redeem this way — you'll do better redeeming your miles for travel.
Which cards compete with the CitiBusiness AAdvantage?
For businesses with a lot of travel on American, the main competitor to the CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum is the Aviator AAdvantage Business Mastercard issued by Barclays. That card has a similar $99 annual fee, but unlike the CitiBusiness version, it is not waived the first year. The Aviator version also gives you a free checked bag, priority boarding, 25% inflight savings, a companion certificate after spending $30,000 in a cardmember year, 2x miles on AA purchases and 2x miles on each dollar spent at office supply, telecom and car rental merchants.
The Aviator AAdvantage has two advantages over the CitiBusiness AAdvantage. First, the Aviator currently allows new cardmembers to earn up to 75,000 miles — 65,000 miles after spending $1,000 in the first 90 days and another 10,000 miles when a purchase is made on an employee card. Second, the Aviator earns $3,000 Elite Qualifying Dollars after spending $25,000 on purchases each calendar year. That may help some business owners who are trying to qualify for AA elite status. Whether that's worth paying an annual fee for the first year is up to each individual business owner and their travel goals and needs.
If you're looking to earn a lot of travel points and miles, there are many other credit card options for businesses beyond the two AAdvantage business cards. The American Express® Business Gold Card with its $295 annual fee (see rates & fees) is significantly more expensive than the CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum, but features higher points in key business categories, more ways to redeem them and better business, travel and purchase protections. When it comes time to redeem your Membership Rewards points, you'll have more options than you will with AAdvantage miles, thanks to Amex's 19 airline and three hotel loyalty program partners.(Photo by Isabelle Raphael/The Points Guy)
Or if $295 a year is too steep, take a look at the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card from Chase, which allows new cardholders to earn 80,000 points (valued at $1,600, according to TPG valuations) after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months. You earn 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in travel, shipping purchases, internet, cable and phone services, and advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines. Earning points on the Ink Business Preferred gives you access to Chase Ultimate Rewards and its associated 10 airline and three hotel transfer partners, plus it only costs $95 per year, although that fee isn't waived during the first year.
Bottom line
You must be an American Airlines frequent flyer to get the most out of the CitiBusiness/AAdvantage Platinum Select World Mastercard. Even if you are, you'll have to earn elite AA status the old-fashioned way — by flying on American and its airline partners. For a card that targets business travelers, it's oddly devoid of the travel and purchase protections that come automatically with many other travel cards, including the Ink Business Preferred and Amex Business Gold.
If you're looking for an everyday spending card for your business, you have better options than the CitiBusiness AAdvantage card. However, if you fly American Airlines regularly, can utilize the free checked bag and priority boarding and want to redeem your miles on the Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier or its Oneworld partners, then there could be a place for the CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum card at your business.
For rates and fees of Amex Business Gold Card, please click here.
CURRENT WELCOME BONUS: 70,000 Miles
CARD HIGHLIGHTS: 2x miles on AA purchases plus 2x miles at gas stations and at telecommunications merchants, cable and satellite providers and car rental merchants. Get your first checked bag free.
*Bonus value is an estimated value calculated by TPG and not the card issuer. View our latest valuations here.
- Designed for businesses
- Earn 70,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first 4 months of account opening.
- First checked bag is free on domestic American Airlines itineraries to reduce travel costs and boost your bottom line.
- 25% savings on American Airlines inflight Wi-Fi when you use your card
- Enjoy preferred boarding on American Airlines flights
- Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles per $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases
- Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles per $1 spent on purchases at telecommunications merchants, cable and satellite providers, car rental merchants and at gas stations.
- Earn 1 AAdvantage® mile per $1 spent on other purchases
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

subset: commoncrawl


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Disclaimer: the first sentence of this post is deliberately provocative.
There are no papers by Robert Hooke in Philosophical Transactions. The Society's first curator of experiments is curiously absent when searching through the archive, by which of course I mean using a web interface and entering 'hooke, r' in the author field – a rather basic search that is nevertheless still more 'personal' (relating as it does to a human you've heard of) than the keyword searching most researchers now use to find new papers relevant to their field (such as 'biocompatibility', 'emergent behaviour', 'topology', 'metamaterials' and so on).
Yet, in the very first issue, there is a report of an observation made by Hooke, about an observation of Jupiter's Great Red Spot – quite probably the first in print – confirmed by Sr. Cassini some months later. The author of that article – and this is how he often related to others his absolute control of the journal – was the journal's first Editor, Henry Oldenburg. Not the originator of the idea, but its final communicator. The notion of authorship, like so much else in scientific papers and journals, has changed a great deal since 1665.
That is not to say that the originator received no credit for their work. Oldenburg never passed off others' work for his own, even going to the trouble of indicating the complex route by which he obtained information; showing off his crucial importance in the international republic of letters that laid the foundations for scientific publishing. However, Transactions was his alone. Strong editors in later journals there certainly were, but the fundamental difference was that journals eventually became vehicles for communication shaped from content supplied by others. The journal, the scientific article, and the process of science that these fundamental units of communication enabled, supported science as an international collaborative process that continues to this day.
Robert Hooke had a strange relationship with Phil Trans, and with Oldenburg on a personal level. He failed to make the connection between publication (in print) and having a solid claim on priority. He publicised his idea for the spring balance watch years before Huygens, in lectures, but didn't publish. Here, it was established that the printed word meant more than the spoken word, even if the speech preceded the print by many years. When Hooke took over the journal as Secretary of the Society, years after Oldenburg's death, he changed the name and the format of the journal, to Philosophical Collections. He organised the journal along themes, like a serialised encyclopedia, or (much more in vogue at the time) a commonplace book.
Despite his idiosyncratic approach to managing journal publishing, Hooke was a masterful communicator and collaborator with people at all levels. This served him well as surveyor of London after the Great Fire, as Curator of Experiments at the Society and as facilitator of associated scientific discussions related to experiments being demonstrated. Today, the committee that decides on the suitability of topics for scientific discussion meetings is called the Hooke committee.
Through discussion meetings, scientists at the Society have the opportunity not only to present, hear, question and challenge scientific ideas, but also to network and form new collaborations with other scientists. Increasingly such collaborations span geographic and disciplinary boundaries.
On 27 May, the Society is embarking on a new venture: opening up the questions and comments during a regular discussion meeting to online participants, who will be watching the meeting live over the web. The theme of bioinspiration is cross-disciplinary, harking back to a time when science had few boundaries. The papers have already been published ahead of the meeting in the Society's cross-discipline theme journal Interface Focus, to spark discussion among local and international online audiences. In this special anniversary year for scientific publishing at the Royal Society, we celebrate the link between discussion of the scientific work being presented and that of scientific papers already published. We also offer the opportunity for those first initial communications between scientists that could lead to collaboration and to better science for all.


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Pick Up Purrfect Wins in Lucky Cat
Cat owners may not feel that cats are a particularly lucky animal, unless it's a blessing to clear away bits of dead mouse ten mornings out of the year, but the folks over at Platipus clearly think they are. They have given us Lucky Cat slot, a cute Chinese-themed slot full of gold and pink, and a gentle, unobtrusive soundtrack to really give you authentic Chinese experience. It also gives you the chance to take home a whopping $200,000, and that's what we're really for isn't it? So let's find out how…
Starting from Scratch
Lucky Cat is a 5-reel, 25-payline slot that lets you wager between $0.01 and $2 on each line. Just remember that since there are 25 paylines, your line bet will be multiplied by 25. The maximum you can win in the base game is 700x your line bet, which you can do if you land five Lucky Cats on a payline. At the maximum bet of $2 per line, this would get you as much as $1,400 right off the bat!
Treats on the Side
Winning with Lucky Cat requires landing at least three matching symbols on any of the 25 paylines. The payments vary from one symbol to another, with the number of times they land on the payline also taken into account. This is just scratching the surface however, as an entire treat bag awaits you in the form of extras and bonuses, thanks to a number of special symbols:
- Wild – This flower-strewn WILD symbol substitutes for any other symbol to make a winning combination. However, it cannot substitute for the Scatter or Bonus symbols.
- Scatter – This is the pink lotus flower. Landing this at least three Scatters will award a cash prize according to your bet and how many you land – three Scatters will get you 2x your total bet while five will get you 200x your total bet! So if you wagered the max bet of $50, you will win a massive $10,000!
- Bonus – The golden coin is the bonus symbol, and it rewards with free spins. Landing six bonus symbols will trigger the re-spin feature, beginning with three and increasing with the number of gold coins you collect.
Landing on Your Feet
To claim the jackpot prizes, you must land at least three coins that indicate the same jackpot amount. To win the Grand Jackpot you must fill up the entire grid with gold coins on your free spins and bet the max $2 per line. However, manage this and you could be walking away a showstopping $200,000 richer.
Head over to BitStarz now to test out Lucky Cat slot for free before putting in a cent, and if you end up buying a pedigree cat in the wake of a massive win, may we recommend the name BitStarz? It would be quite fitting, don't you think?


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You need help saving your marriage, but your husband refuses to see a counselor. These tips on how to get him to go to marriage counseling will help you move forward.
One More Try: What to Do When Your Marriage Is Falling Apart by Gary D Chapman is an excellent book to read if you know your husband will never see a marriage counselor. Chapman says that marriage problems – or even separation – does not necessarily mean divorce is imminent. Actually, separation may even lead to a restored, enriched, growing marriage. The outcome of this time of transition is determined solely by you and your husband. If you're willing to make the most of that process, read this step-by-step book that will take you towards healing and hope for your marriage.
I love Anthony Storr's quotation about marriage and happiness: "If we did not look to marriage as the principal source of happiness, fewer marriages would end in tears." If you're scared your relationship will end in tears, read How Do You Know When Your Marriage is Over?
Marriage relationships can get extremely complicated because we let things pile up and up and up, without dealing with them properly. We don't take care of problems or solve conflicts when they come up. We let things build until they're super-emotional and suffocating…and then we feel overwhelmed at the amount of work we have to do.
I'm a firm believer in marriage counseling; my husband and I did two pre-marital courses (one through the Catholic Church, one through a marriage mentoring program). Then, a couple years after we got married, we went to a counselor for a tune-up. That was six years ago. My husband would go to marriage counseling again if I wanted, but I don't feel like we have issues big enough to discuss with a counselor. I'd like to go on a marriage retreat or a marriage encounter weekend.
And that's the problem! I wrote, "I don't feel like we have issues big enough to discuss with a counselor." It's the truth, but it's a problem because those little issues that I don't think are a big deal have the potential to become huge problems in our marriage.
How to Get Your Husband to Go to Marriage Counseling
These tips won't work on all husbands – you need to figure out what motivates your husband to make healthy choices and to sacrifice his own comfort for the sake of the marriage. These are just a few ideas on how to encourage your husband to see that marriage counseling is a healthy choice that will give him a happier life.
Learn how counseling prevents physical and emotional health problems
"When spouses have a bad day, in a happy marriage, they're more likely to support each other and empathize with each other," says BYU family life researcher Rick Miller in research study that will be published in this month's issue of the Journal of Marriage and Family. "That support reduces stress and helps buffer against a decline in health."
A happy, positive marriage can sustain your physical and emotional health over the long run. Marriage problems and unresolved conflict puts you and your spouse at risk for poor health. If you have existing health conditions, such as diabetes or chronic illness, then you're may be letting it get worse if you don't take care of your marriage.
Will therapy help? Read 4 Signs Marriage Counseling Will Improve Your Relationship.
Happily married spouses encourage one another to stay current on doctor's appointments, sleep better, drink less and participate in healthy activities. Previous research studies show that meaningful relationships help individuals live longer. They have a greater sense of purpose, and take fewer unhealthy risks.
"Couples that fight or argue frequently should get professional help to reduce their conflict because it is affecting their health," says Miller. In fact, he hopes the increasing research on the importance of marriage catches the attention of policy makers. Why? He believes health insurance should cover marriage counseling because it can help shore up marriage and prevent future health problems.
Ask him for 3 reasons why he doesn't want to go to marriage counseling
My husband recently took a layoff package from work, and we're both a bit anxious about our future! We owe hundreds of thousands of dollars on the house, and live in a very expensive city (Vancouver, BC). But when we talked through our "fears" we realized that we have nothing to be scared of. We can handle the mortgage payments for awhile, and he can go back to bar tending (he is a geologist) if he needs to.
How does this related to getting your husband to go to marriage counseling? It's all about talking through the reasons he doesn't want to go, not just his reluctance. Ask if he can share three reasons he doesn't want to go to marriage counseling. Don't argue with his reasons; just listen. Don't shoot him down or criticize him; just listen.
Knowing his reasons may or may not get your husband to marriage counseling, but it may open some doors in your relationship. You may learn more about him, which may change how you communicate with him.
Don't let your husband stop you from getting counseling
I often encourage readers to go for counseling on their own if their husbands won't go. You can gain a great deal of insight and information into your marriage even if it's just you – and you'll get healthier, stronger, and better able to make important decisions about your future. Plus, your husband may see the changes in you and decide he wants to take part.
Maybe the best way to get your husband to go to marriage counseling is to just start going on your own! It really depends on your husband's personality, lifestyle, motivation, etc.
Try a marriage coach (not counselor)
Another option is online marriage coaching. It's less expensive than marriage counseling, and doesn't have the same stigma as sitting in front of a therapist. Mort Fertel is a marriage coach who offers free advice and a free marriage assessment – his information is just below. He offers 7 secrets to a happy marriage, which is both free and helpful.
Would this research finding – that a happy marriage makes you healthier – convince your husband to go to marriage counseling? I welcome your thoughts on marriage counseling below, but I can't offer advice.
For more tips on couples therapy, read 4 Reasons Marriage Counseling Leads to Divorce.
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Source of the quotes and research info on marriage counseling: Happily married means a healthier ever after.