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09 Feb Cry-baby: Seeking emotional stability
I was known as the crybaby of the family so much so that it earned me the nickname "cry-baby," and I hated it. My feelings were hurt, but I never learned how to effectively communicate that, so I resorted to yelling or using my hands as a way to show my disdain for the teasing. After years of being bullied, I stopped crying. When I was hurt, I never showed or told anyone; My moods switched to autopilot, and I was on a consistent false ok. I found out later that this wasn't healthy. I was killing myself – burying my feelings inside only to find out that they were resurfacing in other areas of my life. I didn't know how to talk about my feelings, so I didn't, and this inevitably led to a deep depression which took me years to overcome.
The truth is I still struggle with showing emotions, but I have my moments – away from the world, away from people, in my room, alone- where no one can see me – where no one can point their finger and laugh at me, where no one can recall my tears because I don't want anyone to remember me in pain and use it against me. I've become numb to the pain. I've learned to move on automatic, never coming up for air, never stopping to feel, never stopping to refuel. I'm running on empty. My past continues to haunt me in my adult-life but if you're like me, you don't want to be held hostage anymore, so you find that you have to unlearn some things you were taught, deprogram yourself, forgive those who hurt you and begin to download new information into your brain which allows you to break out of the chains that have held you hostage for so many years.
I've also learned that because I was emotionally unstable as a child, I undervalued myself. You may not think this is correlated, but let me explain. Think about every situation you thought you were being strong in and tell me if you now think that you were being stupid (not to offend you) or if you were being strong. I used to think that I was strong until I actually became strong. I look back and I think about some decisions I've made – what was I thinking? There are some things that we've been conditioned to believe makes us strong – like staying with a man who cheats. Now, I'm not saying staying makes you weak, but it also depends on who you're talking to. It's all about perspective. You might say that staying and dealing with his/her mess makes you strong because many of us couldn't and wouldn't. Others might think that you're being weak because you don't think you deserve better – you've become numb to the pain, you've invest all of these years, so you stay for the sake of not being alone. You're on autopilot. You're in constant pain, but you don't have the words or the strength to verbalize it.
The point of this story is to show you how being bullied as a child affected my ability to show emotion, not towards others, but towards myself and because of this, I ignorantly associated crying with being weak thus, allowing me to make many decisions that did not meet God's standards for my life.
The truth is many of us are only doing what we were taught. I learned to stop crying – "you're so sensitive" is what they said to me. What makes being sensitive weak? In fact, we're created to be sensitive – God what do you want me to do with alls of these senses that you so freely gave to me? I'm sure he'd want me to use them. You know He's not a God Who likes to waste. Try having that conversation with God and watch him correct, renew, and transform you into the person He has called you to be.
I hope this admission will help others be free. Identify the areas in your life that have held you back, where you've allowed the pain of your past to take root and grow, where you've allowed the smell of defeat to fester, where you've allowed people who are no longer in your life to still have control over your daily actions. It's time to clean house, to remove the unstable foundation that was laid by people who did not know who God created you to be, to cut off every branch that has been and continues to be unfruitful, and to lay a firm foundation on a rock that cannot be broken.
Are we really being strong if we aren't conquering our weaknesses? Are we really being strong if we aren't identifying which areas we're weak in and working to build strength? Are we really strong? We've all been asked the question – what are your strengths and weaknesses. Instead of waiting for someone to ask you the question in an interview, try asking yourself the question first, and apply the question to all areas of your life, not just to your professional life. Next, TAKE ACTION. Work to improve every area, not just the weak areas, but even the strong areas. God has called you to be excellent, and He's not giving up until You've become all that you were created to be.
Be blessed. Be strong. Be sensitive.


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Squire will automatically show you qualified shops based on your location and prerequisite filtering options. You also have the option of manually searching for individual shops.
After you handpick your barber and service, select a time slot that fits your schedule. Securely pay and tip with your card on file to reserve your chair.
Arrive at your scheduled appointment time, skip the queue, sit in the barber chair and relax.
Quality over quantity matters. That's why we partner with the best barbershops in the city and handpick the best of the best to be featured on the App. Enjoy the luxury and ease of having your pick of the finest barbers waiting for you at your fingertips.GET A HAIRCUT NOW
We value your time, which is why our users no longer have to spend all day in the barbershop waiting for their turn. Squire makes the whole process quick and easy from the time you open the app to the time you leave the barbershop.GET A HAIRCUT NOW
No more cash transactions at the barbershop! Simply link a card to your Squire profile that way you can securely pay for your service and leave a tip with a single tap.GET A HAIRCUT NOW

subset: commoncrawl


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Young Ambassadors Council (YAC)
The Young Ambassadors Council (YAC), launched in 2013, is a network of young professionals dedicated to TFTGC's mission. YAC members are engaged in addressing issues of critical importance to TFTGC, as well as contributing to the growth and development of the organization. The YAC supports TFTGC through fundraising, awareness, and volunteer efforts to diversify the organization's reach to the local community and its young people.
- Build awareness of TFTGC's mission
YAC members are community ambassadors that promote TFTGC and its programs to individuals, businesses, and organizations that may be interested in supporting TFTGC.
- Secure philanthropic support
YAC members support TFTGC financially to ensure the organization's growth and sustainability.
- Provide volunteer support
YAC members support TFTGC by volunteering their time to support programs.
- Recruit fellow young professionals
YAC members help recruit fellow young professionals to serve as supporters, volunteers, and YAC members.
- Be a young professional living in Greater Charleston (between the age 21 to 45)
- Contribute annual membership fee of $150 (tax deductible)
- Volunteer for a minimum of one Outreach event, serve on the board or an event committee
- Attend quarterly YAC Socials (informal meetings to address TFTGC needs)
- Commit to an individual annual fundraising goal – GIVE or GET $500 – may be secured through:
- Individual/Business donations
- Personal ticket purchases to TFTGC events
- Personal/Received TFTGC event sponsorships
- Matching gift donations
- Silent/Live auction item procurement
Membership Benefits:
- YAC Socials – quarterly informal meetings
- Invitations to exclusive TFTGC events and outings
- Professional and social networking opportunities
Choose amount Information Payment


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Hello again families!
Today we want to share with you a board game that 6th graders have been playing with in English class. It is called: The world.
In the game, you have some seconds to pay attetion and memorize facts about a country. At the beginning we started the game having 25 seconds, but in the last round we played having 10 or 5 seconds! Some examples of the facts that you have to study in the picture are the flag, the capital city, the typical food, a famous animal that lives there, a famous building… In the other part of the card there are 8 questions related to these facts.
Then, you pass the card to another player and roll the die. In the die, it can appear a number from 1 to 8. Then, you must answer the appropriate question. You can't look at the card to answer it, here you have to prove all the memory you have!!!
If the answer is correct, you keep the card and if it's incorrect, you return it to the Brainbox.
The player that at the end of the game has more cards, wins.
Here you have some pictures while 6th graders were playing it:
As you can see, it's a fun game and while you're playing it you're learning a lot of facts about the amazing countries we can find around the world.
See you soon families!
6th graders and Teacher Melanie


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Easiest Sales System
Easiest Sales System Inquiry
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does the application ask them when is the best time to reach them?
- How Do I Know If My Traffic Was Delivered?
- How do I update my credit card information?
- How much commission do I earn if I refer someone to ESS?
- How soon after receiving the lead do you call them?
- If a lead doesn't want ESS but do want EN, will you still sell it to them?
- If I have a special offer for my leads, can you add this to your script?
- Is the initial call for the purpose of scheduling a second call?


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Watch our latest worship service videos
Audio podcasts of the message are available at the bottom of the page.
Sermon Audio
Current – August 2018
- Jan 26, 2020Witnesses For The Defense
- Jan 22, 2020The Account Of Micah And His Levite Priest
- Jan 19, 2020Missionary To Ethiopians In The Washington, DC Area
- Jan 19, 2020The Claims Of Jesus Christ
- Jan 15, 2020Samson Finds Strength In Weakness
- Jan 12, 2020The Disabled Man At Bethesda
- Jan 8, 2020Samson God's Freedom Fighter
- Jan 5, 2020Declaring The God Who Is Light And Love
- Jan 5, 2020The Faith Of The Royal Official In Cana
- Dec 29, 2019Facing Ourselves As We Face The New Year
August 2018 and older
Active filter: Series: 2015_08 (x)
Preacher: Gilbert, Travis (6), Thomas, Ron (4), Jones, Larry (2), Gilbert (1).
Service: Sunday Morning (5), Sunday Evening (4), Midweek Meeting (4).
Sermons (13)
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The information on this site is the property of Rodgers Baptist Church. No broadcasting or duplication of any sermons or content allowed without permission from Rodgers Baptist Church..
801 W. Buckingham Road
Garland, TX 75040
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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If you want the custom made, please choose any standard size when ordering, then write your measurements details in the message box when paying.
If post to BRAZIL, please tell us the receiver CPF, and if post to Argentina, please tell us the receiver CUIL in the message box, without it, we cannot post the dress, thanks for your understanding. Remember to Write Right Phone Number ,it is necessary needed.
About shipping way i suggest you choose DHL , because China Post Air Mail delivery time is very long, we can't guarantee the dress can reach you in time.so as not to cause damage of clothes because of express for a long time.
Since computer screens have chromatic aberration, especially between CRT screen and LCD screen, we can not guarantee that the color of our products will be exactly the same with the photographs you saw.
Before ordering, please read this listing carefully and ask all your questions. To send an email, please click on the link, "Ask seller a question" at the top right hand corner of this listing. We will answer your questions within 12 hours. If you do not receive a reply please resend your email.
we promise All the dresses's quality and workmanship comes from Advanced Customization .the dresses will be completely same as the picture ,if you are not satisfacted with the dress quality we 100% accept return and replace except the optional color and custom size.
Any quality Problem after recevied the dress ,pls contact services first before dispute or leave 1 star review ,we refuse to sell the people who Malicious injury ,please understand.
Satin Fabric Color:
Chiffon Fabric Color:
Please Choose right color from the color chart..Most Of Our Dresses can be made in any color from our color chart:)
Size Table:
Flower Girl Dress Size Table
How To Measurement :
Payment We Accepted:
We can accept Aliexpress, Credit Card, Moneybooker,QIWI Wallet,T/T or Western Union.
Payment must be made within 5 days.
Shipping Way:
Please Choose Fitablt Shipping way for your baby ,different Way Have Different Time And Convenience,just choose the one which fit for you.
We only ship to your confirmed address. Please make sure your shipping address is correct before purchase.
Most orders will be shipped out within 5-7 business days upon payment confirmation.
"Free Shipping" item will be posted by "Hong Kong Post" or "China Post" registered air mail, items can be checked and tracked online.
Shipping normally takes 7 to 21 business days. Most of the items will be delivered in 3 weeks , while there will be a delay for something we can not control (such as the bad weather). If it happens, just contact our customer service, we will help you check and resolve any problem.
Import duties, taxes and charges are not included in the item price or shipping charges. These charges are the buyer's responsibility.
Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding/buying.
We got many positive reviews from our customer ,hope you like our dress ,, become one of it !!! we are proud of making dress for you .
When you get the goods, please give us your feedback, so that we can do some improvement and can provide better service. Your feedback would be very greatful.
Please contact us before leaving any negative or neutral feedback We would like to solve the problem together with voice call talking.
Our store welcome you come again !!! Thanks very much !!


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Here is a tip that you can save up your bandwidth usage. If you believe that other people is hotlinking your images. This option can be enabled in Cpanel under hotlink protection, but if you are an experienced webmaster and have a lot of entries in your .htaccess file you may want to edit your .htaccess manually to better organize your rules.
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^$
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^http://domain.com/.*$ [NC]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^http://domain.com$ [NC]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^http://www.domain.com/.*$ [NC]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^http://www.domain.com$ [NC]
RewriteRule .*\.(jpg|jpeg|gif|png|bmp)$ – [F,NC]
You can add more HTTP_REFERRER for domains within your allowed list, for example another web site or your subdomain.
Include this in your images folder or any folder to ensure that your images are protected.


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Our Latest Issue
Latest Video
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Sent bi-weekly to inform you of happenings within the metalforming industry.
Start receiving newsletters and gain access to all content throughout the site.
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Friday, February 14, 2014


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Friday, October 21, 2005
Steve Garfield at Apple Headquarters
Steve Garfield at Apple Headquarters by stevegarfield, uploaded from flickr.
Out in the visitor parking lot of Apple headquarters, people gather to take a picture in front of the building. Here's a snapshot that a fellow visitor took of me after I took one of him. Nice place.
Watch the video of me outside of Apple headquarters.
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Welcome to Online HP DesignJet Printer Support +1-800-297-9982
Technicians working at HP DesignJet Printer Support Number are exceptionally skilled and qualified who are ready to assist any of your technical issues on immediate request right at your desk. Offering a wide array of support solutions for various HP DesignJet printers, we handle any scale of printer issues ranging from small to mid to even high-level categories. With us, you can be rest assured that our technical team is always ready to tackle the problem by delivering the best ever solutions right at your desk. While you contact us, not only obtaining the top quality solutions is what you get but also a hassle free support solutions are delivered to you. Our team of tech support engineers is ready to help users while fixing HP DesignJet printer technical issues in less time possible.
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Last update January 23, 2020.
This is the SFEA Goldtimers HOME Page. This is a volunteer supported website sponsored by SFEA primarily for Bloomington/Normal employees and retirees. Trips arranged by GoldTimers are available to any retiree across the country. SFEA events are open to Retirees and current employees. The items on this page are NEW/CHANGED events added in the most recent update or IMPORTANT information to highlight.


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You will find more than chopping and kicking in this kit by
You can find it at
My Memories.
My Memories.
Layouts by CT member
Judy Underhill.
Judy Underhill.
There is more than karate in this kit. Sure there is
some cuties doing their best to get the next belt.
Be sure to notice the soft side of this kit as well.
Now make your life easier. Just add your pictures
to my pages. You can now get my pages in Quick
Page format at


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Tue, 10 February 2009
Broadcaster and columnist Steve Adubato reviews the State of the City address by Cory Booker.
Direct download: 021009_Steve_Adubato_on_Newark_State_of_the_City.mp3
Category:New Jersey -- posted at: 11:44am EST
WWRL Morning Show with Errol Louis
Progressive talk from 6 to 9 am weekdays with Errol Louis, columnist of the New York Daily News. The show, broadcast on AM 1600 and streaming at http://WWRL1600.com, features interviews with top local and national newsmakers and lively listener calls.


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The Rakes release their debut album Capture/Release on 15th August. It contains all the bands previous singles including their debut limited edition single 22 Grand Job.
The Rakes have just completed a tour of Japan and Europe where they played with Bloc Party. In support of the release the band will be playing the following UK dates and festivals.
Buy Capture/Release from Amazon.co.uk
Buy Capture/Release from Amazon.com
Get Rakes tickets from ticketmaster.co.uk
Mon 8th Edinburgh Liquid Room
Tue 9th Manchester Academy 3
Wed 10th London Mean Fiddler
Thu 11th Birmingham Academy 2
Fri 26th Leeds Carling Festival NME/Radio 1 Stage
Sun 28th Reading Carling Festival NME/Radio 1 Stage
Get Rakes tickets from ticketmaster.co.uk
Fri 9th Isle of Wight Bestival Festival
The Rakes are Alan Donohoe on Vocals, Matthew Swinnerton on Guitar, Jamie Hornsmith on Bass, Lasse Petersen on Drums


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Compare the Differences Between the Subaru Outback and Subaru Forester
When drivers from the Corvallis, Lebanon, Willamette Valley and Albany, OR areas visit our showroom to find a new ride, they often ask what the major differences are between the Subaru Outback and Subaru Forester. While both bring a great amount of versatility and rugged performance to the road, each one does have its differences. Let's take a closer look.


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Love ice cream but can't stomach the dairy? Have no fear! Breyers® Non-Dairy OREO® Cookies & Cream is here! Made with real almond milk and filled with loads of real OREO® cookies – there's no milk in sight. If you're anything like us, you love Breyers® vanilla and OREO® cookies. So why not combine your love into one tub with Breyers® Non-Dairy OREO® Cookies & Cream? And now, even those who usually shy away from delicious ice cream can rejoice and join in! Really, who can say there's ever too much of a good thing – like OREO® cookies and Non-Dairy Breyers®? Rich, creamy vanilla goodness surrounds those chunks of real OREO® cookies and will be sure to bring a smile to your face. We bet that if William Breyer, who started Breyers® Ice Cream in 1866 in Philadelphia, could try Breyers® Non-Dairy OREO® today, he would give it his stamp of approval. He was a champion of quality for the ice cream that he made, and we think he would agree that Breyers® Non-Dairy OREO® is the cream of the crop! Using real OREO®s® is just one way that we're keeping to his pledge of quality. We hope you agree that our Non-Dairy frozen almond milk dessert packed with OREO® cookies is simply a delightful treat. Give it a try and leave us a review at www.Breyers.com.
You may also like
Breyers® Natural Vanilla, our original vanilla recipe, is made with simple ingredients like fresh cream, sugar, milk and Rainforest Alliance Certified vanilla. Its distinctive taste brings out the natural goodness of your favorite fresh fruit desserts, like classic Apple Pie a la Mode or Peach Cobbler.
Breyers® Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream is so smooth and rich it tastes like it was just churned at home. Try it paired with brownies, cookies, or cake!
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Dig into a mouth-watering scoop of Breyers® Chocolate ice cream to find out why our rich creamy chocolate ice cream is America's favorite.
Breyers® Natural Strawberry Ice Cream is made with non-GMO sourced ingredients and is packed with sun-ripened California strawberry pieces.
Cool down with Breyers® Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream with real mint-flavored ice cream and chocolatey chips. It's the perfect summer time dessert!
With Breyers® take on the classic Neapolitan ice cream, you get Vanilla, Chocolate & Strawberry ice creams in 1 package. There's something for everyone!


text: Of the 3 highly-influential early American horror writers, Poe and Lovecraft far outstrip Bierce in popularity. But for me he's more readable than either of them and evokes a more intimate and unnerving brand of terror. Also, Kurt Vonnegut esteemed Bierce's story "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" so highly that he declared anyone who hadn't read it a "twerp." (And you don't want to be a twerp, do you??)— From Adam


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About the Inventor
Alex Bellehumeur
A successful business executive and civic leader, Bellehumeur is a past president of the Port of Long Beach at a time during which it was the largest-volume port in North America, and Alex was a governor's appointee to the World Trade Commission. Most importantly, he has a passion for solving product-related challenges, currently holding 12 patents, with 3 more pending. Transforming a sport with the invention of SpeedPuck™ and the DXS disk brake is all the more remarkable in light of the fact that Alex has never played hockey or been on inline skates.
Capitalizing on the grassroots phenomenon of inline hockey in the early 1990s, Alex Bellehumeur identified the need to develop a puck to move easily and quickly on a surface to better simulate the movement of an ice hockey puck. In addition, its design had to allow for flexibility and resilience and most importantly ensure a level of control for the players in order to make the game faster and more enjoyable. Thus the SpeedPuck™ was born.
History was made on July 2, 1993, when the JOFA Speed Puck was dropped for the first time before 13,000 fans at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim in the inaugural game of Roller Hockey International. This first professional roller hockey league, which was co-founded by Bellehumeur, combined with what became the grandfather of all in-line hockey pucks, revolutionized the sport forever.
One of the main features distinguishing the puck, are the "runners" attached to the surface. This innovation makes it fast enough to sustain a high-level of intense play for both the professional and the amateur, with the ability to reach speeds in excess of 100 mph.
Bellehumeur is also the co-founder of SpeedHockey™ a professional hockey league. SpeedHockey™ is hockey on fast forward. Designed for television viewing, SpeedHockey™ is more exciting for the players, fans and spectators thanks to a reduced-size rink that has a unique configuration and new rules to ensure the action is continuous and always front and center. Find more information at www.speedhockey.com.


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Holiday home guidance
Within the District there are many holiday developments (particularly in the Cotswold Water Park) where the holiday accommodation units are subject to restricted occupancy conditions. This means that they can only be used at certain times of the year or for certain reasons. To provide more information for all those concerned we have produced a detailed guidance note, which has been approved by the Planning Committee.
Guidance Note and Additional Information
- Guidance Note for Holiday Accommodation within Cotswold District
- Frequently asked questions
- Guidance for Holiday Accommodation within Cotswold District - Investigation Questions
- Holiday Accommodation - Annual Audit Questionnaire
- Report to Planning Committee (11.01.12)


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FMLA leave or an employee's family vacation? Sometimes it is tough for an employer to tell.
The FMLA specifically permits employees to use FMLA leave to "care for" an immediate family member with a serious health condition. In most instances, the circumstances giving rise to the need for FMLA leave are straight-forward, involving providing transportation for the family member to attend medical treatment, providing psychological support and comfort or providing for the family member's medical, hygienic or nutritional needs. In other instances, however, the employee's request to use FMLA to care for a family member appears suspect because it involves what would otherwise seem to be a family vacation.
In Ballard v. Chicago Park District, No. 13-1445 (7th Cir., January 28, 2014) the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals considered whether the FMLA applies to protect an employee's trip to Las Vegas with her ill mother where the employee claims she was needed to provide physical and psychological care for her mother during the trip.
In Ballard, the employee was the primary caregiver for her terminally ill mother. The mother had always wanted to go on a family trip to Las Vegas and, to honor her mother's request, the employee asked her employer for permission to take unpaid leave to go on the trip. The employer denied the request. However, the employee claimed she was not aware of the denial and proceeded to go on the trip with her mother, during which she served as the mother's primary caregiver, including taking the mother to the hospital when there was an issue with her medication. The employee was subsequently terminated from her position for an unauthorized leave.
The employee filed a lawsuit under the FMLA. Her employer filed a motion for summary judgment, arguing that the employee did not "care for" her ill mother in Las Vegas for purposes of the FMLA, because she was already providing care at home and the trip was not related to medical treatment. The district court denied the employer's motion for summary judgment, finding that the FMLA could apply to protect the absence so long as the employee was providing care, regardless of the location.
In affirming the district court's decision, the Seventh Circuit noted a number of weaknesses in the employer's argument.
The Seventh Circuit rejected the employer's argument that the employee had to participate in ongoing treatment while on the trip in order to be covered by the FMLA, noting that the FMLA provisions refer to "caring" for a family member, not providing "treatment," and that there was nothing in the statute or regulations to suggest that the employee had to be participating in the family member's treatment while away from home, but not when providing care at home. In fact, the court recognized that the many of the types of care described in the regulations (e.g., providing assistance with medical, hygienic and nutritional needs), does not change because the person is not undergoing active treatment.
In making this ruling, the court confirmed that the regulations do not place any geographic limitations on where the "care" is provided and acknowledged that the FMLA does not provide that the care must be provided at the family member's home. The court also considered the FMLA regulations describing the information that must be provided on the required medical certification for caring for a family member, emphasizing that "care" is defined expansively and does not include any geographic limitation on providing physical and psychological care.
In this case, the court noted that the employee's mother's medical, hygienic and nutritional needs did not change while she was on the trip and, in fact, the employee's assistance was needed to address medication issues while they were away. At a minimum, the court concluded, the physical care provided by the employee was sufficient to fall within the scope of the FMLA's coverage.
The Seventh Circuit acknowledged that its ruling is contrary to decisions in the Ninth and First Circuit Courts of Appeals in which employee trips relating to ill family members were determined to not be covered by the FMLA. Tellis v. Alaska Airlines, Inc., 414 F.3d 1045 (9th Cir. 2005) (emphasizing that caring for a family member under the FMLA involves some level of participation in on-going treatment); Tayag v. Lahey Clinic Hospital., Inc., 632 F.3d 788, 791 & n.2 (1st Cir 2011) (denying FMLA coverage for a healing pilgrimage to the Philippines and noting that the employee "properly does not claim that caring for her husband would itself be protected leave" if they traveled "for reasons unrelated to medical treatment of [her husband's] illnesses"). In rejecting the employer's reliance on these cases, the Seventh Circuit surmised that the conclusions in those cases did not follow the plain reading of the FMLA and its regulations which do not require that care for the family member be related to ongoing treatment nor place any geographic limitation on the care.
The lesson for employers?
Of course, employers considering the impact of the Ballard decision may be concerned that employees will attempt to abuse FMLA leave by planning trips and taking ill family members along to obtain FMLA coverage for the time away from work. Ultimately, however, while FMLA abuse is possible, as the Seventh Circuit emphasized, employers may (and should) utilize the medical certification process to flush out improper requests.


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metallica hired a firm called netpd that identified 335,435 napster user ids that were sharing copyrighted metallica songs over last weekend. metallica's attorney, donald king, will have 60,000 pages of documentation delivered to napster on wednesday afternoon detailing the users that the band would like removed from the napster service.
napster has previously stated that it will not block specific songs, but will remove identified users who share copyrighted materials.
read more at cnet.
rob's opinion
at this point, the legal strategy that king is using is basically attempting to call napster on its bluff of removing identified users sharing copyrighted material. will napster hire people to pore over the 60,000 pages of documentation? if i were napster, i'd refuse shipment of metallica's paperwork, as it is basically a big publicity stunt and there's no way that napster will bother weeding out 350,000 users based on some independent assessment.
why did metallica do this? it will certainly use this in court against napster when the band members claim that napster did not remove the 350,000 users that they had identified. it's a good strategy. how will napster counter? obviously, napster should have protected its user ids a bit better than it has so far.


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From what is a modern plate made of?
The material for it is a special plastic, which includes mainly vinyl - thermoplastic resin and special additives, giving it certain properties. In appearance vinyl - powder white or yellowish color. If you add a small amount of black, powder will be black. Plastic, which is used in the factories of the USSR delivers sound of records at the level of leading foreign companies. Initial noise level of plates - 55-57 dB, and after 50 playings noise increases by only 2dB (of course, subject to the rules of use).
People work constantly to improve the plastic. Its quality increases mainly due to the introduction of anti-static additives, which reduce noise and dust on the surface of the gramophone records. Plastic with antistatic is primarily intended for plates with recordings of classical music, having a large dynamic range (the difference between the softest and loudest sounds).
Pressing - operation is also very delicate and responsible. The slightest deviation from the regime - and the plate is obtained substandard, with defective grooves. Therefore, each cycle is calculated in seconds. To sustain the strict regime, temperature, pressure, time helps the automation system. Here, on the edging device, with a deft turn of the hand is removed the excess plastic, leaked from the press-mold. New plate as a toy - a neat, clean, cast gloss.
Accurate movement - and a portion of hot vinilita on the mirror of a matrix, where
previously were laid labels. Turns on a press. Parts of the press-mold close up. Hot tortilla of vinilita, which was crushed by a powerful force (100 tons!), spreads between the heated matrices, absorbs sound grooves and takes the form of a disk. The press-mold is cooled and for a few seconds - the pressure is released and the disk is ready. It takes on average 30 seconds.
Plants use the press machines, where all operations are automated - from placing labels on the matrices and supply plastic material to transport the finished plate to the storage device.
The first record from each press is checked for eccentricity, evaluated by appearance and listen to. All subsequent check on appearance, and listen only selectively to determine the suitability of matrices for further work. There is a staff of music supervisors at the plant, their work - listen through the high-quality apparatus control copies of products.
Each plate has a label and an envelope. Therefore, there is printing industry at the plant. The decoration of the envelope plays an important role. Bright covers with annotations, lyrics, notes, interviews with performers attract the attention of buyers. The company "Melody" employs many great artists - designers of plates. Their names can be seen on the envelopes. Created by the artist envelope, abstract and explanatory text at the same time begins the path with "their" lacquer disk (or rather two discs). Design envelopes, as well as the records themselves, considered the artistic council of the company.
Since 1982, at the USSR Recording Studio Melody was commissioned reproduction center, its task - to provide a high-quality design of envelopes for all plants of the company. It allowed producing new records in a single decoration and significantly reducing the time of their production - up to one to two months after the decision of the replicable commission.
The total yearly circulation of records, produced in the Soviet Union - more than 200 million units, of which more than half - stereo. In 1983 was issued 203 million records, including 140 million and 63 million vinylite flexible (soon planned a sharp reduction in their production). 140 million solid plates - a figure although impressive, but still small for such a huge country like the USSR


text:
It has been more than a month since QE-Infinity started. And after seeing Fed's balance sheet finally expands in size some three weeks ago, Fed's balance sheet shrinks to two consecutive weeks according to latest data.
The size of Fed's balance sheet at the end of October is more or less back to the level before QE-Infinity was announced according to data published by the Federal Reserve on 1 November.
Source: Federal Reserve
Read more: Why the Fed's Balance Sheet Has Been Shrinking – WSJ
This article originally appeared here: Fed's balance sheet is still not yet expanding
Also sprach Analyst - World & China Economy, Global Finance, Real Estate
Read more posts on Also Sprach Analyst »


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You are currently browsing the monthly archive for June 2010.
In 1991, Asian Americans protested famous Welsh actor Jonathan Pryce's casting as the Eurasian Engineer in the NY Broadway production of Miss Saigon on the grounds that it was insulting to have a white actor use yellowface to play an Asian role. Yellowface, which is when a white actor literally paints his face yellow and tapes down his eyelids to make them more "flat," or when white folks control the representations of Asians on stage and film, was not new. The Good Earth (1937), among many other early- and mid-twentieth century films, also used yellowface because a very white Hollywood refused to cast Asian American actors (Anna May Wong was an exception, but even she couldn't snag roles such as Olan in TGE). Remember Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)?
1937, 1961, 1991…2010? Paramount's The Last Airbender? What are they thinking?
From the petition:
The practice of casting Caucasian actors to depict ethnically Asian protagonists—while Asian American actors are relegated to play antagonists, supporting characters, and background extras—is insensitive, condescending, and woefully outdated… Ethnically Asian characters should never be depicted by Caucasian actors. In this day and age, casting white actors to play Asian characters–even going so far as to 'whitewash' the Asian fantasy setting—is simply ignorant and unacceptable. These choices have taken the film away from the integrity and dedication to cultural accuracy that fans respected in the animated series.
To learn more: http://racebending.com/petition/
To sign the petition: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/racebend/petition.html
I just returned from participating in the annual Children's Literature Association conference in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and while I will definitely be posting my thoughts on the conference, first, this:
One of the great things about my job (assistant professor teaching classes on children's and young adult literature) is that publishers send me free books. This introduces me to an awful lot of great literature that I might not otherwise encounter, as well as saves me potentially hundreds of dollars per year. I'm incredibly grateful to all the publishers who have me on their lists, especially Lee & Low, Children's Book Press, and Scholastic, and all the others who have sent me books because I'm on 2 awards committees (Jane Addams and Asian Pacific American), or just because.
Today I received a book that I think was not "just because" because there was no mention that it wanted to be considered for either award. The letter from the editor began thusly:
As a child armchair traveler, I passionately followed the exotic adventures related in books such as The Story about Ping… Exotic to me as a child (and still today), as I always have been captivated by reading about cultures and times different from my own, and places far from home.
This tells me that right off the bat that the author of this letter is white. While many of us can claim to love stories that depict cultures "different from my own," labeling them as "exotic" immediately calls up Orientalist and fetishist sentiments. This was my first gut reaction.
As well, the fact that he cited The Story About Ping, which was illustrated by The Five Chinese Brothers illustrator Kurt Weise (see Schwartz, Albert V. "the Five Chinese Brothers: Time to Retire." Interracial Books for Children Bulletin 8, no. 3 (1977): 3-7 and the response to it Lanes, Selma G. "A Case for the Five Chinese Brothers." School Library Journal no. October 1977 (1977): 90-91) makes his Orientalist orientation a little more clear. The Story About Ping has been criticized for depictions of both animal cruelty and its Orientalist illustrations (slanted eyes, etc.), so a person who enjoyed that book's "exotic" story probably does not examine illustrations or perspectives very critically. This situation reminds me of recent conversations sparked by Laura Atkins ("What's the Story? Reflections on White Privilege in the Publications of Children's Books") and Zetta Elliott ("Something Like an Open Letter to the Children's Publishing Industry") as another clear example of the white-ness of children's literature publishing; if there were more Asian Americans walking the halls of children's publishing houses, this kind of language would not be used with such flagrant Othering.
My point in writing about this is to emphasize, in addition to how I read the white gaze through the editor's word choice, but more so the importance of the editor's introductory letter. I am an Asian American, and I am sensitive and react quite viscerally to the use of the word "exotic" because it is loaded with fetishistic, Orientalist fantasies of the white gaze on Asian Others; as a female, to me it signifies white males colonizing and hypersexualizing the bodies of Asian females (and yes, the editor is male). Others who are less sensitized to these words may not react the same to an introductory letter that describes an Asian culture as "exotic," but I find it repugnant. As allies and advocates for healthy and non-fetishistic perspectives on underrepresented cultures, I hope you will not be okay with words such as "exotic."
I have not read the enclosed book, and am not sure I will. I say that because the point here is not the book, but the editor's letter and the impact it had on me as a potential reader, reviewer and promoter (since in my professional capacity I do review and promote books), so I don't want you to criticize my criticisms based on not having read the book; it's about the letter. I don't have to read everything that comes across my desk, and a letter like that gives me a reason not to.


text:
Effective Foot and Ankle Care in Manalapan, NJ
A Step Up Podiatry LLC
Peroneal Tendons
Peroneal tendons are tendons that support two important foot muscles (peroneus brevis and peroneus longus) that originate on the outside of the calf. These two muscles allow you to roll to the outside of the foot while standing.
The two muscles are held in place by a band of tissue, called the peroneal retinaculum. Injury to the retinaculum can cause this tissue to stretch or tear. When this happens, the peroneal tendons can dislocate from their groove on the back of the fibula. The tendons can be seen to roll over the outside of the fibula, which damages the tendons.
Skiing, football, basketball, and soccer are the most common sports activities leading to peroneal tendon dislocation. In some cases, ankle sprains have also caused this condition. Patients usually have to use crutches after such an injury, in order to allow the retinaculum tissue to heal and the tendons to move back to their natural position on the fibula. Sometimes a splint or compression bandage is applied to decrease swelling. Anti-inflammatory medications, icing, injections, and supportive braces are often part of the treatment.
In moderate to severe cases of injury, when the peroneal retinaculum is torn or severely stretched and susceptible to dislocation, surgery may be required.
Location & Hours
Address: 215 Gordons Corner Rd Suite 2A, Manalapan, NJ 07726-3351
Phone: (732) 446-7136
Monday 9:00 AM To 5:00 PM
Wednesday 9:00 AM To 5:00 PM
Thursday 9:00 AM To 5:00 PM
Friday 9:00 AM To 5:00 PM
Tuesday 10:00 AM TO 6:00 PM
Every Other Saturday 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM


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Women lie about their weight, men lie about their size;
People lies to hide their weaknesses and when they need to feel better about themselves.
I do not have a problem with the way I look, I like myself just the way I am; people aren't perfect, I like my imperfections; different is always better, more is always good; I do not need to change, people need to accept me just the way I am; my flaws make me unique, unique means superior; people who do not like me are just envious.
Children lie about their grades, parents lie about their reasons ;
People lie just for fun and continue lying even more when they are busted (not being able to comprehend that no one will believe a word they say from now on).
I got there before you, I knew that already, I bought that first, it was my idea; you just copied me.
Employees lie about their jobs, owners lie about their profit;
People lie when they're afraid, when they want to impress and feel that the true version of themselves is not good enough for the public eye.
I have a magic life, I never get bored, I love what I do and where I do it, I do it so often I cannot keep track, I do it so well the earth stops spinning, but the important thing is that I'm doing it when no one else is.
Friends lie because they do not want to lose you, loved ones lie because they do not want to hurt you.
People lie so much that they start believing their own fantasies.
I didn't say that, you do not know me; it wasn't be who threw the first stone, I was innocent; I do not follow you, you do not interest me; I give great advice, you should listen to me; I have lots of friends and they do not pity me.
It's all just a show and tell: best story of the day wins a moment in the spotlight and applause on open stage.
We all want affection, we run after it, we crave it, we sell our souls and bodies for it. We lie for affection, we lie for attention, we lie to create drama, we lie to be in the front row of it all.
People lie all their lives; big lies, small lies, innocent lies, hurtful lies. We lie about our hair color, we lie about how much it costs, how great it was , we lie about our day-to-day actions (have I eaten healthy food today, have I exercised, have I showed my wife/husband that I love her/him, have they proved today that they're worthy of my love?)
I don't lie about my weight, I don't lie about my insecurities – they're in the open, I don't lie about my fears, I don't lie about who I like or who I disapprove of, I don't lie about why I love, I don't lie about my job, I don't lie about where I go, I don't lie about my opinions – I stick to what I write and don't go back on my word. And this might make me "not so likable", but I'd rather be myself, than just look good on facebook.
I lie about everything else, instead 😀 (not that there're many things left on the list)
For full disclosure, I have 2 big lies that do not involve anybody else, and are more secrets than lies. Even if it's tough, I prefer to come clean in all aspects of my life.


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Raising the leaving age to 18 - symbol or substance?
Raising the leaving age to 18 - symbol or substance?
by Mick Fletcher, Mark Corney and Geoff Stanton
The aim of this paper is to explore the implications of the recent proposal to increase the age at which young people can leave recognised education and training in England to 18. In particular, the paper explores an apparent paradox: on the one hand, if voluntary measures increase participation significantly then bringing in the systems of enforcement required for raising the statutory leaving age to 18 could be a sledgehammer to crack a nut; on the other hand, if voluntary measures fail then these systems will have to be applied to more young people than the government is anticipating. In this context, the report asks whether raising the leaving age will be:
- a symbolic gesture to signal that the objective of increasing participation has largely succeeded, or whether it will need to be;
- an initiative of substance in order to ensure that the objective is achieved.
The government's approach
The government is adopting a twin track approach to boosting participation. It is seeking to manage downwards the number of 16–17 year olds not in recognised education and training, and at the same time, it plans to target interventions – year-on-year – on today's nine and ten year olds who will be the first cohorts to be covered by raising the leaving age to 17 in 2013 and to 18 in 2015.
Over-optimism about voluntarism?
We believe the government is over-optimistic about the potential of its reform programme substantially to affect the participation rate. Reforms over the past decade have had little effect on participation and major elements of the reform programme such as the specialised diplomas and the Foundation Learning Tier are substantially untried.
Moreover early evidence about the nature of the diplomas and the Foundation Learning Tier do not give confidence that they will offer the flexibility or the vocational relevance that is needed to engage the disaffected. Neither is it clear that plans recognise the significant extra costs involved in making provision that is both more vocational and more highly tailored to individual needs.
The proposal to offer the entitlement of an apprenticeship place for any young person who wants one is bold but unattainable. An apprentice has to be employed and government cannot require employers to offer jobs. This strengthens the case for a clear vocational route within Further Education (FE) alongside and not displaced by the diplomas.
Additional measures to increase voluntary participation should be considered
There is more that the government could and should do to make progress through voluntary means.These could include:
- Allowing young people to take GCSEs when they are ready and not all at the same age;
- Addressing the fact that post-16 learners on Levels 1 and 2 provision receive less funding per capita than those at Level 3;
- Requiring every local authority to hold a central fund to cover the full cost of vocational provision delivered by FE colleges and work-based learning providers to 14–16 year olds;
- Asking the Sub-National Review of Economic Regeneration to consider in detail the balance of advantages of local authorities funding all provision from age 11–19, since local authorities are already the strategic lead partner for the 14–19 phase, the funder of the 14–16 phase and will soon be responsible for funding the Connexions Service which has specific targets to reduce the Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) category.
Even if the government is right in its confidence that existing measures will reach the 90% participation target, it needs to explain why the above reforms – or reforms similar to them – would not take voluntary participation so close to 100% as to make compulsion unnecessary.
On the other hand, given the possibility that it is being over-optimistic government needs to plan for compulsion mechanisms that are realistic when applied to more than the 10% of the cohort than it is currently anticipating.
Where compulsion might fail
There are several circumstances in which compulsory participation in learning could make little sense. For example a young person might achieve a Level 2 qualification within weeks of their 18th birthday. A young person might achieve a Level 2 Apprenticeship at age 17 in a firm that has no Level 3 opening for them.
Considerable flexibility will also be required when, for example, a young employee on day release loses a job but actively seeks another; or when, for example, they suffer a temporary reduction in hours.
There is a need to revisit the proposal that participation should mean full-time study for all those not in full-time work including the unemployed. Government should also recognise that jobs without training are not necessarily jobs without learning and that some young people can learn skills that employers value outside accredited programmes.
The success of any attempts at compulsion will depend on the effective operation of a large scale IT system in real time. The track record of government in relation to IT systems is not encouraging.
The government's proposals seem seriously to underestimate the degree of 'churn' in the youth labour market which will make tracking young people and providing effectively for them expensive and problematic.
Regulation of the labour market
International evidence, mainly from the USA and Canada suggests that the impact of raising the leaving age by itself is relatively slight. A key reason appears to be the weakness of attempts to enforce participation and a reluctance to regulate the labour market.
While the Green Paper appears to have learned from overseas it seems to underestimate the extent to which it is necessary to impose a firm duty on employers, both to notify any changes in relation to the employment of young people and to check before giving them any offer of employment however slight or casual. The extent of churn in the youth labour market may make this burdensome.
Providers of last resort
The participation of those who are currently disengaged will require providers who are willing and able to make appropriate provision for them. There is currently no way of forcing schools or colleges to make provision; and since the participation of reluctant learners is likely to depress success rates much provision may end up with low status 'providers of last resort'.
The countdown to compulsion
The government is right to put curriculum reforms in place before introducing compulsion but therefore needs to ensure that those elements of the diplomas, the Foundation Learning Tier and apprenticeships designed for 14 and 15 year olds are in place in 2011, not 2013.
The scale of the task
The government's view that voluntary means will take participation rates from 75% to 90% and possibly beyond is worryingly optimistic. Even additional voluntary measures might not get there. It may be that the powers of compulsion, seen as a last resort, will instead have to be applied to large numbers of uncommitted young people. Clearly, the exercise of compulsion on a large scale makes the curriculum, monitoring, enforcement challenges significantly greater. There must be doubts about whether the government of 2013 facing such circumstances would even try.
- i-wigt - what is good teaching?
- wigl – what is good leadership?
- project-based learning resources
- creative teaching and learning
- school leadership and management
- every child
- professional development today
- learning spaces
- vulnerable children
- digital learning
- leadership briefing
- manager's briefcase
- school business


text: Under a draft bill amending the law on foreign investment initiated by the State Duma Property Committee, decisions on foreign investment in popular Internet services and any print media would soon require approval from Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. Current law restricts foreign investment only in television and radio and print media with a circulation of more than 1 million, but the draft bill would expand the list of companies that have strategic importance, adding Internet companies that provide socially important services, all printed publications regardless of circulation and printing and broadcasting companies. The proposed bill would cover all broadcast media, print media with a circulation of more than 1 million, and websites with more than 20 million users. Russia's foreign investment law establishes a special procedure for investments in strategic companies and makes it possible to buy more than 10 percent of voting shares only with the permission of the government's Foreign Investment Commission (headed by the prime minister) and the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service.


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Because nothing says romantic like finding your life partner in the same place you get your vanilla lattes from.
"All love stories are tales of beginnings. When we talk about falling in love, we go to the beginning, to pinpoint the moment of freefall." — Meghan O'Rourke
So let me start at the beginning.
After several years of dating I realized that I a) wasn't good at it (at least that's what I thought) and b) was kissing a lot of frogs with nothing to show for it. Looking back it was obvious that I just didn't know what I wanted. Sure, I wanted a companion, a best friend, a partner for life…I mean who doesn't? But I didn't know myself well enough to be confident in the choices I made. Thus, I found myself being attracted to the wrong types of men, or in my case, boys. I think this is called 'settling' in grown-up talk.
So you can imagine my surprise/happiness/excitement the day I met my now husband, Jay. It was like any other day, really. I had just finished class and was planning to gather with a few of my friends for dinner. I had been craving a Starbucks drink all day so decided to make a pit stop before heading to the restaurant. I stood in line as I watched people make their orders and pay for their drinks. I noticed a guy patiently waiting in front of me, eyes glued to the menu ahead. He caught my eye, so I decided to make a comment about the slow service that day (even though I could care less, since it meant I could keep staring…I was doing it inconspicuously, I promise). He replied and we continued to share a few words as we waited.
Little did I know that this person would end up being my husband three years later.
"First best is falling in love. Second best is being in love. Least best is falling out of love. But any of it is better than never having been in love." — Maya Angelou
And as we approach the five year mark, we not only have a stronger friendship and relationship together, but a beautiful daughter to show for it.
So, let this be a lesson to those struggling to find love. I know the quintessential thing to say is that love finds you when you least expect it — and this can be true in some respects. But from my experience, it's the right type of love you should be seeking, and it doesn't come easy.
So chase love; don't let it find you.
Chase the possibilities. Chase the chances. Chase the happenstances. Create your own love story.
The only way you'll know what you want is by fully knowing yourself. So, stop hoping and start looking. Sometimes you have to take those risks in order to reap the rewards. Imagine what would have happened if I never said hello?
That one simple word changed my life forever.
So kiss a few frogs, take a few chances and make a few leaps — you never know when you'll find that prince or princess.
Or, you can just get lucky and find them the next time you're ordering that latte 😉
We decided to continue our conversation in the small food court located on the second floor. I mean, what did we have to lose? He was cute, interesting and had an incredibly drool-worthy accent. I was hooked. I don't even remember how the time passed so quickly because next thing I knew, I was getting angry calls from my friends asking where I was ( I was over an hour late). They were clearly the last thing on my mind at that point. So, I told Jay I had to go, even though I didn't want to, gave him my number and left.
When I got to the restaurant, I was interrogated on my whereabouts. I pulled my good friend into the bathroom to tell her about my evening. "I think I just met my husband," I said. "Ok, whatever," was her response.
It's unbelievable to know what cards you will be dealt with in life. But at that very moment, I knew that things were exactly as they should be. And I wasn't wrong. We moved in together four months in and have never looked back. And then in the spring of 2013, he proposed. In the midst of the Swiss Alpes, surrounded by blowing wildflowers, I was asked a timeless question.


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Created for: The Sims 3
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is an American actor, director, producer, and writer. As a child star, he appeared in the films Angels in the Outfield, Beethoven, and 10 Things I Hate About You, and as Tommy Solomon in the TV series 3rd Rock from the Sun.
He took a break from acting to study at Columbia University, but dropped out in 2004 to pursue acting again. He has since starred in (500) Days of Summer, Inception, 50/50, Premium Rush, The Dark Knight Rises, Brick, and Looper, and also appeared in The Lookout, Manic, Lincoln, Mysterious Skin, and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. In 2013, he starred in the comedy film he also wrote and directed Don Jon, and will appear in the sequel Sin City: A Dame to Kill For as Johnny. He is made for a request.
Joseph is made with Maxis skin and hair. His hair is from High end loft stuff pack.
No sliders were used to make him.
Expansions and stuff packs: I have them all.
Thanks to the TSR artists Pralinesims, Serpentrogue, Sonata77 and TerrieCason for their wonderful custom content which I used to make him!!
Custom Content pictured but not included: none.
Thanks to Murano, Cmomoney at MTS, R2M, Elexis at Ace creations, Tum Tum Simiolino, IMHO, Seemyu @ MTS, Morphead, Etenila at MTS, Peppersims3, BlakC's pose place, Inna_Lisa at Sims 3 models, Maximumsims and Traelia at MTS for the cool poses and the stuff that makes them possible!!
Credits: EA and all the artists who make such great custom content for us all.
Short URL: http://www.thesimsresource.com/downloads/1203335
ItemID: 1203335
This Creation requires what's listed below in order to work properly.
Required Expansion/Stuff Packs:
Note that those downloads are not required for the Creation to work!
The EA Creations below were used in this Creation.
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text:
See also: xena
Etymology 1Edit
Possibly a variant of Xenia, from Latin Xenia, from Ancient Greek ξενία (xenía, "hospitable"), the assumed name of a fifth-century saint venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Church, from ξένος (xénos, "stranger, guest").
Proper nounEdit
- A female given name from Ancient Greek of modern usage.
a female given name
Etymology 2Edit
The lead character in the television series Xena: Warrior Princess (1995–2001) was the inspiration for the dwarf planet's nickname and for comparisons to the character.
Proper nounEdit
- (formerly the 10th planet): Eris, 136199 Eris, (136199) Eris, 2003 UB313, (136199) 2003 UB313, 136199 Eris (2003 UB313)
Coordinate termsEdit
- (formerly the 10th planet): Gabrielle (the moon of Xena)
another name for the dwarf planet Eris
Xena (plural Xenas)
- A tough, physical, confident woman.
- 1999 (Dec), David Lansing, "My Neighborhood", Orange Coast Magazine, 25(12): 189
- I am raising a little Xena, a water warrior. Fierce, sure of herself.
- 2000, Lynn Harris. Breakup Girl to the Rescue!, page 120
- How do I drill self-confidence into the illogical half of my brain. or train my logical half to become my inner Xena and shout it down?
- 2001, Judith Arnold, Muriel Jensen, & Bobby Hutchinson, All Summer Long, page 148
- "Okay, Xena," he said, taking the rope from Haley and tugging the branch toward the back door. "You push, and we'll get this outside."
- 2005, Melissa Jacobs, Lexi James and the Council of Girlfriends, page 78:
- She is a beautiful woman, the result of a family tree that includes African and Irish blood. But there's no getting around her five-eleven frame and muscular body. The rest of her staff calls her Xena. She likes that.
- 2006, Elaine Overton, Promises of the Heart, page 107:
- Julian shook his head at her brazenness. "That's okay, I believe you. You are a regular Xena."
- 1999 (Dec), David Lansing, "My Neighborhood", Orange Coast Magazine, 25(12): 189
(A tough, physical, confident, woman):
a tough, physical, confident woman


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Murder inquiry launched after woman dies in Highbridge hit and run
PUBLISHED: 14:23 21 January 2018 | UPDATED: 14:23 21 January 2018
A murder investigation has been launched after a woman was killed in a hit and run in Highbridge.
The woman, in her 30s, was believed to have been walking home along Burnham Road at 2.20am yesterday (Saturday) when she collided with a car which failed to stop.
Her body was found in the road by a member of the public who called the police.
A 34-year-old man, who was driving the vehicle, has been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in police custody.
The woman has not yet been formally identified but police have revealed a post mortem suggests she died as a result of a head injury.
Avon and Somerset police are keen to hear from drivers with dashcams who may have driven along Burnham Road at the time of the incident.
Anyone who can help is asked to call police on 101 and quote 5218014348. Information can also be given to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.


text:
Click this link to view the presentation for the Greenspaces Matter event: Greenspaces Matter
It includes a description of the different types of green spaces in Winnipeg, the status of each (acres), and the conservation challenges. It also compares Winnipeg with Calgary in terms of planning for future green spaces. The maps included in the presentation show the distribution of greenspaces and where greenspace deficits exist.
The deadline for submitting comments as part of the OurWinnipeg Reivew process has been extended to Monday, December 18. Click on this link (on-line survey) to describe your vision and provide feedback on the quantity, quality, and distribution of greenspaces in Winnipeg.
Click on this link to be inspired by a short video from the Canadian Wildlife Federation as kids describe their Holiday Wishes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc45bwUccyA If you agree with these kids, this is your chance to speak up for these values in Winnipeg.


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After ten weeks of the 2010-11 broadcast primetime season, Fox is down 16.9% vs. last season in the advertiser important adults 18-49 ratings. That's ~2% better than its season to season comparison last week, but still a painful drop.
Again, ABC's season to season declines are hidden behind the smokescreen of an even worse decline for a competitor (last season it was media pincushion NBC). This season ABC is 8.5% behind last season's adults 18-49 ratings, which is a fraction better than the comparison last week.
The CW (-2.3%) has slipped behind last season's adults 18-49 ratings. That's even after replacing the one hour of their schedule (10%) that was a scheduled repeat with an original series. I don't have this week's 18-34 comparisons, but through last week in the adults 18-34 ratings that are closer to the CW target (of women 18-34) they were down 13% vs. last season.
NBC's (+1.0%) and CBS's (+0.8%) adults 18-49 ratings are now only a whisker ahead of last season, and they're trending in the wrong direction. Note that NBC is spending a lot more this season in primetime after replacing 5 hours of The Jay Leno Show with mostly scripted dramas.
Univision continues well ahead (+15.0%) of last season's adults 18-49 ratings.
Broadcast network primetime season ratings overall: My calculation (using Nielsen data) of the average adults 18-49 ratings season to date for the 5 English broadcast networks is 5.3% below the season to date ratings average through the same week of the 2009-10 season.
CBS maintains its season lead in primetime adults 18-49 ratings for the season averaging a 3.2 rating. Fox is in second place with a 2.9 adults 18-49 ratings average. ABC and NBC are tied in third with a 2.8 rating average. Now that Dancing With The Stars is finished it will be interesting to see if ABC can stay out of fourth place before December 31.
CBS remains well ahead in the press release friendly season to date average viewership.
Each rating point is a percentage of the US TV population in that demographic group. A 1.0 adults 18-49 rating equals 1.315 million adults 18-49
The network's average viewership is charted in millions of viewers, just like we report all other average viewership information on the site, and adults 18-49 is charted as ratings points. Note the units (million viewers on the left, rating on the right) below the bars.
Note that these season average ratings are "Most Current" measurements which are Live+7 day DVR viewing when available (2+ weeks after airdate), combined with LIve+Same Day DVR viewing for the most recent 2 weeks.
You can see past week's broadcast network primetime season to date TV ratings results here.
Nielsen TV Ratings Data: ©2010 The Nielsen Company. All Rights Reserved.


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Find us
Central Saint Martins is located at King's Cross and Archway. Please note: King's Cross is CSM's main site.
Please note that some Study Abroad, Full-Time Portfolio and Short Courses will be running at Central Saint Martins in Archway (Annex B), Elthorne Road - N19.
Full access and route guides to the King's Cross and Elthorne Road sites are available on AccessAble.
Map Markers
King's Cross
Central Saint Martins
Granary Building
1 Granary Square
King's Cross
Public transport
For detailed travel information and to plan your journey around London, please visit the Transport for London Website.
- Buses: 10, 17, 30, 45, 59, 63, 73, 91, 205, 214, 259, 390, 476
- Underground: The nearest underground station is King's Cross, take the Regent's Canal exit. Turn right outside the exit to join King's Boulevard, a pedestrian route going north. Cross over the road at the top of the Boulevard and you will see the Granary building ahead.
- To get to King's Cross from Archway catch the 17 or 390 bus.
Disabled access
Please note there are no general parking facilities at our sites, but there are some spaces available for blue badge holders. To find out more about these facilities and further assistance with all access issues please phone the site Facilities Manager on 07713 087179 or email email@example.com.
Offsite parking can be found either at the car park located at the back of St Pancras International, Eurostar Station, Pancras Road. There is a charge of around £6.00 per hour to park here. Meter parking is also available on nearby York Way/Copenhagen Street.
There are two Granary Squares in N1, Central Saint Martins is based in King's Cross not nearby Islington.
Google results and satellite navigation systems may reflect incorrect locations or addresses due to the creation of new postcodes for this area. We've found that third-party systems are very slow to update as a result. We do apologise if this causes you any inconvenience, we are trying our best.


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Light-assisted surveillance of glass panes
The sensor with the fiber Bragg grating is an optical sensor, which reflects a specific wavelength of light that is changed by deviations in temperature and/or elongation. "If somebody exercises pressure on the glass pane or heats it, the distance between the grating elements changes, which in turn alters the transmitted wavelength. Sensitive optical measuring devices are capable of recording these changes. If the changes are greater than a predefined threshold, signals are transmitted to the alarm system," says Udo Weinand, engineer at Fraunhofer INT, explaining the functioning of this patented system. "We can adjust our system in a very fine-tuned, targeted manner. It can react to slight knocks and to strong ones. As a result, it can be adapted individually to the specific application," adds Dr. Peter Reinig, scientist at Fraunhofer IPMS. The innovative break-in protection consists of a Bragg grating, a fiber optic supply cable, an interface to the alarm system, and evaluation electronics, which contain the optical measuring device. In future, the evaluation unit, to which various fiber optics can be connected, is to be fitted in the window frames. In high-security zones, the evaluation unit can be located far away from the security glass. "Measurement with fiber optic sensors is a good solution for these requirements, because it uses light instead of electricity and widely available fiber optics instead of copper wires," says Weinand.
Pattern recognition avoids false alarms
Another advantage of the Fraunhofer system is that fiber optics are resistant to electromagnetic interference. Electronics can be disturbed by things such as microwave emissions, whose pulses can incapacitate conventional alarm systems or cause an unwanted alarm. In addition, pattern recognition rules out the potential for false alarms triggered by everyday vibrations. "A football or a bird leave behind a different signature than a hammer or a baseball bat," notes Reinig. The smart alarm system was rigorously tested in various attack scenarios on a wide range of different security glass panes involving hammers, baseball bats, drills, firearms, axes and heat guns to determine when the alarm is reliably triggered. The effectiveness of the sensor with fiber Bragg grating has been demonstrated in numerous tests, including the VdS test by VdS Schadenverhütung GmbH in Cologne. The independent, notified and accredited testing and certification institute for fire protection and burglary prevention issues the VdS seal of approval, a well-known distinction in German industry. The burglary protection system created by Fraunhofer researchers currently exists as a demonstrator. Measuring only 14x9x7 cm³, the evaluation electronics is a small box that can be further miniaturized if required. The system is able not only to protect jewelry stores and other objects liable to be burgled, but is also suitable for monitoring bridges, buildings, pipes, load-bearing structures in the aerospace industry, wind turbines, and much more.


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It was all Fiona could do to get out of the house with both shoes on every morning.
Her mom Tracy was at her absolute wit's end.
Fiona was angry and defiant. She lashed out at her mom over the smallest things.
At just four years old, she was headed down a very dangerous path.
Fiona had always been a little "off". She did odd things as a baby like rubbing her head into the carpet until she had raw spots.
When she was a toddler, she bit other kids and threw tantrums, unlike anything you've ever seen. She stole food from the other kids in her daycare.
No one knew what was going on with her.
It wasn't until Tracy decided to enroll Fiona at Thompson Child Development Center that their lives really took a turn for the better.
Fiona was placed in a classroom with a small class size and a loving, compassionate teacher. It didn't take long for Fiona to decide that she loved it there! She got the attention she needed to be able to focus and improve her behaviors.
Her teachers helped her understand that biting wasn't okay and that she needed to share with her friends. She learned her alphabet and her colors. Tracy didn't think Fiona would be able to learn much of anything before kindergarten because her behaviors had been so bad.
But, Fiona got the help from her teachers, therapists, and friends that she needed to blossom. It was like magic! Her growth in two years was nothing short of transformational!
It's your support that allows Thompson to help transform children like Fiona! Thank you!
That's the word that kept coming up on just about every sheet of paper Thompson therapist Angela read in Zach's case file.
Taken from his mother at age 4 after being found by a neighbor wandering the halls of his apartment building, Zach was severely malnourished and living in squalor. He was in foster care for 7 years (13 separate placements!) before arriving at Thompson's residential treatment program.
And this wasn't his first time in residential care either. He'd been previously placed at two other treatment facilities and it was Angela's goal to make this one different. She knew his time at Thompson had to be successful for Zach to escape from the terrible path of his past. Angry, sad, frustrated, unmotivated. These are the words Angela uses to describe Zach during his first few weeks in therapy with her. It wasn't until they were able to connect over their mutual love of sports that there was a breakthrough. With that connection, trust was soon born and Zach's healing began.
Leaving for a group home after four months of successful treatment, Zach shared his feelings about Thompson in a letter. "I will be sad because I will miss the only people who have given hope to me."
Thank you for giving Zach hope.
Only eight years old, Kate had experienced years of abuse and neglect by her biological parents. In addition to her personal trauma, she had seen the horrific physical and sexual abuse of an older half-sibling by her own mother.
After being removed from her home by DSS, Kate was placed in a loving foster home and soon adopted. During this time, Kate was referred to Thompson Outpatient Therapy Services. In her first few sessions with therapist Debra, Kate was afraid to talk about her abuse. She would cling to
her adoptive mother or burst into tears and hide under Debra's desk.
Together, Debra and Kate developed a "relaxation box" with activities Kate could use when feeling anxious or experiencing a traumatic memory. Her box included: bubbles and a pinwheel to use for deep breathing; a copy of her favorite Bible story to read when feeling worried; and a pair of pompoms to get out any nervous energy.
Kate learned to recognize when she was having "warm fuzzy" thoughts and "cold prickly" thoughts. She learned how to stop the negative ones and turn them into positive thoughts. Soon, Debra didn't see the scared little girl who had walked into her office five months before. Instead, she saw someone very brave and strong. At the end of her last therapy session, Kate and her adoptive mother cried. This time, they cried "happy tears" of gratitude for the progress Kate had made.
Thank you for giving Kate her courage back.
The good news is Tiffany is now 19 years old and in college majoring in music. The sad news is she had a tumultuous childhood that eventually brought her to Thompson's Saint Peter's Lane residential campus. Tiffany was only 11 years old when she arrived. She remained at Thompson for a full year. Her coping skills were nonexistent. She just couldn't adjust to the fact that she did not know her father and didn't have a father figure in her life. She was prone to violent rages.
While at Thompson, she learned how to deal with her emotions by using her "coping corner," containing a bean bag chair that was all hers. But what she also enjoyed was having her own room, bed and bathroom. This, to her, was a real luxury.
It took a long time for Tiffany to deal with her hurt and abandonment, but she did. She eventually left Thompson and stayed with a foster family until she could be reunited with her mother.
Recently, she found Thompson on Facebook and wrote a letter sharing some of her fondest memories of her stay at Saint Peter's Lane. This was the first real home that provided the love and security she so desperately wanted and needed. She finally had people around her who truly cared and she told us she "is grateful for every moment of her stay."
She will never forget Thompson and Thompson will never forget her!
Malik carried a very painful history with him when he came to the Thompson Family Services Center last year. His biological mother was addicted to drugs and sold her body to support her habit. There was domestic violence and physical abuse in the family so she and Malik, age 9, frequently lived in homeless shelters and often had little to eat. Shortly before Malik and his siblings began therapy at Thompson they were taken into DSS custody after a social worker learned they had been sexually abused. They were placed in the care of a relative and soon after his biological mother died of a drug overdose.
Some might wrongly assume that a child couldn't recover from this kind of complex trauma. But because of the incredible support that Thompson receives, our staff was able to surround Malik with love, kindness, support, and compassion. Then the story took a wonderful turn.
As Malik slowly began to respond to his therapy, Thompson therapists recognized his love of dance and believed he had a natural talent. To encourage his growth, staff let him put on an impromptu show for them. Heads turned. Applause flowed. Malik had found a comfortable place to express himself and develop confidence. Soon after his performance, Thompson staff found a scholarship program through a local ballet company where Malik auditioned and was awarded a scholarship!
Two weeks ago Malik and his sister were adopted. The Thompson staff had a celebration in the office and were able to watch a video of Malik's first dance recital with the ballet company. "It brought tears to my eyes when I saw this little boy in the middle of a huge stage pick up a little ballerina and spin her up in the air while the audience cheered for him," said therapist Katherine. "It is these kinds of moments that remind me of the incredible power of love to bring change and healing."
Thank you for helping us give children like Malik a chance to flourish and recapture their lives.
"I would like my son to come home, but he frightens me."
As 14-year-old Martin was being discharged from an NC psychiatric treatment facility, his mother was worried. Martin was still unable to handle his frustrations and frequently lashed out both verbally and physically. And while he was away he'd had a growth spurt and was now taller and heavier than she so controlling him would be difficult.
His mom immediately sought help from Thompson's Outpatient Wraparound Department. Here she found partners and coaches who were ready to help Martin transition back to his home.
During his initial evaluation, it was determined that Martin had a significant mental challenge and as a result, his behavior was more like a first grader than a middle schooler. The wraparound team knew this would present a challenge as his neighborhood school had already indicated they were not equipped to handle him.
Eventually, the wraparound team found Martin a special school where they decided to try something different. Instead of placing him in a class of children his own age where he became angry with disruptive tantrums, they placed him in a class with first graders. Suddenly he became calm and actually started to enjoy school. And the children accepted him with open arms.
Meanwhile, Thompson had assigned him a volunteer "youth partner", whom he called his new friend, and they started meeting twice a week to ease his transition back to school. Sometimes they would just sit and talk, other times they would play sports, but most of all they would cook. Martin knew his mother enjoyed whatever he cooked for her, even if it was just hot dogs.
So Martin and his youth partner decided to create a cookbook for his mom. He cut pictures out of magazines and pasted them in a book. Then his new friend would write the recipes as he dictated them to her. His mom now has a cookbook that tells her how to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, soup and of course, hot dogs.
Finally, after a year of working with the Wraparound Team, Martin was ready to be discharged from Thompson's care. His tantrums had lessened and he had adjusted well to his new school. This meant he had to say goodbye to his new friend who he had relied upon to help him through his difficult transition.
Sadness overwhelmed him, but the team knew Martin was ready to move on with his new life. So, ever so slowly, Thompson backed off until one day Martin agreed that he was ready to let go.
Today, he still attends school with the younger children and is happy to do so. And he still cooks for his mother – especially hot dogs.
Thank you for making it possible for Thompson to help transform the lives of children like Martin!
Trevor's story is a very personal one for former Thompson staff member Jane Weaver. She shares her heartfelt tale of a sweet new friend below.
Trevor arrived at Thompson's Saint Peter's Lane campus in July of 2016. At 8 years old, he'd seen and experienced far too much for his young life.
He's a slight little boy with rounded shoulders, dark soulful eyes, his hair in a buzz cut and eyes always cast down towards the ground. He rarely, if ever, smiles and speaks in a voice that can barely be heard.
I have lunch with him about once or twice a week. He loves tacos but hates refried beans. Bananas are his favorite fruit. I love the Patriots. He hates them.
When I first met him, he barely made eye contact and wouldn't allow me to touch him. I quickly realized he wasn't used to affection and I backed off to give him space. He seemed satisfied with that.
By Halloween, I noticed that he was starting to enjoy the company of the other boys and he even seemed excited about dressing up. The children paraded through the halls of our administration building on Saint Peter's Lane. When he came down the hall, I heard, "Miss Jane look at me!" When I looked, there was Trevor smiling like never before. My heart melted.
We continued our lunches together. Sometimes he would come to visit the development department with a mentor from his cottage. He would always stop in my office to say hello. Then one day, much to my surprise, he walked towards me and gave me a big hug. "Hi, Miss Jane" was all he said. He took my breath away.
Now he stops in my office regularly to get candy, but always remembers he must take enough to share with the others in the cottage – even his mentors. He told me, "We can't forget them".
I share this with you because Trevor will soon be leaving us. He told me at lunch recently, "Miss Jane, I have people." When I asked what that meant, he told me Thompson found a foster family for him and he will be leaving soon. My heart burst for this serious little boy. Again, he said in his quiet little voice, almost a whisper, "I have a family Miss Jane".
I will miss this little man. I will cry when I say goodbye to him, but I know it's for the best. We want him to have a full life. He deserves it. They all do.
Thank you for giving Trevor his happy ending!
Born to a drug-addicted mother, Clay seemed doomed from the start.
For the first 12 years of his life, he was abused and neglected and lived in a constant state of fear and sadness. Clay slept with a knife under his bed "just in case". He was skin and bones because the food in his house was scarce. When there was food, he gathered as much as he could and hid it in his closet. Clay rarely attended school.
Clay came to Thompson after his mother abandoned him and although he was an angry, lonely boy, he still dreamed of a happy home and family to love him. To help deal with the trauma he'd endured, Clay spent a short time in Thompson's Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility. When he was ready to leave, Thompson Foster Care staff found a loving family that wanted to take care of Clay and help him find his forever home.
Clay's transition into foster care was rough. He'd sneak into the kitchen during the night and steal food to hide in his bedroom. He was stealing trinkets from around the house and keeping them hidden in his room. He was urinating on the floor of his bedroom at night in an attempt to keep himself safe. He told his foster parents that was how he kept strangers out of his bedroom when he lived with his mom and even though he knew no one was going to hurt him now, he couldn't stop.
Fear consumed Clay's life, but with the constant support of his foster family and Thompson staff, he began to learn to trust and open up. They helped him work through his trauma and ease the pain of his past. He even started to enjoy school.
After several months in foster care, a miracle happened for Clay. A family wanted to adopt him!
Everyone agreed that Clay was ready. He was ecstatic to begin a new life.
Today, Clay is a happy, typical teenager who loves soccer, being a Boy Scout and camping with his family. He's making good grades and can't wait to get his braces off. His adoptive father pushes him to be the best he can be and it's working.
Clay never thought he could be as happy as he is now. He is blossoming into a fine young man.
Thank you for helping Clay find his happy ending.
Sheena, Michelle's therapist, teared up when she started sharing Michelle's story.
Michelle was taken from her home at just five years old and had a long history of abuse and neglect. When her parents emotionally abandoned her at just a few years old, she was left feeling unworthy.
She arrived at Thompson scared and with no clue about her future—no idea of what was next. Over the years she'd been placed in several foster care homes, but her destructive behaviors had gotten her into trouble time and time again.
Michelle had experienced unimaginable pain and suffering that no young child should have to endure … causing her to act out and rebel. Wherever she went, she lashed out to the point that no one could handle her and sent her away.
Sheena has remarkable skill at being able to step into her client's shoes. She works hard to learn how to reach them. With Michelle, this skill served her very well. Michelle began to trust her.
"Michelle really stands out to me because she is so resilient. She has moved from town to town. From home to home. From social worker to social worker … and yet she is still upbeat. She is still bubbly."
Michelle has every reason to be a terror and to take her past out on everyone around her. But she doesn't. She deserves credit for that. She is the epitome of resilience.
Michelle was recently discharged from Thompson's residential program, a changed person. She has learned the skills she needs to cope with her past trauma and is looking forward to her life, excited about what her future will bring.
Thank you for restoring hope for Michelle!
Gabriel came to Thompson a broken child.
For years, he'd suffered emotional and physical abuse from his mom…because he was different.
He didn't act like the other boys his age. He liked to play with dolls instead of trucks. He didn't want to play basketball, he wanted to sew. His mom didn't approve of him and she beat him whenever she saw him doing something "girly." She called him names at least once a day and isolated him from other kids. She was embarrassed by him and always let him know it.
Gabriel didn't understand why his mom treated him this way. He didn't think there was anything wrong with the way he was. He was confused by her actions and terrified of what she might do next.
He was scared to be himself.
When Gabriel turned 12, he decided to retaliate. He went after his mom with a baseball bat.
One could say this incident didn't end well, but his mom survived and Gabriel was brought into Thompson's Psychiatric Residential treatment program. It was the best ending Gabriel could've hoped for. It was really just the beginning.
Thanks to you, Gabriel was able to heal.
During his time at Thompson, Gabriel was embraced by staff and taught to stand tall and proud of who he is. The support he received from everyone around him was immeasurable. For the first time in his life, he felt loved. He felt accepted. He felt whole.
Thompson staff worked hard to change Gabriel's mantra from "I'm not good enough" to "I'm more than good enough"! And he began to shine.
Gabriel was a changed person when he discharged from residential treatment a year later. He transitioned into a Thompson foster family and felt immediate acceptance and love.
His future is bright, thanks to your incredible support of Thompson's mission to build family by being family!
When Jordan arrived at Saint Peter's Lane, her head was covered in bald spots.
She had dark circles under her eyes.
It was clear that this 9-year-old girl was completely lost.
At a very young age, Jordan was brutally abused by her father and became terrified of men. Shortly after her abuse began, she started hearing voices. Then she started bullying other kids. Her behaviors were erratic and Jordan was living in constant fear.
When she came to Thompson at 9 years old, Jordan's therapist quickly discovered that she was "stuck" at about 5 years old. This was when her trauma first happened.
In therapy, Jordan spoke often about thinking a "monster" was coming for her. She was always referring to her dad.
She pulled chunks of her hair out when she felt overwhelmed with fear. Something had to give before Jordan went completely bald.
Sheena, Jordan's therapist encouraged her to journal. Together, they discovered this helped her with the constant anxiety and fear. Sheena taught Jordan new mindfulness skills to help her build up her stress tolerance.
In just a few weeks, Jordan was already beginning to release her fears and allow others to help her heal. A real transformation was beginning.
After 5 months, Jordan told Sheena she felt like a new person. She had been working so hard during this time and according to Sheena, had shed quite a few tears! Just before she left, Jordan told Sheena, "I just want to be loved and not worry anymore about the stuff that happened to me before. I want to trust the world again."
Thank you for helping bring Jordan back to life!
The holidays have always been miserable for Amelia.
No one ever cared enough about her to make sure Christmas was special for her.
Until she came to Thompson.
Sixteen-year-old Amelia came into Thompson Connect at the beginning of December, where she would live for at least a month. She didn't know where she'd go once she left, but she knew for sure that she'd be here for Christmas. She was so upset. Another miserable Christmas, she thought.
Her holidays had always been so disappointing. Whether she was in foster care somewhere, in the hospital, or at home with her mom, no one ever made the holidays special for her. She felt so sad, year after year.
One afternoon, while talking with one of her staff at the cottage, she expressed how awful her holidays had always been. She shared that one year for Christmas she got a bunch of Barbie dolls in a shoebox that had dirt in their hair. Some years she got nothing at all. She never ate a big meal with her family or shared in any family traditions. She rolled her eyes and tried to act like it didn't bother her, but you could tell she was really hurting.
Later that day, her staff told her about a place on campus where generous people had donated gifts for the children in Thompson's care. She offered to take Amelia there and let her pick out some items to help make her Christmas a little more special.
Amelia had a hard time understanding what she was saying! This was a concept that was foreign to her, but she agreed to go.
When they arrived, Amelia's jaw hit the floor. She was shocked at the number of items that were there. Her staff scooted her along to pick something out and she returned with one small item. "That's great," her staff said, "but pick a few more!" Amelia said, "but, are you sure?" "Absolutely, there are plenty of things to choose from! Pick out several things you like. You deserve it!"
Amelia looked around again and came back with just two more small items. She looked timidly up at her staff and said, "this should be good".
Amelia's staff had to encourage her one more time to choose several more items that she wanted because they were donated with children just like her in mind. She hesitated but chose a few more things. When she handed the items to her staff, she nervously asked if they thought it might be possible for someone to wrap them for her and put them under the tree in the cottage. She said she couldn't remember the last time she got to open a wrapped gift on Christmas morning. The answer to that was, of course, a resounding yes!
On Christmas morning, Amelia felt the joy of opening gifts wrapped for her under the tree. She spent her morning watching Christmas movies. Later in the afternoon, a wonderful volunteer came to help the girls prepare and enjoy a delicious meal.
Your generosity, your support, and your compassionate care of the children and families we serve make a difference.
For the first time in her life, Amelia had a wonderful Christmas, thanks to YOU.
Trinity was a broken child.
Her earliest memory is waking up in the middle of the night to the sound of breaking glass.
When she ran out of her bedroom to see what was happening, she saw her father at the top of the stairs and her mother, in a ball, at the bottom.
Just a little girl, she had no idea what to do. Her dad terrified her. She always knew that eventually, he'd take his anger out on her too, just like he did her mom.
Sure enough, he began abusing her at just 6 years old. He'd knock her into walls, slap her or punch her if she said or did something he didn't like. After her mom went to sleep at night, he'd sneak into Trinity's bedroom and lay down next to her. She never felt safe.
After about a year of abuse, Trinity told a neighbor how scared she was of her dad. Her neighbor called Child Protective Services and they came to take Trinity away. She was relieved, but so nervous at the same time. She had no idea where she'd go and she didn't want to leave her mom. She felt like she needed to stay to protect her.
Fortunately, Trinity found her way into a Thompson foster home. She had a mom, a dad, two older sisters, a dog, a cat, and a bird. She was happy and felt safe.
Trinity's new foster parents took such wonderful care of her. They put her into a really good school, signed her up for ballet classes, and when she celebrated her 8th birthday, threw her the best party ever.
She'd never been happier. Trinity finally understood what the love of a family felt like.
Trinity's story is only possible because of YOU!