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StuartRead more Read less
Change Boxes
Hi Anna, My scarf has arrived and it is perfect! Thank you very much for the excellent service. Best wishes, Glenis
GlenisRead more Read less
After having been given one of your candles as a gift and just loving it, I eventually tracked you down on Mr Google. The service was first class, very quick and easy. Thank you very much.
Keri EdleyRead more Read less
Funky gifts is the first place I look when I need a gift, never been disappointed and you won't either.
Catherine KellyRead more Read less
Hellooo I just want to thank you for your great serviceJ I Will definitely continue to shop with you. Thank you so much for the Gift Voucher.
BarbRead more Read less
Very good products, excellent service, customer service above and beyond, brilliant gift wrapping, will be back for sure!
HenryRead more Read less
This was a great online store for unique Christmas gifts for family members living overseas Who need a little kiwiana trinket to remind them of home! Thank you Funky Gifts, very easy to browse online and order and staff are so friendly and helpful.
RexineRead more Read less
Excellent customer service..good arrived safely packaged and super fast. Funky Gifts is always a reliable go to site for something out of the ordinary
moiraRead more Read less
Very easy to use site and prompt delivery - very impressed. Thanks will shop again
D HamiltonRead more Read less
Your rating system isn't clear if 1 or 5 is good! I gave you a 5-5 for excellent service. Really good stocking fillers for Christmas both items are a lot of fun. Awesome dealing with you great service and quick delivery. Will definitely recommend you to friends
JaniceRead more Read less
The team at Funky Gifts are also amazing and were so helpful as when my package arrived, one of the products leaked out into the carton however a replacement was sent immediately and was received the next day! Thank you so much for being so... amazing!
TriciaRead more Read less
I was looking for something different as a Prize Draw at a Confernce. Funky had a great range. Was extremely impressed they arrived 2 days later to an RD Delivery address.
GlenisRead more Read less
Easy shopping clicking the mouse, and quick courier delivery - great presents to go to France. Thanks
Caroline OliverRead more Read less
Found exactly what I was looking for, Kiwiana luggage labels and passport holders for our upcoming trip to Canada and USA. Website easy to use with great selection of products, with the bonus of prompt delivery (the following day as I remember.).. Well done Funky Gifts :)
Stephanie JohansenRead more Read less
When it comes to gifts I am terrible picking the right ones :-) but that is not the case anymore. A huge "thank you" to Funky Gift team with a massive range of ideas and fast delivery as well. To all of you out there reading these testimonials and doubting...doubt no more. You are at the right place. I recommend it to everyone. Service is great, delivery is fast. I'll be back :-)
AmirRead more Read less
Fantastic service. This was a 'copper' wedding anniversary present, bought by me in England for my daughter and her husband in Wellington, NZ. They were delighted; than you so much.
Viv DalyRead more Read less
Thanks so much for your exceptional service. I've had a pictured text of my mate at work and shes rapt with her presents (I'm stuck at home with the flu) and it was deliver first thing this morning so that's awesome! Will definitely be purchasing from you again.
MaryRead more Read less
I did a mad rush order before Christmas. In mad rush orders mistakes are made and I didn't order all the letters, two extra Es were ordered and two of the tiles came smaller than the rest. These guys were so fantastic at making an exchange and getting all sorted with an elegance of kindness. I would defiantly recommend this company. Top service.
Maree StrangeRead more Read less
Goods arrived promptly and packaged well. Good communication regarding the status of your delivery. Love the fact that the product is New Zealand made. Would shop with them again.
Shona PoppeRead more Read less
Excellent service. Quick turn around and great at responding. Will definitely shop with you guys again. :)
AveleyRead more Read less
Am very impressed with the speed of processing and delivery time. Ordered yesterday and have received both items today. Be happy to purchase more from your organisation.
VickiRead more Read less
Really fast turn around time and really lovely staff highly recommend :)
Lauren DelaneyRead more Read less
A+++ service super fast delivery internationally, great pricing, and prompt responses to all my questions. Very happy with product. Cheers and thankyou Funky Gifts
Jodie TutauhaRead more Read less
"Thank you very much for your email. I have had consistently excellent service from your company and just wanted to say thank you!"
Victoria CongaltonRead more Read less
Absolutely AMAZING! Everything you could possibly want in a funky gift store, super friendly staff and brilliant service!
TaniaRead more Read less
Great service. Products arrived quickly and safely. Recommended
Robert PuklowskiRead more Read less
Fantastic service and awesome products. Will definitely be shopping here again. Customer service was awesome. Thanks again for all your help !!
Dean TraceyRead more Read less
Excellent website, pictures very true to products, and I received my purchases within three days. Excellent will be using this site again.
Juliet HainesRead more Read less
I wanted my gifts in a couple of days, and to make it even more a nightmare it was ordered last day of public holiday! Some would say "too bad can't be done" but not Funky Gifts, these guys, didn't send me an email pointing out delivery timing, They just got on with it, and 8am of the second day my purchases arrived. !! You Service is Amazing! ....I , (and all the people I will tell) will be back!!
Michelle RohdeRead more Read less
Always fast prompt delivery and goods are as per website, not poor imitations!!!
GwenRead more Read less
If I could, I would give more than a 5! Such a quick service and a pleasure dealing with Briar. She was so friendly and easy to deal with considering I had some last minute changes to a gift message and order was already placed. Total lifesaver and gift wrapping is absolutely gorgeous! Highly recommend Funky Gifts to everyone!
Phyllis TuiatuaRead more Read less
Fantastic thank you - love the products and the service has been so quick and lovely gift wrapping. I received a gift bought from Funky gifts which inspired me to send a gift to a loved grand daughter loved the old schoolbag bags, gorgeous.
Lisa IwikauRead more Read less
I am very impressed with the service plus the quality of the goods I have bought Will certainly be shopping here again
Diane YarrallRead more Read less
These guys are amazing, emailed, gift wrapped and on its way. so easy the gift was awesome will definitely be using this service again
Lynda CaseyRead more Read less
Just wanted to say thank you for such great service, the parcel arrived very quickly. Love the range on your website, and I'm sure the lady I bought this gift for will just love it. Hope to shop with you again soon.
LisaRead more Read less
Super speedy service, the scarf was of excellent quality & my mum loved it! Thank you!
KellyRead more Read less
Awesome 'shopping' experience. So easy and such an amazing selection to choose from. One item was temporarily out of stock. Funky Gifts emailed me to advise and ask if I wanted something else or to wait. I waited - but only for a couple of days. Communication and customer service was outstanding. Delivery was very quick and well packaged. Will def be shopping here again!!! Thanks heaps.
Megan RossiterRead more Read less
Great service. I am thrilled with the birthday gift for my brother. Can't wait to see his face when he opens it! Will definitely shopping here again.
Lynne BissetRead more Read less
I recently purchased a gift from Funky Gifts for my friend going through a difficult time and joked in her card about how sorry I was that I couldn't buy her favourite American chocolate bar to include (it's not a common brand and not sold on the website) so I could include it to be a care package. The next thing I get is a personal email from Funky Gifts offering to go out and purchase the chocolate so it could be included. We happened to be video chatting when the courier arrived and she was thrilled! The hand written cards, carefully gift wrapped package and contents made her day. The small but significant act of going one step further made the experience memorable and a site I now recommend to friends. Highly recommended.
AliaRead more Read less
Superb service! Amazing range of products & prompt delivery! Love this website!
Melissa MathewsRead more Read less
Delivery came very fast ! Will definitely order from this store again
SanaRead more Read less
Awesome service! I bought the retro beetle game and it is a hit with my 6yr old boy!!! Will be looking for more things for the next birthday!!
Alice HaweraRead more Read less
I'm not someone who tends to write many testimonials but I felt that I had to take some time out to convey just how wonderful dealing with your lovely company has been! You handled my order with prompt professionalism and I received my gorgeous products quickly too which was so appreciated. Thank you for making my online purchase a great experience, I will most certainly order from you again and have recommended you to everyone willing to listen!!
CheleneRead more Read less
I have never used your site and so just ordered a few things just before Xmas . I was so impressed with the quality of gifts and will go ahead and order with confidence next time - everyone loved their gifts. Thank you for the prompt shipping as well - most impressed
ClairRead more Read less
Great service A+++ Promptly answered my questions Unbelievably very super fast delivery Amazingly awesome products Cheers to an absolute all round great shopping experience
Jodie TutauhaRead more Read less
I am really impressed..my package came to my door very fast..my granddaughters was really thrilled to find a mug she was able to colour in to become her own special mug. Thanks funkygifts
Vick VeeningsRead more Read less
Buying gifts for family in NZ while I am overseas was made so much easier when I discovered funky gifts. And with the gift wrapping option the presents remain a surprise. Will definitely be the first place I visit next time I need to send a gift.
ElaineRead more Read less
The best gift website in nz! Awesome products, excellent service and attention to detail, super happy, will be back for more! All the best for 2016.
MeganRead more Read less
Guys you really were wonderful. We had a panic to get a kiwi theme gift asap to take to Australia. Very surprised and thrilled to have the item arrive in time for hubby to take to Australia Ashley contacted us first thing in the morning and really cared about the product getting to us on time. Well done guys. Really pleased AAAA+++++++++
SaraRead more Read less
Hello there, Just thought I would drop you a wee line to say what excellent customer service I received yesterday at the Casabella Lane, Hamilton store. With the time being 4.45pm and Chi Chi closing at 5pm, I called your store to say I would be there in 7 minutes as I was only down the road at Hamilton City Council and very much wanted to choose a gift and card for my 18 year old nephew whose birthday I was attending yesterday evening. Jessica put me at ease and assured me she would be there to assist and not to worry if I was there a little after five as, even if the door was closed. I was there a little before 5pm with Jessica helping me choose the perfect gift and card for my nephew as well as a little something for my son!
VickyRead more Read less
WOW! Ordered on Thursday night and delivered Friday! Amazing Service - Fantastic Products!
Harry ThomasRead more Read less
Received the package this afternoon. Very happy with the quick delivery!
JacquesRead more Read less
Was so easy, found what I wanted, ordered and it was delivered within two days.
MelissaRead more Read less
LOVE my scarfholder. Arrived very quickly and I'm very impressed with your service. Will use your service again. Well done.
Noeline TaylorRead more Read less
Huge range to choose from....websites easy navigate....very happy with my purchases....fast on delivery... only a day and half... from purchase to arrival at my door...thanks funky gifts my pleasure to have purchased from you...
JohannaRead more Read less
Fantastic shop - staff are super helpful when needing advice on gift selection, and the range of products in-store make it a great place to go for every occasion!
Tracey CrossfieldRead more Read less
Huge range to choose from....websites easy navigate....very happy with my purchases....fast on delivery... only a day and half from purchase to arrival at my door...thanks funky gifts my pleasure to have pur hased from you...Johanna
JohannaRead more Read less
I found the perfect Christmas present for a friend on this site. It was well priced and I was able to order with ease. Delivery was swift and the gift was beautifully wrapped in seasonal paper.
Sally BrunskillRead more Read less
The Awesome online store with Funky Gifts at your finger tips! Thankyou for your Awesome Selection of Products, Excellent Customer Service and Fast Delivery!
NicoleRead more Read less
Hi Maria, Thanks so much for that, really fast and efficient service, really appreciate it. Kind Regards
JodiRead more Read less
I was looking for a gift for a gift for a friend and came across this wonderful website (funky gifts) where I bought a retro record player. The service was fantastic. (I needed to phone with a couple of questions prior to ordering and after delivery.) Delivery was prompt. The quality of this littleplayer is wonderful and it looks really great. A classy wee product
Brenda JonesRead more Read less
Finally i managed to find this website and get my stuff ship to Singapore. Fast delivery.
AllisonRead more Read less
Really pleased with the product and super fast delivery. Will definately buy from you again. Thank you :-)
Andrew CarmanRead more Read less
Dear Funky Gifts, Wonderful. I truly appreciate the extra effort you went to with my order. My daughter was thrilled with the replacement chalk pen: "WAY Better!!!" she declares. Yes this one works. And the upsize on the NZ map - fabulous! Truly proud Kiwi product. You have restored my consumer confidence. I WILL have another browse through your products and know that I can purchase with confidence. Kind Regards, Brenda Poutawera
Brenda PoutaweraRead more Read less
Fantastic service! My purchases arrived the next morning, exactly as pictured on the website. I'm a 100% satisfied customer and will definitely buy from this website again.
LesleeRead more Read less
Found a brilliant gift for my Secret Santa at work. Under $30, and delivered really quickly. Ended up going back and getting stuff for my sisters for Christmas too. Awesome stuff.
SamRead more Read less
Awesome personalized service - reliable company, very prompt and honest. Thank you
StephRead more Read less
Awesome, prompt professional service that went that extra mile and with a great attention to detail. Fantastic! I will be recommending Funky Gifts to everyone and will definitely turn to them again. They are an online store that you can trust to give you exactly what you want and more!
Gina McDonnellRead more Read less
Fantastic service and great products. Funky gifts went above and beyond to ensure that the gift I ordered arrived in time for my sons 21st birthday. I would not hesitate to recommend their services.
Moneaun SmedleyRead more Read less
Fabulous service! Really rapt with the Wedding Guest book - it is so much more beautiful in the flesh than online and beautifully wrapped too! Prompt delivery and I will definitely be shopping here again :)
Emma KnoppRead more Read less
Great product! Very happy with my scrabble tiles, they arrived packaged perfectly and in good time :) Thankyou very much, I'll be back!
ReinaRead more Read less
Great service and products. Everything arrived as advertised. Would definitely use FunkyGifts again. Many thanks.
KathleenRead more Read less
Good morning I just want to give you a feedback after buying on your website. I am living in Germany and my niece is in NZL for a few months. I wanted to surprise her with a gift for Christmas with a personal note. As the shipping from Germany to NZL is so expensive, I decided to order on your website. I was really happy, because everything worked out very well. And the note was really written personally, that was fantastic. Thank you very much!! Happy New Year and best regards from Germany
Beatrice van den BoomRead more Read less
good quality gifts. will definately buy from you again. thanks marion.
marion bromleyRead more Read less
Fabulously quick service, I have the gifts already! Thank you for your help.
ShellyRead more Read less
"Received the decals today. Thank you for the great trade and taking extra care to package them so well. I will certainly recommend and buy again. Thanks."
Suzy HarrisRead more Read less
There is an incredible range of gifts, and all at your fingertips! My order arrived promptly, securely and safely packaged (no damage) and the gifts were everything that I was expecting. I would strongly recommend this site to anyone wanting to find an unusual gift at a very competitive price.
Bernadette ScannellRead more Read less
I found the perfect Christmas present for a friend on this site. It was well priced and I was able to order with ease. Delivery was swift and the gift was beautifully wrapped in seasonal paper.
Sally BrunskillRead more Read less
I left some minor details to the last minute and funky gifts really came through with prompt service and delivery. I would highly recommend them!
Rachel McKainRead more Read less
Great service and really appreciated your email today. Clock arrived and perfect. Thanks!
BernieRead more Read less
Excellent service great at keeping you up to date when parcel will arrive and the gift wrapping awesome! Arrived in time for the wedding they will love the Mr and Mrs Coffee Mugs
MaxineRead more Read less
Wow! Less than 24 hours since I placed my order and it's here already. Great service guys. Much appreciated...and I love the gifts too!
KArenRead more Read less
First purchase. Went without a hitch. Ordering was easy, goods arrived on time and in good condition. Was exactly what I was after. Thank you for your prompt delivery. Will definitely shop again.
ResRead more Read less
Visited the store in person more than 12 months ago. Remembered seeing a cool ice cream scoop and was delighted to find I could purchase it on-line. Very easy to buy and service was great. Ice Cream Scoop is also perfect.
JoRead more Read less
So lovely, such an amazing range of items. I was told that the item I wanted would have to be ordered in and would take a week- but everything was delivered to me in less than that. Super impressed! :)
Brie Stafford-BushRead more Read less
Watch has arrived, beautifully wrapped and in time! Thank you so much
JasmineRead more Read less
Brilliant customer service and communication, managed to correct a mistake I had made on my order super fast and it arrived on my friends birthday, will definitely use again. Thank you
KarenRead more Read less
Super fast service I was totally amazed with the ease of ordering and the speed of delivery
Yvette AtkinsRead more Read less
Awesome, service goods were true to the images on the website, well packaged and delivered within 48 hours, you can't ask for better than that!
Sarah DavisRead more Read less
Excellent product. Love the wishing well. Awesome service. Prompt delivery. Thank u so much.
Raelene AndersonRead more Read less
Great site for when you need something different in a gift! Perfect for my secret santa prezzie, in fact there were so many I couldn't decide. It was a last minute gift and it was delivered so fast! Thank you!
SttussyRead more Read less
I have only good things to say about Funky gifts! They have a wide range of goodies for many ages and tastes! The service I received when an item colour may not have suited my dad was noticed by Briar, was prompt and caring. Gifts arrived swiftly for Mother's Day, even when ordered at the last minute! A wonderful company! I will be shopping here again!
Nicky RobinsonRead more Read less
Comment: Hi guys, top notch service thanks! Woke to a package of goodies on my doorstep this morning after placing the order late a couple nights ago cheers sarah
Sarah ScottRead more Read less
Thanks Funky Gifts, my order arrived promptly all wrapped and ready for the tree, very happy. =)
Lisa SwannRead more Read less
WOW! This company really cares about their customers, great to know such customer service is available online, love all the unique gifts and especially the range of super designer clocks. A+++
SamanthaRead more Read less
The team at funky gifts really cares about their customers! So helpful and friendly and fast delivery! My mothers day gifts where wrapped beautifully. We know where to go for all our gifts from now on. Thanks so much!
jaxRead more Read less
Fabulous wee stocking filler ideas & amazing delivery speed. I was impressed - thx
Alex GRead more Read less
Brilliant selection of very funky gifts. Gifts arrived 2 days after order was placed. Have already placed a second order
Diane HendersonRead more Read less
I found the perfect funky gift on your site for my bro and it was delivered the next day! Awesome service and cool products!!! Thanks
HilRead more Read less
Both gifts that I bought for a pre-Christmas family dinner brought much laughter to the day. "Silly socks" especially appreciated. Great website.
PatriciaRead more Read less
Very happy with the large wall clock I bought. Quick delivery to the South Island. Thanks
Stacey HemiRead more Read less
Funkygifts is beyond words.... excellent, exception, amazing, mind blowing, fail to express how impressed I am with funkygifts... service, support, cost, delivery, simply the best experience I have had with online shopping and shipping Definitely recommending this site to my friends around the world
KitRead more Read less
Such fast delivery I was amazed. Wonderful to deal with. And a beautiful gift thank you so much
Rhoanne Te taiRead more Read less
Easy way for us in the UK to buy a fun gift for our family in NZ. Quick service, fair prices and gift as described so all good! Use again? Definitely!
Brian PagetRead more Read less
"Excellent really thrilled with my purchase.Would highly recommend to all.AAA+++"
Olivia JonesRead more Read less
Was looking for a New Zealand online gift store with a difference, and found Funky Gifts. A great range to choose from, the ordering and delivery process were smooth, and the communication prompt. The gift arrived well in time for the birthday, and was very well received. Will shop here again.
Andrew PalmerRead more Read less
Super fast delivery, amazingly friendly staff and unbelievable service! I will be back for sure! LOVE all your stuff!
LisaRead more Read less
One word. Awesome. Love my wall decal! Thank you. Awesome service, Awesome products, Awesome Website. Thanks so much!
MeganRead more Read less
Fantastic service and very prompt delivery. The product was exactly as described and loved by the recipient. Will definitely use this site again!
Duncan WalkerRead more Read less
Website easy to use. Quick delivery over the Christmas period. Will definitely use this website again, it made Christmas shopping a breeze.
J PaddisonRead more Read less
All good thanks – will use your website again. Kind regards, Robyn
Robyn ThompsonRead more Read less
A great website - I ordered a gift Tuesday afternoon and it was on my doorstep by 7.30 am the next morning ! Fantastic service and a great range. Will definitely use again.
Carey PoulterRead more Read less
Item arrived quickly and was just as pictured on the website. Would definitely order again. Thanks
MelRead more Read less
purchased a funky karlsson copper drop wall clock - love it - so does everyone who sees it. Also purchased the swan lamp, and this had been broken in transit but it was a very smooth process to have this replaced, so thank you funkygifts.
Kay AddeiRead more Read less
Great to deal with, prompt delivery, would use them again, love the range of items available to purchase.
Deidre DixonRead more Read less
Oooh you are a delight to work with You have my loyalty as a customer and my deepest gratitude WHAT A COMFORT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN Dearly and most sincerely yours, Jordana :)
JordanaRead more Read less
Real fast delivery during Christmas which was great service
Jacques tredouxRead more Read less
Excellent experience- easy site, instant feedback when I had neglected to make my order choice clear, quick delivery! Thank you!
Kim LynchRead more Read less
Amazing service, unfortunately one of my canisters had broken during transit, my replacement came very quickly and the communication was very friendly with amazingly fast response times! Love this site and their staff, have already recommended to many friends. I will be shopping again soon :D
Kaeli BuntRead more Read less
I am based in the UAE and tried this site, Funky Gifts, for the first time this Christmas. They were amazing as parcels were delivered form Christchurch to Palmerston North, all with in 2 days. The choice of gifts was extensive and the presents were gift wrapped with my message attached. I will definitely use Funky Gifts again.
GlenisRead more Read less
I found the whole experience absolutely spot on, the follow up of delivery was excellent. I would certainly purchase items from Funky Gifts again. Karen
Karen WiniataRead more Read less
Very impressed by the service. I would not have purchased the pukeko hot/cold pack for the new baby gift if i had seen prior that on the packaging it advertised it for bumps and bruises, i thought it was like a hottie for new borns! i will keep that for another time tho. everything else was great! smiles
Angela PetersRead more Read less
"Hi, I have recently been in touch with Jessica and Maria regarding my oozoo watch which got broken recently. Despite the fact that I didn't originally purchase the watch from you, these two ladies were fantastic. Prompt response, awesome communication, and they went the extra mile to try and help me out. I will definitely purchase from you in the future. Well done on great, caring customer service."
Michelle LennoxRead more Read less
Can recommend FunkyGifts 100%. Superb service, fast delivery and excellent communication. ALL online shopping should be this good. In my family we have a pact where Christmas gifts are to be under $30, and as fun or silly as possible and this is my go to site - prezzies are anticipated with relish and it means the day is always full of laughter and fun. Thank you Funky Gifts staff, you rock!
Karin CurrieRead more Read less
Funky Gifts make gift giving easy. The website is easy to navigate, there are lots of well priced items to choose from and check out is easy. Their communication is top notch and the really quick delivery of a well packaged item just before Christmas was very much appreciated!
HeatherRead more Read less
The only difficult thing about shopping on your site was what to choose from your amazing range of products - I found everything to suit my family's very different tastes. You took all of the stress out of Christmas shopping for me with how easy your site is to use, plus your efficient service and super quick delivery which arrived well before Christmas. I'd recommend you to everyone.
Frazer RangihunaRead more Read less
Very impressed with the delivery time for my package - looking forward to trying out the Ginger Beer kit at Christmas time
RaewynRead more Read less
Amazing shop! You can find awesome gifts for everyone and the staff are really helpful! LOVE this shop!
Sarah Sinclaire (UK)Read more Read less
The team are amazing. They went over and above to assure my gift for Mum was perfect! Great work. Will be back for sure.
Amy JRead more Read less
Choosing a gift for a guy is always tricky but the two items I bought were perfect. I was very impressed with the prompt delivery and careful packaging also.
SheilaRead more Read less
Parcel arriving extremely quickly. I can't comment on the quality as it was a gift and I haven't seen it but my sister was very pleased with them. Would definitely buy from this site again.
JennyRead more Read less
Terrific service and all gifts worth the price . Great variety and ease to order from Scotland for really fast delivery. On a personal note, having given the m wrong delivery address a quick phone call to Hamilton saved the day and the parcel was retrieved and redirected the same day. Great customer service and will definitely use the company in future for gifts for my Kiwi family. Wish you continued success in 2016. Thanks.
Norma ThowRead more Read less
Purchased the Tip Top bird feeder for my friend who collects kiwiana. He loved it! Communication and delivery was very prompt and it came well packed, so it couldn't get damaged in delivery. Would recommend FunkyGifts and will definitely be dealing with them again - they have some awesome gifts in their range
GayleneRead more Read less
Beautifully Wrapped Mothers Day Gift! SUCH fast delivery and awesome attention to detail. AMAZING.
jeniRead more Read less
Great service! Products arrived fast & service was excellent. I was informed the colours I requested weren't currently available so selected others & they were dispatched that day. Lou
Lorraine NowellRead more Read less
In a word AWEsOME! Service is the best! Makes sending awesome gifts super easy! Thanks!
andrewRead more Read less
"Fast and friendly, would definitely recommend Awesome. Excellent communication."
Christchurch MumRead more Read less
Just wanted to say thanks for the great service, will definitely be recommending your store to people in the future, keep up the good work!
MBRead more Read less
Thankyou so much The gift item delivered exactly on time Ur service was awesome
JincyRead more Read less
I loved the prompt service and ease of using the site to order and pay. The goods arrived on time - I only ordered the day before I wanted delivery - and it arrived at 8.23am that day. Wonderful. I will use again.
Jannette BrownRead more Read less
Amazingly fast delivery and everything we ordered inside and expertly packed. Brilliant site with a great range of products
KateRead more Read less
Super Amazing Service - Speedy Delivery - Beautiful Wrapping! Thank you!
JamesRead more Read less
I have used your service for the first time and am so impressed! Thank you for your speed and delivery – very efficient and just perfect for last minute gifts.
JannetteRead more Read less
Just wanted to let you know that I received the hooks today and my son is thrilled with his "climbing army men" as he calls them! Looking forward to getting them up on the wall this weekend. Thanks so much for your awesome service!!
KarenRead more Read less
Thank you so much for the prompt delivery of my order. Received goods on Sunday by courier. Goods exactly as per description on your website. Delivered in perfect condition, as were fragile. Once again thank you. Kind regards Joyce
JoyceRead more Read less
Fantastic customer service. Very professional and easy to deal with, and some uniqueness in the range of gifts. Would recommend to others without hesitation.
Dean CaronRead more Read less
Very impressed how easy it was to order since this is first time I have used Funky Gifts. Gift arrived very quickly and recipients delighted with it. I will definitely use Funky Gifts again.
Sheila BagnallRead more Read less
I chose the makeup bag for my sister in laws birthday present. I asked for the bag to be sent directly to my sister in law and paid for gift wrapping. My sister in law said the bag was beautifully wrapped and the print of the bag is gorgeous. I'm so pleased that she liked it and appreciate the fast delivery and wrapping service. I will use funky gifts again.
Rose LavelleRead more Read less
Great ideas for christmas shopping sorted my overseas family presents for me with gift wrapping as well and prompt delivery
JoanneRead more Read less
Thank you so much for the speedy delivery of my order. The items are perfect & exceeded our expectations especially the Champagne Flute. I can't believe how fast we received our package! Awesome service! Thank you again, Leanne
Leanne & Peter ChristensenRead more Read less
perfectly described, clock looks wonderful. Efficient and excellent service. Well wrapped.
fionaRead more Read less
I live in a small rural area with not alot of variety for shopping and am about an hour from the nearest big town. I also have a back injury which makes travelling very difficult so when I needed a wedding present I turned to the internet and found Funky Gifts. I loved the variety, chose a gift, had it giftwrapped and a card included all within a couple of clicks. When it arrived it was beautifully done and everyone was happy.
Racheal DrewRead more Read less
Really fast and efficient service loved the items I bought they are going to the uk for a friends xmas tree bit of me to her. Thank you Sonya
SonyaRead more Read less
Have ordered from Funky gifts twice now, both times the team were very helpful, especially with the order of 50+ table top trivia boxes right before Christmas! Thank you :)
DebbieRead more Read less
The gift I chose was exactly as advertised and went down a treat. The service was super efficient and I will definitely recommend Funky Gifts to friends. Thanks very much
MargaretRead more Read less
Wonderful service - prompt, efficient, friendly, professional and beautiful gifts - thank you FunkyGifts
DeniseRead more Read less
Very efficient service and goods arrived beautifully packed (ensuring a safe delivery). I would highly recommend funky gifts!!
ToniRead more Read less
Great service excellent quality and quick delivery, have recommended to friends thank you funky gifts
Sue grahamRead more Read less
Best experience online shopping! Fast delivery! Great products! Well packaed and really nice wrapping. Awesome thanks.
BlairRead more Read less
Great selection and range of gifts (including kiwiana stuff). Friendly staff, great prices..
Mel BurkeRead more Read less
I was looking for a gift for a friend and found your website, I was spoilt for choice. I chose a beautiful scarf, it arrived at my friends place very quickly and beautifully gift wrapped. She was delighted. Thanks funky gifts, I have bookmarked your web page, I'll be back!
AlisonRead more Read less
"Excellent, very pleased with purchase and service to Aussie!"
Amanda from AustraliaRead more Read less
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text:
Discussion in 'Off The Beaten Track' started by Catherine M, Aug 20, 2012.
You don't remember him pimping it out at the last finale?
And didn't they move around the production schedule to accommodate his show schedule?
I must have blocked the pimpage.
seriously, what channel is it on?
It's on the FOX entertainment channel here.
I caught the last few minutes of the show today. Abi had lots of make-up on and still looked mean.
CBS here. Daytime television. Dull as dishwater.
I tivo'd it. Will watch when I have a chance.
This isn't relevant to this season, but it's Survivor gossip and I think it's kind of LOL; I've been meaning to post it for a while, but kept forgetting.
Remember when David Murphy of Survivor: Redemption Island proposed to Carolina Eastwood of Survivor: Tocantins on the reunion show? She seemed less than thrilled and everyone wondered if it would last?
They have broken up--because David was sneaking around with Alicia Rosa, the special ed teacher from last season. Carolina found out when she went through the text messages on his cell phone (am I the only person who deletes messages every day as a matter of course?) and took it to Facebook, where it dragged on for a while. Alicia swore that David told her he had broken up with Carolina; Carolina sneered that she knew better because she read the texts, bitch! David has been completely silent, just as you would expect.
And yet, Jeff didn't have them all on his show.
There is an article in this week's EW about a movie with Barbara Streisand and Seth Rogen - lots pics. One in particular makes Babs look a lot like Abi. Now, la Streisand does look pretty good, but...the woman is 70 and has had a LOT of plastic surgery and it shows.
Prancer: zOMG! is that on Sucks?
Spoiler about next season. (includes a spoiler about this season too!)
It was on Sucks a while back, but not in the Spoilers or show discussion forum--I think in their version of OTBT? But there was a thread about Survivor couples and who was still together and who wasn't, and I think it was included in that.
It's also on David, Carolina and Alicia's Survivor Wiki pages and there are some links, but I didn't check them out .
DO NOT look at this if you want to be unspoiled about this season!
(I stopped reading in time so I'm ok, but they do say something about this season in the article.)
I edited Sparks' post a little. Sorry, Sparks
Thanks for gossip!
Who knew boring ass David would be part of a Survivor love triangle. Good for Carolina for getting out of that relationship.
I'm a die-hard Survivor fan and have never missed an episode, but I do not remember these people.
Me too! Well, I vaguely remember Carolina as the mouthy girl that got kicked off first in Tocantins (I think?). Do not remember David at all, although I do remember the proposal now that Prancer mentions it.
It's fine.
PML! Poor David. And he lasted a lot longer than Carolina did.
He was a defense attorney who was on Boston Rob's last season and is best remembered (aside from the proposal) for his closing argument at the final TV, where he argued that the jury needed to vote for Rob. He was quite the Rob fan boy.
Maybe this will refresh your memory: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixwbQ3ybIhI
I only vaguely remember him even after watching that. Obviously he did not make an impression on me!
Oh yeah, now I remember him. Actually, as soon as I googled him and saw a picture, he kind of came back to me. I used to be really good at remembering every contestant from every season, even the ones eliminated early, but I guess they are starting to blend together a bit now.
I vaguely remember the awkward proposal but not those players, and had to look up Alicia - and it's THAT Alicia? The b*tch who said she was going to use all her sex appeal and turned out to be this loathesomely useless player and worst excuse for a special ed teacher ever???
ABC needs to sign them up for next summer's Bachelor Pad immediately.
Has an airdate been set for "Survivor: After The Final Rose" yet?
David seems to have a thing for snarky, sharp-edged Latinas.
Survivor has a better track record for lasting relationships than any of the Bachelor-type shows, which I think is hilarious. Most of the couples who do The Amazing Race (although I don't know if they count, as they were couples first) are still together, too.
My TV is dead, so if someone would be so kind as to summarize the end of the season for me, I would be most appreciative.
nothing gets a relationship off the ground like a month without hygiene
Aw, I don't like seeing Malcolm pushing the idea of voting out Denise. It's a good play for his endgame I suppose, but it still made me kind of sad.
Abi's strong negative feelings toward Denise makes me wonder if her former alliance have similar feelings? Maybe she could have been a little gentler on Abi in the last few tribals (even though Abi is horrible). Also, Lisa was quick to defend her former tribe, making Denise look bad at tribal yet again. I would have loved if Denise pointed out that Tandang was strong physically due in no part to Lisa, who then turned on the tribe she is so proud of, leaving them 3 of the 6 jury members. I guess Denise's position at the time was too precarious to get all uppity though.
I'm still in it for Denise or Malcolm in the end. To come from their situation at Matsing and end up winning it all would be epic.
That would actually make Lisa look like a great player, so not smart to mention.
ETA: I just watched Carter's and Abi's Ponderosa videos...Carter is a really, really boring kid. Abi wants to party, especially with him. Everyone greeted Abi warmly except RC. Cue to sometime later and RC tells Abi that Pete is the one who took the clue, hid it in the rice and told Abi that RC did it, specifically to cause friction between them. Abi: Oh. RC pointed out that she (RC) never betrayed Abi, Abi betrayed RC, and the reason all of their Tandang alliance is at Ponderosa is because they voted her (RC) out. Pete particularly objected to that last bit. Abi offered an apology that sounded totally half assed, which was rejected. Two days later, Abi is asking if RC will ever accept her apology, and RC goes off! on her. She overdoes it a bit, saying Abi is the worst person to ever play Survivor, and says that Abi will be really embarrassed to see how she behaved when the show is aired. Abi says she won't - and I believe her
Also there was a deleted scene where Denise talks about Malcolm's picks for the reward challenge being perfect - they need to keep Lisa close, and Mike does a lot around camp and had never gotten a reward.
Random notes:
Lisa's defense of her original tribe was an excellent play to the jury IMO. She apparently hasn't offended any of them, while several seem to have a problem with Skupin, and that old loyalty could win her the game in the end. Remember also that she stuck with Pete/Artis/Abi for a TC or two when she could have easily jumped ship.
(And Ares I don't think Lisa dragged them down - she's not the best player by any means, but in each and every challenge she has put everything she's got into it, and IMO done as good a job as players much younger and stronger.)
Malcolm's apparent betrayal of Denise - on the boat, I'm thinking that might have been simply to save himself. He knows full well that Lisa has toyed with getting rid of him for weeks, and that Skupin likely considers him the biggest threat in the remaining challenges. He knew he was safe at this TC, but I think that rather than plotting to get rid of Denise (because they didn't, did they?), he was working on making sure he gets to F3. Later in the confessionals, it's just as likely that he was asked the typical pros/cons questions so that they could put together some suspense for TC, even though it seems pretty clear they were all voting out Abi the whole time.
Shocked at the way Abi went off on Skupin at TC . Yeah I know she's a mouthy little b*tch, but I thought she still had some game in her. I wonder if she had talked to him about turning on Denise and he had shut her down, so she was lashing out at him - thinking it's his fault she's going home. If there was any chance that Lisa and Skupin would turn against Denise (Abi not knowing about the boat alliance), she shut that door - but then again, as we well know, 9 times out of 10, all votes are decided long before they sit down in front of Jeff.
re the Ponderosa videos - RC needs to get over it. Yes you were betrayed, but the entire world saw what really went down on tv, so maybe it's time to let it go, no? Bet she gets no more than 1 question at the finale - there have been so many storylines this season, and hers is already long forgotten IMO.
Back to getting rid of Abi - this does fix the little PR problem they all had after getting rid of Carter, and puts them back on even ground in the "I played an honourable game" sweeps. Too bad this jury doesn't care.
Was Penner drunk at TC? He looked awful and like he was going to pass out, and then giving the finger to someone seemed a bit juvenile for him, no?
Looking forward to Sunday's 3 hour extravaganza
I would go further than saying she didn't drag them down - Lisa was a real asset on the puzzles, which helped her team win on several occasions. They might not have had as many wins without her.
I agree. I mean, I understand why RC is upset with Abi and I'm on RC's side with the whole initial argument, but clearly RC is not going to get whatever she wants out of Abi. Abi is never going to realize, accept or admit that she did anything wrong or be upset by her own behaviour. So all RC is doing is making herself upset by letting Abi get to her. The best way to deal with people like Abi is to assume that someday Abi will get her comeuppance in some way, shape, or form and move on.
I really wish they would have either a two hour reunion or only have the jury members and the three finalists. I would love to hear more dirt.
For having to spend an afternoon alone at camp with Abi and not reach for the machete, Denise deserves to win the money.
Ok so Malcolm considering the edit can't win, that's pretty clear as well as Skupin right ? so it leaves one of the girls. Who would you consider ? I still want Denise !!!!!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
This was very well done by John Kerry.
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yawares wrote:Have I told you lately that I love you? Well David, I'm telling you now...cross my heart! You have a heart of gold..
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Thanks, likewise, good to have you as a kalayanamitta.
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Benik Afobe returned to the Reserves with a bang on Tuesday night, scoring the third of Arsenal's five goals in their win over Norwich.
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Casey Pivonka is in his first year at Green Bay after being hired as the Kress Center's Recreation Programming Coordinator in September 2012. He oversees a staff of student-employees who officiate intramural contests, run scoreboards and serve a number of other duties.
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What Are Breast Buds?
I received a phone call today from a mother who was worried about the "bump" beneath her 12 year old daughter's nipple. I do get this phone call quite often and even see mothers and daughters in the office who are concerned about this lump? First thought is often, "is this breast cancer?" The answer is a resounding "NO" but rather a breast bud. While all mothers developed their own breast buds in years past, many have either forgotten or suppressed the memory of early puberty and breast budding.
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While a lump in the breast is concerning in women reassure your daughter that this is not breast cancer (happy that they are so aware) but a normal part of body changes that happen to all girls as they enter adolescence. Breast budding does not mean that their period is around the corner either, and periods usually start at least 2 years after breast budding (often longer).
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Reassurance is really all you need and if your daughter is self-conscious this is a good time to start them wearing a light camisole of "sports bra."
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Home > Facts > Web Exhibits > Woman Suffrage > Images
A hallmark of the twentieth century campaigns for woman suffrage was activists' successful use of popular culture and the mass media. Here members of the Portland Woman's Club Suffrage Campaign Committee, led by Esther Pohl Lovejoy (holding the umbrella) and supporter W. M. "Pike" Davis (at left), sold sandwiches and suffrage to Portland crowds during the June 1912 Rose Festival. (Courtesy Amy Khedouri)


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Understanding DNR Orders
Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders tell hospital staff not to perform potentially life-saving measures, such as CPR, if the patient's heart and lungs stop working. A DNR order must be written by a doctor. This can only be done with the patient's or family's consent. If a patient has not written an advance directive, the family with the help of the healthcare team will decide on a DNR.
You can cancel a DNR order at any time. Ask the nurse if you have any questions about the DNR form.
Writing a DNR Order
When might a DNR order be written? When a patient is near death, if recovery isn't likely, or if the treatment could cause more harm than good. Coma and terminal illness are instances when a DNR order might be used.
Irreversible Coma
In a coma, a patient does not respond to sight, sound, or touch. The heart and lungs could be working, but brain function is damaged due to trauma or disease.
Terminal Illness
In the last stages of heart disease, AIDS, cancer, and other illnesses, some patients don't want to prolong their suffering. If recovery isn't likely and quality of life is poor or getting worse, a patient or the family may agree to a DNR order.
DNR Orders and Hospice care
A hospice program can offer care during the final weeks of life. Hospice programs provide pain control and comfort care in the home or at special facilities. Hospice does not provide aggressive treatment. In fact, a DNR order will likely be discussed before a patient is admitted to hospice. A social worker or case manager may be able to help you arrange for hospice support.


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'The irony, of course, is that the Sabres didn't need Teppo, they just thought they did. He played just four minutes in the first period, then sat like an assistant coach on the Buffalo bench the rest of the way.'
Archives for May 2006
Teppo's value to Sabres can't be overlooked
Not over yet!
'"I felt like I was going to have a heart attack."'
Cardiac kids do it again
'This is not to say that the Sabres are going to go out and put the 'Canes away in Game 7 on Thursday — that would be the storybook ending, and the reason we call them by that name is because they generally only happen in storybooks. But take pleasure in the fact that Buffalo is still in the race. The Little Engine That Just Might Shock The World is still churning out steam, battling tooth and nail…'.
Sabres, 'Canes are all even
'Looking at the the histories of both teams, there have been very few seventh heavens for the Sabres or the 'Canes. While the Sabres are just 1-4 in Game 7s, the 'Canes are even worse. The franchise is 0-3 in seventh games, those coming while the team was still known as the Hartford Whalers.'
Miller holds 'em in
'Miller stopped 25 Hurricanes shots while Ward turned aside 29 from the Sabres. So which rookie goalie will lead his team to a berth in the Stanley Cup final against the Edmonton Oilers? The way this roller-coaster series has played itself out, all bets should definitely off.'
Weight's back up over call
'"I take responsibility," he said, "but it was a bad penalty. It's crap. He has done it three or four times in the series. It has only been called a couple of times, but I guess he was successful at the right time. And then you see guys on the bench giving him pats on the back for that. I'll be out to make amends (tomorrow)."'
Sabres force Game 7
'On this night, the Sabres got a few lucky breaks.'
Plucky Sabres refuse to lose
'The Buffalo season has been to a large degree a story of lesser players upgrading their play to fill holes, and in the post-season that has particularly applied to the blueline corps that was healthy all year but is suddenly pockmarked with injuries.'
Canes struggle to get noticed
'As fans quickly filtered out for the certain traffic jam that awaited them in the parking lot, they were informed that there were still lots of tickets remaining for Game 7 tomorrow night.'
Buffalo sends series to Game 7
'Both Hurricanes coach Peter Laviolette and Weight disagreed with the penalty call that occurred in the corner of Buffalo's end. "I wholeheartedly disagree with the original call and wholeheartedly disagree with the two missed calls [in overtime]," Laviolette said.'
Fired-up Sabres have become a team of many heroes
'The difference between last night's game and the previous one is that the Sabres were much more physical.'
Sabres rely on goaltending while waiting for offence to click
'Once again, the Buffalo Sabres could not capitalize on most of their scoring opportunities, but they are alive today because their goaltender, Ryan Miller, would not let the Carolina Hurricanes capitalize on theirs.'
Sabres send series back to Carolina
'So when the puck dropped to last night's must-win game for the Sabres, the feeling was mutual: This one was Buffalo's to lose. The Sabres didn't.'
'Special bond' keeps Sabres' hopes alive
'"They came at us with their backs against the wall and we didn't respond," Hurricanes head coach Peter Laviolette said. "We're going to have to be a lot sharper than that."'
Numminen gets broadsided by media frenzy
'"You can't fill in his shoes. We've got guys who are stepping in and playing great for us — you can't fault anything they're doing — but you can't simply replace a guy with all the experience he has, and the outlet passes he makes, and the offence he brings."'


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American parents today face a perfect storm of cultural and social circumstances that undermine the very foundations of parental authority. In response, mothers and fathers are beginning to see therapists as irrelevant and to challenge the entire social, educational, and economic context of childrearing.On a day long before the Occupy Wall Street Movement began, I met with a large group of 21st-century child professionals who were on a tear about the multiple inadequacies of today's mothers and fathers. Sparks of indignation about parents' inability or refusal to take charge of their kids—to create any kind of appropriate hierarchy in the family—lit up the auditorium. "They're scared of their own children!" one proclaimed to nods of agreement all around. "If I ever said just one thing to my parents the way they allow their kids to talk to them every single day, I know exactly what would have happened to me!" said another. "They've abdicated, handing their children over to us to raise!" yelled a third. The general consensus was that today's parents had become a "doormat generation" to their own kids, and that they were resisting all efforts by well-meaning professionals to help them grow parental backbones. It was enough to make one's head spin.
Well, until later. That evening, I met with hundreds of parents from the same community. In a weirdly antiphonal response to what I'd heard earlier in the day, they rocked the school auditorium with their complaints of how hard—no, impossible—it was to be a parent today. School was a bureaucratic, relentlessly demanding, social and academic rat race that wasn't even preparing their kids for the future. A vast and frightening Internet culture was hijacking their kids, and they were helpless to do much about it. These parents said they were trying so hard to make ends meet that they had little time left over just to be with their kids, much less maintain consistent authority over their lives.
Besides the more familiar complaints, these parents railed against accusations that they weren't trying to take charge of their own children and teens, even as they admitted just how hard that had become. It was as though the earlier meeting with school administrators and educators had been bugged. In fact, the parents made clear that they wanted to be more effective and engaged, but were blocked not only by social forces, but by the very childrearing system that was supposed to prepare their children for adulthood. More and more, the collective verdict was clear: the conveyor belt of 21st-century childrearing was seizing up, and the academic and therapeutic professionals working with children "just weren't getting it."
Not long ago, I might have heard parents talk as if their kids' problems—drugs, school failure, or acting out—were matters for individual families to resolve, sometimes with the aid of a therapist. Now, I'm seeing mothers and fathers challenge the entire social, educational, professional, and economic context of childrearing—a system, they increasingly believe, that's made effective parenting almost unachievable.
It's no accident that since the economic implosion of 2008, following decades of stagnant or declining income across the socioeconomic spectrum (except for the very top), the tone of my conversations with parents has shifted dramatically. Adults were already under siege trying to handle the incomprehensible newness of what seemed to arise each week in kid-universe. That was followed by financial stress, chronic joblessness, underwater mortgages, and college savings raided to cover family living expenses. It's little wonder I'd begun to register parental impatience and resentment toward child "experts."
There seems to be another, noneconomic reason for parental dissatisfaction with the current childrearing situation: the tendency on the part of child experts, including too often me, to blame parents for what's going on. In fact, as I speak with child clinicians and educators across the country, the parent-blame knocks me over. I can't help but think, How can we help the very parents we seem to hold in such disdain? It seems particularly ironic that, as therapists, we don't appear to have empathy for parents who are trying to muddle through a perfect storm of interconnected cultural and social circumstances that undermine the foundations of parental self-confidence and integrity, even of family life itself. After all, "post-boomer" parents, a majority born after 1964, are watching the implicit social contract they grew up with—"If you try hard enough, you'll get ahead"—disappear right before their eyes. Parents across the economic spectrum, the other 99 percent, are the first post–World War II generation to be told that their children will be less prosperous than they are, perhaps much less prosperous.
Our therapeutic gaze often seems to pass right over the broader parent-subverting social and economic forces that shape our therapeutic work, to focus almost exclusively on what individual parents are doing wrong. Of course, therapy is personal. We can't change the economy or revoke the malignant effects of cyber technology or unilaterally humanize school culture. We can, however, take a hard look at mothers' and fathers' view of the world, connect more effectively with them, and—who knows?—even begin to help them negotiate the daunting challenges they're facing in a childrearing context gone wild.
Parental Uncertainty
"How can I get my child to not go to midweek concerts when almost everyone else in the school is going?" "It's one thing to tell my kids not to drink and drive, but how can I stop them from texting while they're driving?" "You tell us that we should limit screen time, but how can we when half of the homework in elementary school is online?" "When my preteen son calls me from anywhere on his phone, how can I be certain he's really where he says he is?"
These are just a few of the questions I increasingly hear from parents and groups across the country. On top of losing faith in a secure future, mothers and fathers deal with everyday dilemmas that make a joke of traditional rules and childrearing practices. Unfortunately, many therapists still seem to believe that reliable solutions to the problems families face can be readily found in our psychodynamic, family, or standard evidence-based protocols. The rampant "medicalization of childhood"—our attempt to assist kids in getting the help they need to grow up in today's tumultuous world by assigning more and more DSM diagnoses—doesn't instill parental confidence either. "How many of you are familiar with the following diagnoses?" I ask parents. As recently as five years ago, most had only a vague sense of the acronyms used every day in our work. Now ADD (attention deficit disorder), AD/HD (attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder), PDD (pervasive developmental disorder), ODD (oppositional defiant disorder), spectrum disorders, Asperger's, bipolar I & II roll off parents' lips so easily you'd think you were at grand rounds in a teaching hospital.
By the time kids are 18, at least half of them have already received a psychological diagnosis. While many mothers and fathers have become psychological sleuths, searching their child's behavior for any sign of disorder, others continue to believe that the only thing wrong with kids is a lack of discipline. All the while, it becomes harder and harder to distinguish between psychological aberrations and the peculiar 21st-century context in which kids are growing up.
Fifteen-year-old Serena can't settle down at night. Her mind hurtles between anxiety, excitement, and unbridled enthusiasm—you might say she's rapid-cycling. Along with an inability to tear herself away from her online world, she's fallen dramatically behind in school. In a reversal of the usual sleep–wake patterns, she's awake all night, sleeps until early afternoon, and misses entire days. She's had so many diagnoses it seems inevitable that she'd eventually receive a bipolar II label and several trials of medication. But it's more complicated than that—she's also a hypertexter, as many kids with attention and mood vulnerabilities are, and has been the object of intense peer attention, keeping her involved in text interactions that never cease. She can't stop reacting physically or emotionally to her phone, which she says, "might as well be glued to the inside of my head, it's so much a part of me." Is this a true bipolar disorder, an acquired difficulty in affect-regulation triggered by the warp-speed electronic world she inhabits, or both?
Serena's parents were skeptical about the bipolar diagnosis; it was just the latest tag from a long line of experts who didn't have a clue about what was troubling their daughter.
They were fed up with the judgmental attitude of clinicians who intimated that Serena's problems were due to "poor hierarchy" in the family, along with their expectation that she could just be ordered to give up her tech lifelines, cold turkey. Like others who'd had it with the parent-blaming diagnostic merry-go-round so prevalent today, Serena's father and mother decided to take matters into their own hands. Having had their fill of standard mental-health interventions, they opted to explore alternative approaches to diagnosis and healing—skin and hair analysis, meditation, biofeedback, homeopathy, yoga, cranial-sacral therapy, exercise and diet regimens, organic pharmacology. The combination settled Serena down some and increased her parents' confidence that they could tolerate guidance from me. Their daughter, whom I never met, began easing into an alternative school program that made more slowly escalating demands. I soon learned to respect her mom and dad's skepticism about what the school system and therapy-as-usual had to offer.


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By Rob Kelly
Aaron Ramsey says that the experience of playing for Team GB at the London 2012 Olympics will live with him for the rest of his life.
The 21-year-old was part of the Great Britain squad that reached the quarter-finals of the football tournament, only to crash out on penalties to Ju Young Park's South Korea.
Despite that disappointment, the Welsh midfielder savoured every moment of the Games.
"It was a really great experience for me personally. It was good to play in that tournament mode - I haven't done that before," Ramsey told Arsenal Player.
"We were disappointed with the way it went in the end but it went to penalties and anything can happen there.
"Overall it was a great experience and all of the athletes did tremendously well. It will stay with me now for the rest of my life."
Ramsey says the whole Team GB squad got caught up in the excitement of the Olympics, and he looked to fellow competitors like Mo Farah and Jessica Ennis for inspiration.
"Absolutely [we got caught up in the buzz]," he said. "Reading the papers every day, it was a great event and it was hosted really well. Everyone enjoyed themselves. It was just a great occasion for us and for the country.
"We went out there to try to win a medal. We thought we had a good chance of doing that but it wasn't to be.
"But we recognised the amount of effort and training that is required for people like Mo Farah and Jess Ennis to win a gold medal. We are inspired by them."
Aside from the excitement of competing in his first international tournament, Ramsey says it was an invaluable learning experience.
"It was definitely different [to playing for Wales]," he said. "Obviously Wales haven't made the finals of a competition yet so it was different playing three games in a week.
"Just the whole tournament mode is different. One of the things I have learned about is how to manage yourself when you are in that mode.
"Hopefully Wales can do that one day and we can qualify for a championship. There will be a few Welsh players who know what is required to handle that situation now."
Watch the full interview with Aaron on Arsenal Player now.Copyright 2017 The Arsenal Football Club plc. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source


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My girlfriend is becoming quite involved in Spiritism as explained in the books by Alan Kardec. She was coming from a syncretic spiritual life of being Catholic and in Candomble, After 7 years in Candomble, she was ready to do what I would call 'going forth', to become an elder in that. She said she experienced Orixa possession and all that, but decided that it was not her path because she does not agree with the animal sacrifices that she had to do to get this far, to go further requires more bloodshed, and she does not believe in harming living things in general and had felt shocked to kill as part of Candomble before. I was hoping to attract her study to the teachings of the Bhudda, however due to the local culture and widespread belief in the teachings of Kardec, she has been dedicating her time to studying and following Spiritism which seems to me, misleading, because the teachings on rebirth are contrary to the Dhamma and it is based on understanding codification of what the spirits supposedly revealed from beyond, instead of direct knowledge here and now. After having read a great deal of the Spirits Book and 'Genesis', I can see that most of the topics discussed, are even totally irrelevant to final liberation. Things that the Bhudda would have not even bothered to answer. For this reason, I'm concerned, because she's on the wrong path.
I am wondering if anyone is familiar enough with the ideology of Spiritism, and its differences with the Dhamma, to give me some tips on how to motivate her to investigate the Dhamma instead, for her benefit. Any help would be appreciated!


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Expanding their microfinance practices across the globe, the University of St. Thomas Social Entrepreneurship Program traveled to Africa in January to identify potential projects and collaborations in Mozambique, Malawi and Tanzania.
A group of two UST faculty members and four students – Dr. Linda Pett-Conklin, Dr. Rogelio Garcia-Contreras, Thomas "Paul" Barnes, Lindsay Phend, Stephanie Coleman and Hiba Haroon – spent the latter part of the winter break from January 5-20 in Africa.
The trip to Tanzania was generously sponsored by Bruce Wilkinson, retired CEO of McDermott International and member of the UST Board of Directors. Beginning in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, the group toured the Lieberman School, which Wilkinson helped build. They also met with members of the Kipawa Parish, His Eminence Polycarp Cardinal Pengo and bank officials to discuss the possibility of starting a microfinance program to create sources of sustainable income among the parishioners. In Malawi, the students assessed the possibility of a number of projects including granting microloans to a co-operative of HIV positive women and agricultural ventures to diversify current farming practices. In Mozambique, the group met with officials of the International Council of Universities of Saint Thomas Aquinas (ICUSA) including Father Joseph Mawala, President of the Universidade de Sao Tomas, Mozambique .
"It was a wonderful and enlightening experience, and we are confident we will be able to develop, establish and coordinate pilot projects with many new partners," Garcia-Contreras said. "The opportunities are endless and the need is huge. We have the opportunity to do a great deal of good through our loans and our students' expertise. Our students can become the instruments for real and positive change not only in the lives of others but in their own lives as well."
Both Barnes and Haroon said this was their first time to travel in Africa, and it was an eye-opening experience.
"I was struck by the contrast between the three countries we visited," Barnes said. "Malawi had few paved roads and little infrastructure but there were these serene, beautiful vistas of fertile farmland. Tanzania was very developed, and there were cars, buildings and traffic everywhere. There seemed to be such a huge disparity of wealth, where so many of the poor could benefit from microfinance to help them reduce their dependency on foreign aid."
Haroon, who graduated in December, said the trip helped dispel many of her preconceived notions of poverty in Africa.
"Our visits really reinforced the need to communicate effectively with loan recipients," Haroon said. "We learned so much from the people we met. I saw a real sense of empowerment that already exists among the people. They didn't need us to tell them how to enhance their current practices; they already know what they need. Our job is to listen and brainstorm with them about ways to get started."
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By Giuseppe Muro
Arsène Wenger insists Arsenal's activity at the end of the transfer window was not a reaction to the heavy defeat against Manchester United.
The Arsenal manager has added five new players, four permanent and one temporary, to his squad since the game at Old Trafford but has refuted suggestions that he made any knee-jerk decisions.
Wenger also confirmed at his pre-match media briefing that the Club was not close to signing anyone else on what was the busiest deadline day in recent memory.
"Some of the transfers were linked with players going out like Santos and Park because I knew Bendtner and Traore would go out," he said.
"Some of the other players were linked with the fact we have Wilshere out for a long time like Diaby. I knew as well that Vermaelen would have surgery the week before Manchester United so we needed to buy a centre-back.
"The midfield was a bit short because we now go into a time where we have the Champions League and the Carling Cup and we need a big squad.
"We were not close to signing anybody else. We had other targets but I was never close. Five transfers in the last four days, I must tell you we were busy enough!"
New boys Mikel Arteta, Per Mertesacker and Yossi Benayoun are in contention to make their debuts against Swansea this weekend.
Brazilian defender Andre Santos lacks match fitness while Ju Young Park has yet to train with his new team-mates and may miss the game at Emirates Stadium.
"They are all good players and what we want to achieve, of course, is to make a good team with the players who came in.
"Their quality is not questionable. We have a good opportunity now to show that in the coming games."Copyright 2017 The Arsenal Football Club plc. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source