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Thomas "Buck" Riley, Founder and former CEO of Riley Riper Hollin & Colagreco, speaks with Vista Today about his memories growing up on a farm and inheriting all farm duties at the age of sixteen, his destined, yet rocky path to becoming a lawyer, the strong relationships he had with his father and then father-in-law, and his new role working for Meridian Bank after 52 years in the law business:
Where were you born and where did you grow up, Buck?
I was born the oldest of four children in Westtown Township, on a 240-acre farm in 1939. My grandmother and grandfather owned the farm. After serving as a supply officer on a Destroyer Escort, in World War II, my father became a lawyer; first in West Chester, and then in Paoli before he became a judge in Chester County in 1960.
What memories do you have of World War II?
I remember many things such as my grandparents going down to a nearby civilian observation tower to stand watch to see if there were any enemy planes coming in. I also remember food rationing stamps and the night my father came home from the War.
What memories do you have of growing up on the farm?
My grandfather was the one who was most involved with the farm. Even though I was just six and couldn't reach the pedals, he put me on a Farmall H Tractor. He and a team of workers would be picking up bales that had been dropped by the baler while I steered the tractor. If they had to stop it, one of the men would run over and jump up on the tractor to hit the clutch pedal and brakes because I could not reach them.
At one point when I was about twelve, my grandfather decided to buy a new set of equipment for the farm. At the time, there were two dealers in West Chester, the Farmall dealer and the John Deere dealership. He invited each one to come out to the farm separately and make a proposal on this whole new set of equipment.
I can still remember sitting on his porch the times the salespeople came to the house. It was a big order because it was two new tractors and a whole new line of machinery. They started talking to him, each one presenting differently, and he said to them, 'don't talk to me'. He pointed at me and said, 'he's going to make the decision.' I was 12 years old at the time. I leaned toward John Deere equipment so we bought all new John Deere equipment.
In the spring when I would finish school on a Friday afternoon, I would come home, and while the other guys would be making plans to go to the movies, I'd go out and plow the fields into the night with the lights on the tractor to get a start on the weekend. Being on that big John Deere tractor was all I wanted to do.
How did you end up running the farm?
My grandmother called me one morning when I was sixteen years old and said, 'I think your grandfather is dead. She said, 'he fell over a few minutes ago and now he's not breathing.'
A couple of days later after his funeral, my grandmother said, 'what do you think?' She was referring to the farm. And I said, 'I think we can do it.' It's hard to believe but she let me take over the 240-acre farm with 30 head of Angus cows and 9 horses when I was just 16 years old!
What did your grandmother see in you at such a young age that allowed her to trust you?
Well, I think what they saw was that I had this tremendous overwhelming love of that farm and the animals. I just loved everything about it. It was so deeply embedded inside me.
I also think being allowed to operate large equipment at such a young age helped to instill a strong early connection to the farm.
And where do you think that love came from?
Well, when I was six years old, and just starting in 1st grade, my grandfather gave me a baby bull. I named him Billy Boy and he was mine to take care of. Every morning I would get up, before going to school, and I'd go to the barn to feed and brush Billy Boy.
How did your parents react to your grandmother's decision to let you run the farm?
My parents were very happy about me running the farm in conjunction with my grandmother who handled the finances for me. Actually, in some respects my father who was a lawyer, was somewhat relieved that I had turned 16 just prior to my grandfather's passing and now had a license to drive.
Prior to that time as early as when I was 13, I would be driving all the big John Deere tractors pulling a baler and wagon on local roads, some of which, were narrow and with various hills. I had to shift gears going up steep hills and double clutch the big John Deere tractor so that it wouldn't stall.
My father was aware that I was driving on State and Township roads without a license and would occasionally say "do you know what would happen if you had an accident driving without a license and with no insurance?'
My response being that of an invincible teenager would be something like – 'Well Dad, I really don't intend to have an accident and furthermore, I don't think I need a license to drive to drive farm equipment on the road. The conversation would quietly end with no resolution and I would continue to drive heavy farm equipment on local roads (thankfully with no accidents).
Looking back now, I realize how silly it was for a kid of 13 to be telling his father, a lawyer, what the law of Pennsylvania was.
Looking back, what lessons did you learn working on the farm?
Well, one thing that has stuck with me over the years is something I learned early on – that is "to love and lose". When I was given that little baby male calf to feed and brush and care for every morning before school, I came to love that little guy – Billy Boy. I knew he looked forward to seeing me every morning as I did him. Then one morning when I got to the barn, he wasn't there. My grandfather had sold him, and he was taken away while I was at school the previous day. When I tearfully questioned my grandfather as to why he had to go, he patiently explained to me that male calves were not needed on the farm. Their value was in being good for veal. So, then I had lost him, and worse yet, he was going to die.
That was a tough lesson for me at a young age, but a healthy part of growing up sooner than normal as that scenario repeated itself over and over. I think that love is embedded in every farmer. You can't help but get close to the animals. They have personalities, and each one of them has their own separate way of approaching things. That was a big lesson for me. So, losing people over the course of my life has been a little easier because I learned very early "to love and lose".
There's an old adage, 'there is nothing in life more certain than change', and some people have a hard time dealing with it, but if you forecast that change will inevitably happen, not to be morbid, but you'll be in a better position to deal with it.
Did you play any sports in high school?
I did, but not well! I was not a good athlete. I played football at Malvern Prep. I was also involved in track and field. I competed in the shot put and discus. I also played rugby in college as well.
Interestingly enough, I went to St. Joe's College and they didn't have a rugby team. At the time, there was a British Villanova professor who wanted to start a team at Villanova, but the school would not sponsor it. They gave him a field on Lancaster Avenue, saying, 'we will allow you to use the field, but we will not sponsor the team due to liability and too much money already going around to different teams. We will give you a field, you can play on a field, but the rest is up to you – uniforms, sponsors, and whatever else comes down the road'.
Most of the guys I went to Malvern with went to Villanova, and I was kind of the odd person out at St. Joe's. That was principally because my dad went to St. Joe's and was a star athlete there in track and field.
My friends at Villanova asked me to come play rugby with the team and I said, 'I can't, I don't go to Villanova.' They said, 'don't worry, the school won't sponsor us so you can come play with us.' So, I played rugby for Villanova for three years while being a student of St. Joe's College.
We had no idea what the hell we were doing! We just played hard and rough. In my last year, though, we wound up winning our segment of the eastern rugby union tournament against the Ivy League schools – all of whom were more skilled than we, We'd play the Ivy League Schools in New York's Central Park on Saturdays.
I was going out with a girl from Short Hills, NJ and one of the other guys was going out with a girl from New York City, and they would put us up at their parents' homes on Friday nights. We'd play the games on Saturdays, and then on Saturday nights, we'd all go out to dinner together after the games. It was terrific.
What kind of music were you listening to growing up, Buck?
Interestingly enough, we used to play music in the barn all the time for the cows. The music was very soothing for the cows. We called it hillbilly music, but it would be known as country music today. We had an old beat up radio in the barn. We'd turn it on when the cows came in and they just seemed to find it very soothing.
I always liked rock 'n roll music – so we'd play '50's rock and roll music in the Ford pick-up truck, and also "hillbilly music", occasionally. The '50's were the marvelous time in my life. Post Second World War, things were pretty calm. In the '60's everything went nuts. The music, drugs, Vietnam War, President Kennedy's assassination, violent student protests and more.
Did you have a favorite artist?
Not really – it was just music all great rock 'n roll. Down the line, I got into the Kenny Rogers era. My favorite today in country music would be Toby Keith. Fortuitously, I became friends with Chubby Checker, and his wife Katarina – former Miss World, and we're still friends today.
Did St. Joe's end up being a good choice for you?
St. Joe's was great because it was very disciplined academically. I think I would have screwed off a lot more if I went to Villanova because there were too many buddies of mine from high school to party with there. St. Joe's when I was there, was not a rich-guy's school by any means. It was middle class families from North Philadelphia or over the bridge in New Jersey. I never really made many friends there because I lived in West Chester, far away from where most of my classmates at St. Joe's lived. Jesuits were very disciplined, and there were many Jesuits teaching there back then.
How did you decide to be a lawyer?
I wanted to go into farming. A friend of mine was going into farming with me. Not here though, in PA. We were going to go into the Midwest and stake a claim on land there. My friend was much more into dealing with animals, his dad was a veterinarian. My friend was going to do the animal growing part, and I was going to deal with the equipment and planting crops.
Hearing my plans, my father said to me, 'you know, Buck, if you go into law and you don't like it, you can always go back into farming because you know farming. But, if you go into farming, and find out after two or three years that you made a mistake, you aren't going to be able to go into law'. Back in those days you just didn't skip a couple of years after college and then go to law school.
That just made so much logical sense to me, so I decided to try it. I liked law, so I got into it.
What is it about law that drew you in?
I think it was my uncle Ted Rogers, who was the county solicitor at the time, who turned me on to it. I worked for him for the summer between first and second years in law school. I decided to give it a try. My uncle just had a way about him that was so appealing, helping people, but also getting paid. My father was much more of a "don't charge them much" kind of person. I think the most he made in his life was $35,000 in one year.
I liked the challenge of the law. It was challenging to get involved in a case and see if you can present it in such a way that you can convince a judge that your client should win.
Was getting into law school easy?
When I applied to law school, I had the second lowest aptitude test in my class. When I was interviewed, I didn't know what the interview was going to be about. I was interviewed by a man named Professor Tom O'Toole, a Harvard graduate law professor who was vice dean of Villanova Law School. Brilliant guy. He was interviewing me, and he had my resume and my marks from St. Joe's. I almost flunked out of St. Joe's at one point because I was busy with the farm taking care of the animals, getting the crops in, playing rugby and going to parties.
Professor O'Toole looked at me in the interview and he said, 'can you read or write? Look at this. You got a C in this. You got a C+ in this. 'Well, in the last two years, I had worked my tail off and made the Dean's List at St. Joe's. But he didn't bother to mention that.
He said, 'I shouldn't let you in here. You should try to get into Temple. You can probably get into Dickinson. Why should I take a chance on you? It's clear that you are mentally lazy. Most likely, you're going to flunk out of here. You'll either be at the top of your class, or you'll flunk out, and my guess is that you'll flunk out.'
He asked me if there was anyone at St. Joe's College that could say a good word about me. I thought, 'oh man.' I pulled up the name of a marvelous professor whose class I thoroughly enjoyed. I said, "Yes. I am sure Dr. Dougherty will say something good about me." And he said, "Oh, come on. Jim Dougherty will say a good word about anybody." He just happened to personally know, Dr. Jim Dougherty.
Then he said, "No, I'm talking about someone who is tough." Then I said, "I'll tell you what. What about Father Sullivan, the dean?" He said, "if you can get a letter from the dean, Father Sullivan, recommending you, I'll let you in here."
I got up and left and thought to myself, "how the hell am I going to do that – get a letter of recommendation from Father Sullivan?" So, I get back to St. Joe's and go right to the secretary's office. I make an appointment to see Father Sullivan. I remembered when I first went in at St. Joe's, there was mandatory athletics or something. I had asked to be excused from it because I was working on the farm. I had to talk to the Dean to get this granted. Turned out, he had worked on a farm while in school. He was so taken with my work on the farm.
When I went to see him, he remembered me. I told him the story of my interview. He said, "well let's take a look." Thank God, the only thing he looked at was my last two years – where I had made Dean's List! He said, 'well, I don't know what's so bad about this. You wound up making the Dean's list', and he agreed to write the letter.
That's how I got into law school. I graduated exactly in the middle of the class, so I guess that Professor Tom O'Toole was not correct in his prediction that I would either go to the top or flunk out.
What was the edge that you brought to the law?
Having the good fortune to be able to watch my father and my Uncle Ted Rogers, both of whom were learned and became very well respected judges. Strangely enough, as timid as I was when I first started, I developed the ability to speak well over time. I think as crazy as it may seem, that stupid thing Bill Green and I got involved in on a whim, beating those guys from the top of the class even though we had no business being there.
Have you always felt comfortable presenting to a group, such as a jury?
No. I haven't. I was scared to death as late as my first year in law school. We had to do these mandatory amateur court practices. I was so scared; I was almost apoplectic. I could hardly get the words out of my mouth.
Bill Green, who would later become Mayor of Philadelphia, and I were good friends. The following year he said, 'why don't you and I get in this competition?' I thought he was most certainly joking as neither one of us was an academic genius.
So I said, 'you know, what the hell.' We wound up going all the way to the finals, beating many skilled teams along the way. We lost in the finals, but I definitely overcame my fear of public speaking.
Buck, who were the people who propelled your career?
Well, my grandmother gave me the shot of running a major farm operation when my grandfather died. How many people would turn that kind of a huge operation to a sixteen-year-old kid?
The two people who really significantly made a difference after that are my father and father-in-law. My father was a wonderful man and was probably the most interesting and marvelous person in my lifetime. He was a judge. I could be tempted to say I built my law practice on my own, but when you're the son of one of three judges in the county, it's a lot easier for you than somebody else.
My father died when I was 31 years-old, there were 800 people at his viewing. It was a cold, rainy night in February in Malvern, and the people who came to pay their respects were standing out on the sidewalk. I'd go out periodically and tell them that things were going slowly inside, but they would say, 'no we're alright, Buck – we'll stay'. They all signed the book, and that's how I knew it was over 800 people. The next day the church at St. Simon and Jude was filled to capacity for his funeral Mass.
The other person who impacted my career was my then father-in-law, John Connelly. I admired him greatly. He was an incredibly talented business man. He was as straight as they come, tough as nails, yet everything was very simple. He ran a Fortune 200 world-wide company, Crown Cork and Seal Co. Inc., a can manufacturer. It was a nickel and dime business, no glamour. He was a tough guy. He worked hard and expected everyone around him to work as hard.
He wanted me to quit law practice and become president of Connelly Containers, another public company which he controlled. I thought long and hard, but decided for personal reasons that it wasn't a good idea.
There were just so many marvelous things that I was exposed to business-wise at a young age that I would never be exposed to under most circumstances. I'd say those two people – my father and my then father-in-law were my biggest sources of influence.
Without sounding too dramatic or self-deprecating, I've come to realize that with all the things that have been given to me in my lifetime, I have not gone very far. Recently, I saw a handicapped gentleman getting out of a van equipped for a handicapped driver, crutches in hand and braces on both legs. I happen to know he owns his own business. I watched him shuffle along unsteadily supporting himself with his crutches. I thought to myself, I've lived a marvelous life and I've been given so much (great health, wonderful education, decent looks, ability to express myself well, great parents, and wonderful children).
When I see people who have achieved against the odds, and how hard they've worked to get there, it's equally mind-blowing and humbling. It also reminds me to keep my mouth closed and not utter a word of complaint about anything but rather to be so thankful for all of the gifts I have been given.
Have you ever considered running for political office?
When I decided to stay in law practice, my father told me 'look you're going to get involved in political things someplace in some way, shape or form because that's just the way it happens in Chester County with lawyers. It's one thing to consider running for office. I caution you though, not to run for an office in which you can't afford to live on the amount of money it pays. Because, if you can't, you're going to be governed by the people who put up the money for you to run for office. You're not going to be truly independent'.
That always stuck with me. I'm not patting myself on the back, but over time I've been asked to run for several different offices, and those words of my father have always been in the front of my mind. Now I see how people are beholden to the people putting up money for them. Because of my father's guidance, I've stayed in the political realm, in the background.
Have you ever considered retiring?
My father-in-law said to me one night, 'Buck, don't ever retire.' I thought to myself, everyone retires. You work for a company until you're 65, retire, get a pension. I had heard people say to him, 'John another 18 months to go, and then I'm going to retire', and he'd say back to them, 'what are you going to do then? Die?'
I can't tell you how many times I heard him say, 'well what are you going to do after that? Die?' and they'd say, 'I'm going to travel, play some golf' and he would respond by saying, 'and then you're going to die, right?' Oh. He was brutal. He told me that retirement was bull**** and the only thing that happens after you retire is that you're going to die.
He said if you're finished working for a company, do something else. Don't retire. When you retire, the next meaningful thing that happens in your life is that you die. That has always been in my thinking. Also, farmers never retire; the farm always kept going. It was always shocking to hear him say it to other people, though.
I spent 52 years practicing law, and I had a lot of success, won a lot of cases. I said to the folks in my office; I don't have any more hills to climb. I won the first million dollar verdict that ever came down in Chester County. I've won the highest verdict in Chester County. I can drive around and look at this development and that development that I got approved. I said to myself, 'I want to do something entirely different'.
So, in any event, I decided to talk to Chris Annas, Founder and CEO of Meridian Bank – a friend – simply to get some ideas. I arranged a lunch meeting to talk to him to see what might be out there that would be interesting to do. He said, 'why don't you consider coming to work for us?' I said, 'I don't want to review any documents, I don't want to try any cases, I don't want to be anyone's boss.'
I thought he was talking about legal work! I had never worked for anybody in my life, ever. He said, 'I think we can make this work', so we talked some more about it. With the experience I had from Connelly and my other business experience, I was able to recognize what a great organization Meridian is.
Chris has put together a top-notch company here. It's the combination of the younger and older employees, who are all very smart and ambitious in a good, healthy way. He's developed this concept of a community bank that can offer the services of a larger bank, but still stay nimble and humble. Chris has developed a great competitive advantage at Meridian. Where all the big banks have a great deal of continuing expense in real estate around, a branch on every corner, and all the paid tellers to staff them. Now that everything is going online, the big banks are trying to get rid of the real estate and get rid of the overhead. He doesn't have that overhead. Part of Meridian's strategy is maintaining a limited branch network – just one office per county, and one now in Philadelphia.
What do you bring to the table within the bank?
Chris said to me – and I think this is part of his genius – 'there's a lot of people out there that we know but we don't have any contact with them or any relationship. You have developed relationships with a lot of these people that we know, but we have no way to get to. I think you can open doors for Meridian in places in which we have not current access.'
I built my own firm, and it was, and still is, very successful. And so, I believe I can help, going forward, in expanding Meridian, just with the instincts I've developed over the years. The practice of law just didn't interest me anymore after 52 years. Building the firm was what I liked about it. The group of people who are currently at the firm are marvelously talented people. I see what Chris has developed at Meridian, and I believe I can help him get to the next level.
Finally, Buck, what is the best piece of advice you ever received?
The first piece of advice was what my father told me about running for office. Had my father not given me that warning, there is no question that I would have succumbed to the idea of running for some political office. People blow smoke at you all the time, so I'm sure I would have gone for it and lived to regret it.
The second piece of advice is what my father-in-law said about retiring. Without that advice, I would have moved toward retirement when I decided to no longer practice law. The so-called "golden years" and all. But he drilled his belief into me by confronting other people with it. He wasn't necessarily giving me advice; I just happened to be listening to it when other people were being shocked by it.
So, I'm now on to a brand new career and loving it.


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Friday 14 September 2012
September 14, 2012
Tymoshenko's Strange Week In Jail
Prison officials have confiscated two Geiger counters from jailed Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko, who claims authorities are responsible for high radiation levels in her quarters. The confiscation follows damaging accusations from two of her former cellmates.
September 14, 2012
Udaltsov Says Putin Needs To Start Dialogue 'Before It's Too Late'
Sergei Udaltsov is a determined man. One of the lead organizers of the opposition March of Millions demonstration to be held on September 15, he is calling on the authorities to open a dialogue with the opposition and agree to early and fair elections. And he has no intention of backing down.
September 13, 2012
Ukrainian City's Residents Make A Stink -- About The Smell
Residents of Lviv in western Ukraine are complaining that their otherwise picturesque hometown is becoming increasingly unlivable because of a mysterious foul odor permeating the city. Environmental officials say unregulated sewer systems are to blame, and have called on city officials to clean up Lviv's air.
September 13, 2012
The Deadly Consequences Of Cultural Insensitivity In Afghanistan
In the past year, there has been an alarming spike in the number of Afghan soldiers opening fire on and killing their Western counterparts. Aware that many of the attacks are due to simple misunderstandings, the Afghan government has taken steps to give its security forces a lesson in cultural awareness.
September 13, 2012
Is Tajik Singer Putin Fan Or Kremlin's Man?
Tolibjon Kurbankhanov, a singer from Tajikistan, has been churning out video clips praising Vladimir Putin. His latest composition, "Happy Birthday, Mr. President," is fuelling speculation that the songs are nothing more than a Kremlin PR stunt.
September 12, 2012
Serbia's Version Of 'The Onion': Humor With A Point
Two years ago it made an international splash with a fake news story about a drunken Serb who killed a shark that had been terrorizing tourists in Egypt. Since then, Njuz.net has established itself as something of a Serbian version of "The Onion," with a sharp and satirical take on Serbian politics, society, and public opinion.
September 11, 2012
As Elections Loom, Independent Ukrainian TV Battles For Survival
An independent television station in Ukraine is fighting a hefty tax-evasion fine widely seen as an attempt to muzzle criticism of President Viktor Yanukovych ahead of key parliamentary elections. TVi may face bankruptcy if the fine is not overturned.
September 11, 2012
Interview: Does Revelation Of U.S. 'Cover-Up' Of Katyn Change Perception Of Massacre?
New evidence appears to lend weight to the belief that the U.S. administration helped cover up Soviet guilt for the 1940 Katyn massacre of Polish officers. RFE/RL talked to George Sanford, a professor emeritus of East European politics at England's University of Bristol, about what effect the revelation might have.

subset: commoncrawl


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Just another normal day on Moya but with the addition of two not one John Crichtons, arguing over which is the real one and which is the clone. To stop the incessant arguing, Aeryn Sun splits the two up, one to help Stark the other to watch Crais. Bialar Crais is currently receiving medical attention by Joolushko Tunai Fenta Hovalis better known as Jools. Bialar Crais is currently unconscious due to what happened in the previous episode.
On the surface, Ka D'argo, Chiana and Rygel are attempting to broker a business deal to buy chromextin which when given to Talyn, the warship will help him to get better. Chiana gets hit upon by a person in the bar and D'argo comes to her rescue at the same time the deal falls through.
When Crais awakens from his sleep, he talks to Aeryn and gives her a video chip that reveals that Aeryn's mum Xhalax had her daughter out of love and against all Peacekeeper regulations. According to information that Crais has been able to obtain, Xhalax is in charge of the group that is tracking the crew of Moya.
Moya and Talyn are attacked from the planets defences. The crew have two decisions, one to go out of the atmosphere to get out of missile range or to attack the incoming weapons. The two crafts lower down into the planet atmosphere and threaten the people ordering the firing of the misses. Crichton is invited to meet the Governor face to face which he agrees to. The daughter of the Governor, Rinic Sarova suggests they meet later to discuss the transaction which Crichton agrees to.
Later, Crichton meets Sarova and they enter a bar that Sarova owns. During the drink, there is a bomb explosion in the place and both of them are knocked out. Crichton is rescued by D'argo and Chiana, leaving Sarova on her own.
The injured Crichton is taken back on board Moya where he is seen to by Jools. Crichton requires a blood transfusion and the only compatible donor is the copy or is it the real one. The clone is a perfect copy of Crichton but which one is which. The uninjured Crichton returns to the planet to complete the transaction. Rinic Tolven, one of the leaders sons challenges Crichton saying he should be injured but isn't. A squid like creature is attached to Crichton that forces Crichton to answer a couple of questions honestly, because the Crichton is not the same one as earlier, he is able to answer all the questions truthfully. The Governor agrees to Crichtons request and hands over the Chromextin as agreed.
The Chromextin is taken up to the ship and fed into one of Talyns tubes but the chemical turns out to have been tainted by another chemical. Crichton returns to the surface for a few questions from the Governors. He grabs hold of Tolven and attaches the creature that had been attached to Crichton earlier and asks him questions. Tolven is found to be telling the truth about corrupting the chromextin but when he says he is a good and loyal son, the creature kills Tolven. Crichton returns to Moya where the two leviathans take off, one Crichton in Moya, the other in Talyn.
On the planet, Sarova in the comfort of her private bar starts to writher in pain as she turns into a Colarta alien, a chameleon life form.
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Voyage to the center of Earth in Deep Down Below. Manage your own mining business. Upgrade your tools to dig even harder! Use the right equipment for the job! What will you find "Deep Down Below"?
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Fresno Beehive
Lars or Jim? Metalhead comedian is opening for Metallica. He'll also be at Fulton 55
Jim Breuer is working on a new bit.
It's a jumbotron game called "Lars or Jim?" that asks the audience to determine whether a clip is actually Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich or Breuer's impression of him.
It's totally playing to the crowd.
Breuer is opening for Metallica's WorldWired tour, which stops Sunday at the Save Mart Center.
The stand-up comedian and actor is known for his ties to the rock and metal scenes (though some might remember his stint on "Saturday Night Live." He was Goat Boy.)
Here, Breuer serves as "the emcee host for the night's Metallica party," he says, on the phone from Portland, Ore., where the tour stopped on Wednesday night.
"If I didn't know the band, I would probably just be trying to do comedy and prove myself."
But he does know the band. He hosted Metallica's 30th anniversary celebration at the Fillmore Theater in San Francisco 2011.
Much of what he does on this tour isn't comedy. Sure, he fits the jokes in when he can, but he also tell stories – how he met the band – and plays games with the crowd.
Hence, the "Lars or Jim?" bit.
"I know everyone in that audience," Breuer says, and he might be as big a Metallica fan as anyone in the room.
"The first time I saw them was in 1986, opening for Ozzy Osbourne, and then it was Monsters of Rock and then there was ... I've seen them every single tour," he says. Which means you will see him headbanging back stage and maybe in the mosh pit with the fans.
First, Fulton 55
The Metallica show is actually Breuer's second gig in Fresno for the weekend. Breuer travels with the tour's crew, which will be in town on Saturday setting up production for the show. That evening he will do a special performance at Fulton 55.
He isn't quite sure what to expect from that show, which doubles as a birthday party for promoter Art Silva. It won't be the typical stand-up comedy performance, either, he says. Mostly he's going to show up and "give them 45 minutes of hell."
"I'm excited about it. I love nights like this."
Strummer's, too – Joe Sib, the other comedian opening for Metallica on this tour, will perform at Strummer's on Saturday.
Jim Breuer
- Comedy stories and more. 7 p.m. Saturday. Fulton 55, 875 E. Divisadero Ave. $30-$35. 559-412-7400, www.fulton55.com
- Opening for Metallica. 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Save Mart Center. $150-$645 via ticketmaster verified resale. 800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com
Meanwhile ...
Here are six other events happening around town.
- Mac Miller tribute. 9 p.m. Friday. Strummer's, 833 E. Fern Ave. Free. 559-485-5356, www.strummersclub.com
- "Elf Jr." 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. Also Dec.14-16. Veterans Memorial Auditorium, 2425 Fresno St.. $14-$22. 559-442-3140, www.cmtworks.org
- Hella Ninja. 3 p.m. Saturday. Tioga Sequoia, 745 Fulton St. Free. Search event on Facebook.
- Trapfest. 8 p.m. Saturday. Rainbow Ballroom, 1725 Broadway St. $25. www.eventbrite.com
- Star Wars pub crawl. 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Meet at parking lot at 264 N. Wishon Ave. $5 wristband. Search event on Facebook.
- Ha Ha Ho, Comedy Show, with Josh Arnold, Bob Zany and Henry Phillips. Tower Theatre, 815 E. Olive Ave. $29-$39. 559-485-9050, www.towertheatrefresno.com


text: Leon Basin is one of the most innovative and talented people in the game. From being the creator of some of the top high-end products in our industry, to keeping the local scenes alive with this skate shops, Leon can possibly be one of the most important people we have today. So enjoy a couple of small wheel guys chatting it up with the wizard himself.Read More


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I am a Voiceover Artist represented by Voicebank, Ireland's leading Voiceover agency.
Established in 1997 Voicebank are the experts in the art of finding and looking after Ireland's premiere talent — and in helping all those looking for a voiceover solution. Our track record is second to none and our reputation is unrivalled. We're proud to say we've earned our stripes!
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Here is my Commercial Reel
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Here is a Voiceover I recently did for a Liberty Insurance Tv Ad
Here is a Voiceover I did for South Dublin County Council
Here is a sample video I made for PAUL'S FAMILY BUTCHERS using my Voiceover


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Every so often, a mom's post on social media, whether it's a message on Facebook or a photo on Instagram, will strike a chord with so many other moms that the message ends up going viral, reaching an audience of thousands, even millions. Some of these messages can raise awareness for the difficulties that women face with breastfeeding, mom-shaming, and parenting in general.
Messages like these are poignant and refreshingly honest. Sometimes all it takes is one brave mom to get something off her chest, and others eventually feel comfortable enough to do the same. Some of these messages show the down and dirty, nitty-gritty side of parenting. Parenting isn't always beautiful, especially not when there's mesh underwear involved. But it's real.
That's what's so great about parenting posts that have gone viral. They're a sign that you're not alone. They're a sign that you're not the only one struggling with a given situation. They often provide hope (and a lot of times, a good dose of humor) that makes a tough time seem a little easier, or at the very least, more temporary.
Many viral posts come from mom bloggers, but sometimes, an unsuspecting mom can share a personal message that unwittingly reaches thousands and thousands of views – because it's a message that should be acknowledged and applauded, because it calls our attention to a side of parenting we don't often see, or because it's a stunningly accurate portrayal of parenting that we can all relate to. Here are some viral messages that you don't want to miss!
15 Tax Refund Mom
The Internet has been applauding a single mom who publicly shared how she spent her tax refund money this year. Christina Knaack, a mom from Gaffney South Carolina, posted a picture of a receipt fpr $5,400 on Facebook. Instead of buying her kids toys, gadgets, or shoes, she paid her family's rent – for the entire year.
In her post, Knaack said, "Instead of buying my kids the latest Jordans or fancy electronics, I paid my rent for the YEAR." She went on to add, "I'm a single mom and I do it all by myself on a minimum wage job. I know that a roof over my kids' heads is what's important."
Her post has received several thousand likes and comments, praising her and thanking her for sharing her wise choice during tax season. When a tax refund check comes in, it can be tempting to take that chunk of change and spend it on something fun – but Knaack reminds us that it's more important to be smart and responsible with our money.
14 Car Seat Safety
Rachel McNamara was adjusting the straps on her son's car seat, when an idea hit her. She had her son sit in his car seat and buckled him up the way she normally would. Then she had her husband take a picture… while she held the car seat in the air and flipped it upside down towards her.
Why on earth would she do that? She wanted to make a point about car seat safety. The caption from her post stated, "After strapping your child into their car seat, ask yourself if you'd be comfortable flipping it upside down. Remember that the chest clip should be at armpit level and the straps should be tight enough to pass the pinch test. #carseatsafety."
McNamara's post attracted a lot of attention from fellow parents. She clarified that she wasn't advocating for people to flip their kid upside down in his car seat before every trip in the car; but that she wanted parents to feel confident about their car seat in the event of an accident. Her visual is a striking reminder of how important proper car seat safety is.
13 Daycare Message
A Texas day care center has no problem telling parents how it should be. A sign on the front door of the day care has a simple message to parents: PUT YOUR PHONE AWAY.
A parent, Juliana Farris Mazurkewicz, posted a picture of the day care's sign to Facebook and it has been shared over a million times. While the message isn't anything earth-shattering, it does point out a habit that lots of us are guilty of – spending too much time on our phones.
The sign reads: "You are picking up our child! GET OFF YOUR PHONE. Your child is happy to see you! Are you happy to see your child?"
According to a recent study, nearly one-third of children feel unimportant when they see parents using their cell phones during mealtimes, conversations, while they're watching TV, and when they're playing outside. In addition, 54 percent of kids think their parents spend too much time on their phones.
12 Sharing Her Struggle
Suffering from anxiety and depression isn't easy to begin with; it's especially tough when you're a mom who's trying to stay strong and raise young children. Cierra Fortner shared a detailed post on Facebook that described what it's like to suffer from a mental illness when you're a busy mother of two kids.
Fortner says she was inspired to write the post after a shopping trip to Walmart; the cashier complimented her for having it "all together," but, Fortner really felt like she didn't. She thought about the comment on her drive home, and how she could have responded to the cashier. In her post, she revealed that she suffers from a personality disorder, anxiety, and depression. She also added that she's a two-time suicide survivor.
She said the most important thing she wished she could tell the cashier was that, "I don't have it together and may never have it all together. I don't know a mother out there that has it all together but everything we do is done with love for our children and that right there makes you the perfect mom and in our children's eyes we most definitely have it all together."
Fortner's post has received almost 100,000 shares and parents who related to her struggles left her supportive comments and messages.
11 The Chopped Celery Post
We've all probably been in Kara Lewis Newton's shoes at one point or another, and if we haven't yet, our time will probably come. Her November Facebook post about chopped celery has gone viral.
What does chopped celery have to do with being a mom? In her post, Lewis Newton shares a picture of herself in a car with a container of chopped celery because she had to drive it to her son's school. Why? "Because I don't look in his folder," the mom of three said. She missed that he was supposed to bring chopped celery to school, she didn't even have any idea what it was for, but she dropped everything and drove it to the school in the hopes that he would get it in time.
The mom admits to letting other things slip from time to time: dirty socks, fast food for dinner, forgetting coats, and not remembering to check homework folders. But she doesn't sweat the small stuff because she knows that 20 years from now, it won't matter that she forgot the chopped celery, because instead, her kids will know that they are "fiercely loved no matter what."
10 Foster Mom
Foster mom and blogger Jamie, from the blog Foster The Family penned a thoughtful blog post about the power of the word "Mommy" on her blog, and it was recently shared in a Facebook post. The blogger writes about welcoming a two-year-old into her home for a brief stay. At age two, the little girl had already spent five months in foster care; of those five months, she'd already been in four different homes.
Jamie wrote that the other kids in the house welcomed her right away and tried to make her feel at home. After a few minutes, she ran into the room with a smile and said, "Look, Mommy!" In just a few minutes, the little girl had already accepted Jamie as her mommy; she said her heart sank as she realized the little girl who'd been shuttled from house to house probably considered "mommy" to mean the female adult who was taking care of her at that time.
But "Mommy" means so much more than that. And, as Jamie shares in her post, she hoped that some day the little girl would know what mommy really means; her biological mother was working to get her back, and a foster mom was ready to step in if that wasn't possible.
9 You're A Good Mom
Mom shaming has become pretty typical these days; it's easy to find in mom groups, in our families, and especially online. All the negativity and criticism can often leave us wondering if we're a good mom. And even if the criticism doesn't come from someone else, we end up worrying that we're doing something wrong.
Ashle Potter recognized this and decided to send a positive message to all us moms out there; her post lets us know that whether it's other people who are questioning our parenting choices, or it's just us giving ourselves a hard time; we're still good moms.
A tidbit from her message reads:
"To the mom who stays home: I can imagine it isn't easy doing what you do, but to spend those precious years with your babies must be amazing. You're a good mom.
To the mom who works: It's wonderful that you're sticking to your career, you're a positive role model for your children in so many ways, it's fantastic. You're a good mom."
Thanks, Ashle. We needed that.
8 Sophia's Reward
Brandi Benner of South Carolina had promised her two-year-old daughter Sophia a big reward after a month of potty training. The mom took the little girl to Target so she could pick out any toy she wanted. According to Benner's Instagram post, Sophia spent some time wandering the aisles and eventually selected a black doll dressed up in a doctor's uniform – her dream job.
When it came time to check out, the cashier seemed to be confused over why a little white girl would be buying a black doll. Was it a gift? Was she buying it for someone else? Did she want to go pick out another doll?
Yup. The cashier pointed out that the doll didn't look like Sophia, and that maybe she should go back and find a doll that better resembled her.
Before Benner could figure out what to say, Sophia spoke up. In the Instagram post, Benner explains Sophia's response: "Yes, she does [look like me.] She's a doctor and I'm a doctor. And I'm a pretty girl and she's a pretty girl. See her pretty hair? And see her stethoscope?"
The cashier let it go, but hopefully she learned something that Sophia already knows – that color shouldn't matter.
7 Rough Day
West Virginia mom Aly Brothers recently shared a photo of herself in her car, crying with frustration after a particularly stressful day with her kids. In her post, she talks about how hard it is to be a mom, especially a single mom.
The event that caused her to break into tears was a shopping trip gone wrong; her kids cried, threw things, and knocked things off store shelves. Even though she tried to keep herself composed and get her children to behave, she was aware that other shoppers were watching her and judging.
What really bothered her was the fact that people were judging her without knowing a single thing about her. She offered these words of advice to people reading her post: "If you see a parent struggling, if you see a kid throwing a tantrum, if you see a mom on the verge of tears, please say something nice. Please don't glare with judgement. And to all the moms out there having a day like mine… I see you, I know you, I love you. You are strong, and you are doing just fine."
6 The Kid Comes First
Jessica Singleton is a mom to a cute little boy named Pierson. While she might not be in a relationship with her son's father anymore, she's far from a single mom. She's not parenting her son on her own. She recently took to Facebook to write a post thanking her ex for that.
"This is my ex," she says. "This right here is more valuable than gold. This is a man who doesn't pay a dime through the state because when my son needs new clothes, I just call him."
She continued to praise her ex's parenting skills. He fixes things around the house, spends time with his son and his cousins, drops off diapers and other supplies when needed, and has no problem swooping in with short notice to take care of Pierson if needed. He's still there for his son - and his son's mother. While some people might find it difficult to co-parent with an ex, Jessica and her ex put their son first – which is the way it should be.
5 Breastfeeding Is Hard
Breastfeeding isn't easy for everyone. New mom Leah Beyer posted a picture on Instagram that depicted her struggles with nursing her newborn daughter. She says, "Breastfeeding is hard. It's really, really hard. Sometimes I can't even explain what makes it so difficult."
Beyer points out how, as new moms, we naturally trust our bodies' ability to grow and protect our babies for 9 months. Then, when it comes time to nurse our newborns, we trust that our bodies will once again automatically know what to do.
It's hard to admit that you're struggling when you feel so much pressure to do something that supposedly should come naturally; it's especially hard when you fall into the trap of comparing yourself to other moms. Social media is full of breastfeeding selfies that depict a beautiful, blissful experience, and a picture is just a second in time; it's not always like that for everyone.
Beyer concluded her post with a message to other moms: "…you're not going crazy, it is hard, but you're doing good. Keep going!! There's a rumor going around that it gets easier."
4 Motherhood Is Beautiful, Isn't It?
Well, it is, and it isn't. According to North Carolina mom Amanda Bacon, motherhood is "raw, stunning, messy, and freaking hilarious all rolled into one."
You would think the last thing a new mom would want posted on Facebook for all of her friends and family to see would be a picture of her in a pair of those gloriously oversized hospital-issued mesh underwear packed with a giant postpartum pad. But to Bacon, the picture honestly sums up what life is like as a mom of a newborn.
The picture came about when Bacon's fiancé, Ken Hardy, snapped a selfie while holding the baby. In the background, Bacon was sneaking some sweets that she hadn't been allowed to have during her pregnancy thanks to gestational diabetes. She mostly wore just the mesh undergarments in the hospital to make it easier to nurse.
She told The Today Show that the picture shows a candid sneak peek into postpartum life: the good, the bad, and the ugly.
3 You Will Get Through This
This post is a couple years old now, but we're willing to bet it will still strike a chord with many new moms who are adjusting to life with a newborn. Danielle Haines posed for a picture holding her son to her bare chest, on the verge of tears. In the caption, she explains, "I loved my baby, I missed his daddy (he went back to work that day), I was mad at my mom…" She goes on to add that, in addition to being on a hormonal, emotional rollercoaster, at three days postpartum, her milk was almost in, her nipples were cracked and bleeding, and she was sore from nursing almost constantly.
Haines' friends came to the rescue. They brought food. They shared stories of their equally emotional postpartum periods. A friend shared milk and nursed Haines' son. Another called to reassure Haines that she – and her baby – would be just fine. It's important to remember that even as you're struggling to figure things out, you will get through this.
2 Can't Wifey Today
Australian mom Constance Hall has a personal website called Like A Queen.com. She writes refreshingly real and often hilarious posts about marriage, motherhood, parenting, and sex. She manages to celebrate the highs, acknowledge the lows, and make many women feel like they're not alone. Several of her posts have gone viral, and you're probably already familiar with them, but just in case...
Her post "I Love You Husband, But… I Just Can't Wifey Today" takes how we all feel when we have that bad day every once in awhile and lays it out there for all the world to see. We all have those moments where we feel like we're doing the same thing on repeat, each day the same as the last. We all have those nights where we don't feel like being touched because we've had kids climbing all over us like a human jungle gym all day long. But, like Hall… We hope it'll get better tomorrow.
1 To The Woman In The Park
Another one of Hall's posts, "To The Woman In The Park," has received a lot of social media attention as well. In it, Hall salutes moms of the world who would likely be criticized, judged, or mom-shamed for their actions because what they're really doing is taking care of themselves. She writes:
"To the woman with piles of dishes and washing who walks straight out the door for a coffee at her friends, I salute you. Being a good mum or wife or human does NOT mean spending eternity cleaning your house. If you leave them for long enough your friends will start doing them. Trust me."
"To the woman who didn't lose all of that baby weight, I salute you. A brand new 24 hour job that doesn't pay and won't end for around 20 years is NOT a good time to give up cake. Eat the cake, eat the whole ****ing cake and **** anyone who dares to say anything."
Now that's the kind of mom you want to hang out with at playdates.
Sources: Parents, Huffington Post, PopSugar, The Bump, Babble


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Are you ready for a life changing encounter with God?
"Walking on Water was written by one of my awesome spiritual daughters. As you open wide to receive her message, you will be marked by God's great love. Jesus is so worth our yes. He is longing for all of our worship. I bless you to be ignited for a fresh fire for intimacy with Jesus as you embark on this journey with the Holy Spirit in Walking on Water. Heidi Baker, founding director, Iris Global"
Heidi Baker, Founding Director of Iris Global
"I want to encourage you to consider reading a book, Walking on Water by Jennifer Miskov. The heart that Jennifer has is to bring us into a place of real first love relationship with Jesus. This book is a challenge to walk in the impossible. She does a brilliant job in her own lifestyle and in writing in connecting a life of the impossible with intimacy with God. My prayer is that in reading this, God would deeply impact you, me, all of us in our affection for Jesus, our drawing near, and trusting Him to see Him invade the things are that absolutely impossible. That's my prayer, that's my blessing. I encourage you to pick up this book."
Bill Johnson, Pastor of Bethel Church Redding
This Encounter E-course is for pioneers and burning ones
I put this course together to fan the flame of revival inside of pioneers, leaders, revivalists, missionaries, set apart ones, stay at home moms, entrepreneurs, adventurers, students, grandmothers, and anyone who is hungry to encounter more of God and wants to live a life of revival fire.
You will learn
How to cultivate intimacy and encounter more of God
How to steward peace
How to burn with revival fire
How to embrace truth that will set you free
How to find your tribe
How to overcome fear to step into your destiny
How to be baptized with the Holy Spirit
How to Pioneer into new territories
Journey Deeper into the Heart of God
Join Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D. on a journey deeper into the heart of God. Based on her book Walking on Water: Experiencing a Life of Miracles, Courageous Faith & Union with God, Jen shares her heart and story in a way that will compel you to burn for Jesus like never before and step into the fullness of your destiny.
What can you can expect in the Encounter Sessions with Jen
Over 4 hours of Teaching, Personal Stories, Revival History, Prayer, Impartation, Encounter time, Activations, Questions for Reflection
While most teachings are anywhere from 15-40 minutes long, we suggest to set aside one hour for each Encounter session to give time to process, reflect, encounter God, and go through the extra material, as you feel led. We highly encourage doing this course with a friend or in a group and it can be done as a 6-8 week journey or at your own rhythm.
Course Overview
Bonus Material
Prayers by Heidi Baker, Bill Johnson, Lou Engle
Encounter session on Fasting
Extended Q & A about Destiny House
Destiny House Worship Session
This E-course includes
Fasting E-course
Secret Place E-course
Destiny Houe E-course
The Secret Place: Developing Intimacy with God
Peace in the Storm: Stewarding Peace
The Art of Letting Go: Surrender Positions for the Fire
Focus: Revival Fire
Follow Your Heart: There are Seeds of Destiny Inside You
Miracle Flight: Stepping out in Faith with family
Family: Find Your Tribe, Find Your Destiny
Hunger: Positioning for a Fresh Baptism of the Holy Spirit
Courage: Launching into the New Season
$99 per person or group discounts as low as $49 per person (see below)
SPECIAL GROUP DISCOUNTS & Gift options
We believe that family accelerates growth and that you will get a lot more out of this course by doing it together with a friend or in a group. In light of this we have significantly reduced the regular price ($99) to as low as $49 per person if you do the course together in groups. You can also purchase this to give as a gift. Learn more here. Email us at firstname.lastname@example.com if you have any questions or need assistance.


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Board Meeting Highlights - May 2019
Board Meeting Highlights - May 2019
1. First Nations, Métis, Inuit Director Kameko Ballantyne provided the 2019 FNMI Accountability Report for information. Highlights of the presentation included an outline of PRSD FNMI demographics (100 self-identified FNMI students), locally developed strategies to meet the TQS standards for FNMI learning, an overview of a newly developed website that provides PRSD teachers with direct access to FNMI resources and teaching curriculum, and an overview of the various student projects and presentations that took place over the past year to promote FNMI culture. An overview of the activities and initiatives planned for the 2019-2020 school year was also shared.
2. Bow Island Elementary principal Scott Angle provided a summary of the great learning opportunities taking place at BIE over the past year. The presentation focused on the school's One School, One Book project The Dot. By using the book as a platform, the school was able to focus on the goals of literacy, deeper learning (high quality work with multiple drafts), and parental engagement. A new initiative at the school is 'maker space' to promote deeper learning and working together. An update on the resurfacing of the school track and greenhouse projects was also shared.
3. South Alberta Academy program director Darren MacMillan provided an overview of a new academy program starting in Prairie Rose in the fall called the Dave Rozdeba South Alberta Flight Academy program. The three-year flight academy program is open to Eagle Butte High School students starting in grade 10. Over the course of three years, students will earn credits in mechanics, robotics/drones, wilderness, tourism, leadership, and recreation while obtaining their private pilot's license. An overview of the course outline was shared for information. A parent information meeting is planned for May 22nd at 7 PM at Super T Aviation.


text: 22 April 2011 Good Friday Leave a comment Just wanted to share the good news that this morning I took my driving test at the Hyde Test Centre and I PASSED! So truly is Good Friday. Advertisements Share this:EmailFacebookTwitterPrintLike this:Like Loading... Related Posted by Damien Greenhalgh in Uncategorized Tagged: driving, pass, test, woohoo


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Attempted murder charges filed in Calgary stabbing attack on mother and child
John Garang Luka Yag, 20, of Calgary has been charged with two counts of attempted murder
Charges of attempted murder have been filed against a Calgary man accused of stabbing a mother and child near a northwest park on Friday night.
Police said the woman and child — believed to be about six years old — were walking near a green space in the 100 block of Bearberry Crescent N.W. when they were approached from behind and attacked.
Residents heard cries for help and called 911, with some witnessing the attack.
One witness approached the scene and the suspect fled.
A man was arrested a short time later in a green space nearby.
John Garang Luka Yag, 20, of Calgary has been charged with two counts of attempted murder.
He is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 10.
The woman and child were taken to hospital in serious condition but have both been upgraded to stable.
Police said they believe the attack was random and the suspect was visiting a home in the area.
Anyone who saw the attack and hasn't yet talked to police is asked to call 403-266-1234 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
- MORE CALGARY NEWS | Bill Smith leads Nenshi by 17 points in latest poll
- MORE CALGARY NEWS | Teller involved in bank robbery at risk of deportation and should get lesser sentence, says lawyer


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The Joe cocoon is part of Vincent Sheppard's Joe collection, which also consists of a dining chair, a barstool, a counter stool, a lazy chair and a lounge chair. This contemporary 'easy living' chair is woven with loom with a rattan seat and a steel base.
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Jennifer Lawrence may make an appearance in 'Dumb and Dumber To'
Jennifer Lawrence will reportedly be seen doing a cameo in Jim Carrey starrer 'Dumb and Dumber To'
New Delhi: Jennifer Lawrence will reportedly be seen doing a cameo in Jim Carrey starrer 'Dumb and Dumber To.'
Jennifer Lawrence. Pic/Santa Banta
The 24-year-old Oscar winning star, who has been a self-confessed fan of the first part 'Dumb and Dumber' which came out 20 years ago, may be seen playing the younger version of the mother of the daughter of one of the two characters played by Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, who appears in the flashback scenes.
Co-written and directed by Bobby Farrelly and Peter Farrelly, the film is sequel to 1994 film 'Dumb and Dumber' and MVP Entertainment India is set to release the movie on November 21st in the country.
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Afraid to Go Back: The Cost of Medical Leave
This piece was written as part of our Disability Justice on Campus Day of Action campaign.
Written by: Molly Hawes
"I'm honestly almost afraid of coming back to school," Sofia* said.
"I have to start fresh now, I have to start new, and hopefully this doesn't come back to haunt me."
Sofia is a 21-year-old emergency medical technician from New Jersey, who lives with mental illness and a stomach condition that can significantly limit her ability to move. Despite her passion for academics, Sofia said she was pressured to withdraw from her Montclair State University classes in the spring of 2017, because her disabilities limited her ability to attend class. Now, what would seemingly be an exciting prospect for a person like Sofia-- returning to college after taking time off-- is a source of stress.
Sofia enrolled at Montclair State in the fall of 2016. During her time there, she attempted to attend class as much as possible, despite a doctor's recommendation that she limit herself to short, five- to ten-minute walks each day. But she often struggled to leave her bed. "After you're going through so much pain, you really can't even get up because your body's exhausted from fighting it," she explained.
Sofia said that she diligently completed her assignments, asked for additional make-up work, and communicated with professors about the nature of her condition-- but her circumstances were mostly met with apathy. Professors were not willing to excuse her absences or explore alternatives.
"None of my teachers told me about getting incompletes, or getting accommodations to be able to do things online," she said.
At the recommendation of a dean, she applied for a medical leave. This decision saddled her family with additional unexpected expenses, lowered her grade point average, and affected her ability to receive financial aid upon her return to the school. A month before the start of the fall semester, she was told that she would have to pay over $2,000 in order to attend classes, and would have to earn back her financial aid eligibility by taking extra credits. Because of these barriers, she did not return to Montclair State, and chose to work for a year before enrolling at Bergen Community College.
The decision to attend a different school did not alleviate Sofia's concerns about accessibility. Her best friend, Danny French, is in his final semester at Bergen. Danny also lives with psychiatric disabilities, and has struggled to find adequate academic supports at college. During his third semester, he decided to take time off school to focus on his mental health.
"I was in a therapy session and I was just telling my therapist, 'I can't do it. I'm getting terrible grades,'" Danny said. "I didn't have the energy to show up to classes." His therapist-- an independent provider unaffiliated with the college-- offered to help him through the process of taking a medical leave of absence.
According to Danny, he filed the paperwork on time, provided documentation of his diagnoses' impact on his day-to-day functioning, and waited several weeks for the request to be approved. He stopped going to class, operating under the assumption that the leave would be approved and that he could afford to take time to rest. He was surprised by administrators' request for additional documentation of his disability, including evidence that he'd been seeing a psychiatrist. He said that he provided that evidence, along with additional documentation of his prescribed medications--processes he now describes as "desperately trying to prove that I am mentally ill, and I can't do it right now." But his request for medical leave and subsequent appeal were both rejected.
"They basically said 'No,' you know, 'depression and anxiety and PTSD isn't a good enough reason to not come to school,'" Danny said.
Danny said that, because his leave request was rejected, he received five Fs on his transcript for that semester. His grade point average, which previously hovered near a 3.0, dropped below the 2.0 cutoff for financial aid eligibility. The school required that he pay partial tuition for his failed courses. And Danny said he was informed that, if he wanted to return to Bergen, he would need to pay full tuition for any courses he took.
"Not only did I leave school, I also left school knowing that if I did come back, it would be even harder to begin with," said Danny. "Because I would have to retake everything. And then I'd have to pay for it."
Danny spent about a year and a half away from school, working to pay for tuition and continuing to pursue treatment for his depression and suicidality. Despite the additional financial burden, he returned to Bergen in the fall of 2016, and now plans to transfer to a four-year institution for his bachelor's degree.
While he did emphasize the benefits of taking time away from college, he also recognized that professors could've intervened and opened critical pathways to support while he was still at Bergen.
"I enjoy being in a classroom, I thrive in a classroom," Danny said. "But I really think that in some of my classes, I was exhibiting enough [symptoms] to at least give concern to a teacher to pull me aside and be like, 'Hey, what's up?' That might have helped me a lot."
Sofia also communicated the importance of educating professors about mental health and accommodations for students with disabilities. She cited a positive relationship with her English professor as especially encouraging.
"My English teacher-- without me asking her-- went to the dean and spoke for me," Sofia remembered. "She was like, 'Listen. She's a good student. She's been doing all her work... She just can't show up to class."
Both Danny and Sofia expressed this sentiment many times-- that the individuals who supported and advocated for them were critical sources of hope, despite operating within a flawed system. Sofia expressed immense gratitude for the Montclair State financial aid officer who advised her to save time and money by transferring to Bergen instead.
Danny is currently working with Bergen administrators who are supportive of his efforts to increase mental health advocacy on campus, and are interested in assisting the development of on-campus peer support programs.
Both Sofia and Danny agreed that major infrastructural changes need to occur in order for students with disabilities to receive adequate support within higher education. But in the interim, they said, one supportive administrator-- or one supportive professor-- can have a significant impact on a struggling student's life.
Danny and Sofia will be participating in the Project LETS Day of Action at Bergen Community College on April 19, 2018. They plan to highlight student narratives, issue demands, and start conversations with administrative allies. Anyone interested can contact email@example.com or email@example.com.
*Name has been changed.


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Im 13 years old almost 14, and im worried. GIRLS ONLY.?
hey! im turning 14 in september (commin soon) and i just feel really weird, i wear a 34A. my mom wears B cups, yea i get im young and all, but i dont wanna grow up with super small boobs. are you sure they'll grow?! but ive already started that whole puberty thing, im already on my period, CAN THEY STILL GROW?! :(
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General Information
Please can you make sure your child has their full PE kit in school at all times. We have PE on a Tuesday and Boot Camp on a Thursday. Also on Thursday we take part in a Ukulele lesson where we will learn how to play it.
Spellings will be set every Wednesday which will be tested the following week also on the Wednesday. Spellings will include words from the Y5 and Y6 common exception words. The children will also be given additional homework on a Wednesday to be returned to school the following Wednesday. Each week the homework will be alternated between English and Maths homework. The homework will be relevant to current units that we will be covering in our lessons.
Children are also expected to read their accelerated reading books at home every night.


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|Posted on August 17, 2009 at 10:22 PM
|comments (0)
(Macon, IL) Osman Racing was able to make it to two different tracks this past weekend, but experienced part failures at both, turning a promising weekend into a disappointing one.
Friday night, the team made their first ever trip to the Morgan County Speedway in Jacksonville, IL. The night started out well as the car was very fast in hot laps but the hope of a good run would run short as they experienced carburetor problems before the heat race and were forced to miss it, ...Read Full Post »
|Posted on July 9, 2009 at 11:49 AM
|comments (0)
Alexander, IL - What was looking to be a good night for Osman Racing quickly turned sour as they picked up a DNF. A poor draw relegated their driver, Greg Osman, to a 5th place starting spot in the heat race and things were looking good. After a good start to the race, Osman quickly found himself in the 2nd position, trying to run down race leader and eventual winner Larry Russell, Jr. The run wouldn't last though as about halfway through the race, Osman got loose coming out of turn 2 and alm...Read Full Post »
|Posted on June 4, 2009 at 11:40 AM
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(Macon, IL) Osman Racing finally made it's 2009 debut this past Sunday at Shepp's Speedway in Alexander, IL. In the first action of the night, the heat race, the Osman Racing Chevrolet Malibu would start from the third position. The track was not in the best shape and the car was not handling well at all. After fighting the car for the entire race, they ended up with a fifth place finish, earning a tenth place starting spot in the feature. Come feature time, the track had smoothed out quite a...Read Full Post »
|Posted on May 23, 2009 at 2:21 PM
|comments (0)
(Macon, IL) Looks like the bad luck bug has bit once again.
Osman Racing and it's fans will have to wait another week for the debut. Due to some unforeseeable circumstances, they will not be able to compete this weekend in the three events that were planned. This makes for quite the setback for their driver, Greg Osman, in the newly formed Central Illinois Street Stock Series as he will miss the first two races, the first at Macon Speedway and the second at Shepp's Speedway...Read Full Post »
|Posted on May 15, 2009 at 9:30 PM
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Well, it's been a long wait but the debut is finally set. Osman Racing will break out the Street Stock next Saturday (May 23rd) for the first race in the newly formed Central Illinois Street Stock Series (CILSSS) at Mighty Macon Speedway. The very next night, Osman Racing makes their first trip to the newly built Shepp's Speedway in Alexander, Illinois for the second race in the CILSSS. On Monday, they make the return trip back to Macon Speedway for the first NASCAR Night of the year featurin...Read Full Post »


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Boost Your Business with App Development
Mobile devices are fast becoming more popular by the day, and with millions of smartphone users around the world, your business cannot afford not to have a mobile app developed. With professional mobile app development, you can build your brand and enjoy all the benefits that come with having your own app that is targeted at your customers.
Let's start with a few interesting facts; more than one billion of the mobile phones in the world are smartphones. Mobile internet usage is also predicted to surpass desktop internet usage any day now, and more than 50 percent of local searches are performed by mobile users. But what exactly are the benefits of having a mobile app developed for your brand?
Boost Customer Relationship
Mobile app development can help you to boost your customer engagement and build solid relationships with your target market. As an app can be downloaded to any smartphone, you will have a direct point of contact with your customer and you can use this as a support channel, a marketing channel, or just as a general way of knowing what your customers are interested in. Building customer relationships is a key factor in any growing business and an app can help you to achieve this effectively.
Cost-Effective Marketing
It can become quite expensive to use multiple methods of marketing, especially when you want to get the word out about a new product, service or event. With a mobile app, this suddenly becomes very easy and cost effective too; you are already connected to your customers and getting the message out is very easy to do. You can also use ads within your app to ensure that your audience knows about what you have to offer. This is a very cost effective marketing method.
Increase Your Sales
Almost 80 percent of smartphone users have used their mobile device at some point to make a sale. This means that you can tap into a huge potential customer base as mobile continues to grow. With professional mobile app development you can connect with more mobile customers and ensure that they know about your business, what you offer and how they can benefit from it. Increasing sales is a priority for any growing business and mobile apps can definitely help you get there.
The Bold Circle specializes in mobile app development and our team can work with you to design a useful, professional app that will help to boost your brand and connect with your customers.
Connect with us.


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Shaunj4 wrote:- Mike Johnson is reporting that the writing team has already given up on Brutus Magnus and his planned mega push is no more.
- Johnson reports as well that former WWE and ECW star Stevie Richards will most likely be starting with TNA soon.
How long was the push? 3 Weeks?
How can such a green wrestler from Gladitators UK be given such an immediate push?
It was bizarre and I aint shocked they feel that way.


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Maggie Starr
Maggie StarrLightning Tree
- Website: http://www.maggiestarr.com/
- Twitter: _maggiestarr
Maggie Starr helps purpose-driven teams form plans and proposals, run meetings and brainstorm sessions, and facilitate organizational change. She draws from wide-ranging experience in volunteer management, ecology, systems thinking, and cross-cultural learning to bring new perspectives to teams and their work.
Proposals for this user
* Better Meetings: 15 Tools in 45 Minutes
A lot can happen online, but sometimes you've just got to have face-to-face meetings with groups of clients or co-workers. They can be great! Or they can be a great big waste of time. This rapid fire presentation will take you through 15 tools you can use to get everyone focused at the beginning of your meeting, inspire creative collaboration during it, and make sure everyone goes home feeling good about what happened.
|2015-03-08 03:33:29 +0000
|Maggie Starr
* Business Planning for Improvisors
If you think your business is too small for a plan, or that you'll come up with one later, this workshop is for you. We'll use an easy template to help you think and talk about how your business works, and it may even help you see ways to improve it.
|2015-03-08 03:39:46 +0000
|Maggie Starr
* How to Get People to Do Things (of their Own Free Will)
What's the secret to getting people to do things? This presentation will provide interesting, useful, and 100% ethical tools and perspectives.
|2015-03-08 03:36:39 +0000
|Maggie Starr


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[SPOILERS ahead for those not caught up on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 2.]
Things went badly pretty quickly on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season two's penultimate episode, 'Scars'. Bobbi (Adrianne Palicki) was tricked and captured by a vengeance-seeking Agent 33 (Maya Stojan), with help from Ward (Brett Dalton); Robert Gonzales (Edward James Olmos) was killed by Jiaying (Dichen Lachman), who decided to take a pre-emptive strike rather than allow S.H.I.E.L.D. to "index" the Inhuman community; and S.H.I.E.L.D. has Cal (Kyle Maclachlan) in custody, unaware that he's essentially a bomb, waiting to go off.
The short of it: the stage has been set for an emotionally-charged and exciting finale in the S.H.I.E.L.D. season two finale, 'S.O.S.' - a two-parter promising "shocking sacrifices" from the show's main characters, leaving their lives and relationships "changed forever."
Marvel Studios' Daredevil Netflix series has been collecting praise for its complicated baddie, Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio) - and now, S.H.I.E.L.D. has given us an even more complex antagonist for Coulson (Clark Gregg) and his team, in the form of Jiaying. Here is what producer Jeffrey Bell had to offer THR, with regard to Jiaying's actions in 'Scars'.
It's really the bigger picture. What Jiaying says is true. She has set up a community in the middle of nowhere so they would be left alone. We know that her experience in the past with SHIELD, even though we know it was Hydra masked as SHIELD, was horrible. So now here she is with SHIELD showing up at her doorstep saying, "Hi, we don't want to hurt you but we do want to index you and we do want to monitor you," and that didn't work well for her. She is trying to protect her people. I don't think she's a bad person for doing it, but the way she's doing it seems a little bit suspect.
Jiaying's "suspect" actions in 'Scars' include handing Cal over after he's taken the chemical substances necessary to go into his "Mr. Hyde" mode, while at S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters. The newest poster released as part of EW's "Art of Evolution" series for S.H.I.E.L.D. season two highlights Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) and Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) facing off against Cal in Hyde mode in 'S.O.S.', with artwork by comic book illustrator Ryan Sook (X-Factor, Arkham Asylum: Living Hell, Justice League).
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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s writing staff and showrunners have not just effectively laid out the Inhumans mythos over the course of this sophomore season, but also added new layers to its season one players - including Skye (Chloe Bennet) and May (Ming-Na Wen) - while more subtly fleshing out backstories and season-long characters arcs for newcomers such as Cal and Jiaying. The final result: Skye/Daisy finds herself in a very difficult position; one where it's going to be extremely difficult for her to choose a side in this fight, seeing as both sides are (in many ways) equally justified, yet also in the wrong.
Bell also commented on how 'Scars' feeds directly into the storyline for 'S.O.S.' in that respect, during his interview with EW:
Episodes 20, 21 and 22 almost work as a three-parter. I think because we were doing the full two hours on the final night, we really decided to just lead into that. We left episode 20 with Jiaying saying "this is war," and Skye assuming that Gonzales shot her and attacked her, so we have S.H.I.E.L.D. and Inhumans and all our different threads finally coming together. And Skye is really torn between these two factions, between her surrogate family and her real family. Where will she go with that? And we've been promising Inhumans and some fun powered stuff, and hopefully we can make good on that promise as well.
Between the promise of more Inhumans powers being on display, dramatic payoffs to certain plot threads (don't worry, Bobbi should be okay), and revelations for some intriguing mysteries (What is that form-changing Stone that S.H.I.EL.D.'s housing?), it sounds like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season two is poised to end with a bang.
Here's to hoping the show gets a season three, too.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season two concludes with the two-parter 'S.O.S.' on Tuesday, May 12th, 2015 on ABC.