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New Orleans - Same Day
New York - March
"It's up to eighty-seven." The young man's eyes never left the scrolling numbers on the computer screen and the hangnail he'd ripped off of his thumb with his teeth was now bleeding. "Briar, did you hear me? It's up to eighty-seven fifty-three."
"Timothy, do you know why you won't make it in this business?" While her employee scanned the stock numbers, Briar Kilston studied the New York skyline from her office window seventy stories up.
"For God's sake, it's at ninety, we should sell." He had long since started on his index finger ripping the nail so viciously he had to stop and shake out his hand from the sudden self inflicted pain.
"You have no sense of timing and you have no balls. Both are essential if you're shooting for the big game around here." She stretched her feet out in front of her and put her hands behind her head, the total picture of relaxation. It was almost a comical study in opposites. "My father was fond of saying you should be locked and loaded, and ready to pull the trigger but only when you were sure you were going to make a killing. I don't sense a kill shot just yet."
"It's back to eighty-nine seventeen."
Briar picked up her phone and punched in the number to the floor of the stock exchange. "Tony, pop them for another twenty thousand. Make it quick, we're working against the bell now."
"Twenty thousand more? You're fucking insane," said Timothy.
She stood, took her jacket off and put on a drab gray one and put her credentials around her neck. The minute she walked onto the trading floor from their office building, the fury began. Kilston wouldn't be buying a dead stock so the other buyers didn't let her down and started the run she was counting on. When the bell finally rang she'd sold at ninety-seven and change.
When she made it back to the office Timothy was the first to try and offer his congratulations. Ten minutes later he was standing on the street holding a box of his possessions wondering where his day had gone so wrong. Briar couldn't work with anyone who didn't have the ambition not only to win, but also to completely annihilate everything and everyone who stood in your way to get that victory.
It was another lesson she'd learned early from her father. Because even though he'd founded the brokerage firm she now ran, Briar had started in the mailroom. The corner office had been earned one deal at a time.
Now that the non-believers had been dealt with, she started working the phones and finishing some numbers for the next day's conquests. Her assistant Shelia came in at ten and held up the long discarded jacket. She'd found early on that most times Briar needed a kick in the pants to call it a day.
This had only been Shelia's second job after graduating from junior college, but she doubted she'd run across anyone who was as much a workaholic as Briar. The brokers who finally made it out of the bullpen and into an office were the ones who worked as hard and put in the hours, but none of them topped their boss at the end of every week.
"You have a reservation with Claire in thirty minutes. If you leave now you might get lucky."
"With you or Claire?" asked Briar.
"I'm not the one filling up half your closet with designer clothes so let's go with Claire." She smoothed the shoulders of the jacket after Briar slipped it on, and accepted Briar's arm to the elevators. "And could you do me a favor?" she asked when the leather cigar holder came out.
"Name it."
"Order a salad with dinner. Even if you treat it like a center piece it'll make me feel better."
"Shelia, I'm too much of a bitch for anything to happen to me. Besides, if God had meant for people to eat things that are the color green they'd taste like beef."
"You walk me downstairs every night, buy me flowers every Monday, and never forget my birthday or any other important date. Don't give me some story about how bitchy you are. But fifteen hour days, a steady diet of red meat, cigars, scotch and a woman who could inspire frustration in Christ it shocks me that you're still here giving me a hard time."
Briar's car was waiting for them but Shelia declined a ride and smiled when Briar put her in a cab and paid more than enough for the fare. As long as her days were, it was these consistent kindnesses, that Briar rarely showed others, that kept Shelia loyal. The woman was a hard ass to work for but she was also generous to a fault if she cared about you.
"Remember the salad," she yelled as Briar closed the door for her.
She turned back as the cab pulled away to see Briar light the cigar and wave with a huge relaxed grin on her face. It was that smile on the strikingly attractive face that caught most people off guard at times. Briar in Shelia's opinion was good looking, not because of the shoulder length light brown hair, nor the pale blue eyes and tall build, but because none of those things seemed to matter to her. Her boss was fond of saying it was just genetic luck and nothing more. It was Briar's compassion for others and her passion for life in general that made her attractive.
In their years together on the job, Shelia had never met anyone who loved life as much as her boss. She couldn't cook, but would take chances that people like Timothy thought were crazy. Briar was fond of saying food could be ordered out, but the thrill of winning when everyone bet against you couldn't be bought. She wasn't much for the outdoors, but had a love for sunsets and sunrises that no one would have guessed about her. The one thing that always surprised Shelia was that Briar didn't like the water. The ultimate risk taker had never learned to swim.
"Sweet idiot," was all Shelia could think to say as her ride turned the corner. She was looking forward to tomorrow when she knew she'd learn more about the enigma that was her boss. With each day that came, Briar never disappointed her on that.
New Orleans - Same Day
"You remembered didn't you?"
Vivian Loreio cut the engine to the crew boat she was piloting when they were about five feet from the dock, knowing from experience they would coast in the rest of the way and gently tap rubber covered wood. Her job was shuttling offshore workers up and down the Mississippi River all day, along with supplies, but it was something she loved since it kept her on the water.
She had partnered in business with Alan Beniot and after a couple of years they owned the boat outright and made a fairly good living. The two had grown up together and were more like siblings than business partners and spent most of these trips having conversations just like the one they were engaged in.
"Of course I remembered," she said as she watched the ground crew tie them up.
It had been raining for most of the day and despite the cap she had on, Vivian's blond hair was plastered to the back of her neck. They sat just outside the wheelhouse and watched as the crew unloaded the empty containers they'd picked up that afternoon and put them on the dock. The constant light rain would make for a long ride home on her bicycle if it didn't let up so she was taking a moment to work herself up to mounting up.
"What'd you get her?" Alan put his feet on the railing and brought his cap down lower to keep the water out of his eyes.
"It's unique, so I'm not telling you until tomorrow. I don't want to jinx her not liking it by telling your ugly mug about it."
They had been business partners and friends for most of their life, but the one thing they'd butted heads on was Megan Beniot. The thirty-year-old kindergarten teacher was Alan's sister and Vivian's partner. At least that's how Vivian referred to her as, but Alan was waiting to see the ring and some type of act that would convince him his buddy was in for the long-term.
"It's been more than enough years, Viv, so I hope you put some thought into Megan's birthday present." He hunched over and cupped his hand in front of his mouth trying to light his cigarette. When he did he handed it over to share. "I want her to be happy."
She blew the smoke directly at him and waited to see if he was through with his lecture. "You think she isn't? Isn't happy I mean."
"I'm sure she is, but I know Megan, and she won't push very hard for the things she really wants."
"I wouldn't worry about it. Call me crazy but I think we want the same things out of life and you can always be sure that I'll take good care of her."
She took one last drag from his smoke before going back in to get her bag. The rain had let up a little but was still falling as she unlocked her bike and headed away from the river toward Lake Ponchatrain. There was a section close to the industrial section of town where a lucky few, interested in simple living, had founded a community of houseboats.
While a majority of the owners only came out on the weekends, Vivian and Megan lived on the water in the last slip on the long dock. It was cramped but Megan never had the heart to make her partner leave the serenity of the area.
There was the houseboat that Vivian loved, but her favorite possession was tied in the adjoining slip. A two-man catamaran that she lived to take out alone when the wind was really whipping since Megan was afraid of the neck breaking speed the boat was capable of. It was as close to freedom and flying as she would ever get without leaving the ground.
She waved to the few people sitting outside enjoying the sunset as she slowly pedaled down the dock. She could see Megan was sitting on the upper deck under the awning reading a book, seemingly lost in another adventure or romance.
"Hi, beautiful."
"Lousy day to be riding a bike, Viv."
Leaning her ride against a piling, Vivian climbed up and dropped into the empty chair. Megan's dachshund Mac was sleeping at her feet and stirred when Vivian's clothes let out a squishing noise and he responded with a lazy bark.
"Did you have a good day?" asked Vivian. She had intentionally not mentioned Megan's birthday earlier that morning to build the suspense.
"School was good and my kids gave me a collage they've been working on."
"I'm sure that was great, but wait till you see what the rest of the day has in store for you." She unzipped the backpack and pulled out a small box.
"You look as excited as my little ones." Megan accepted the box and just enjoyed holding it for a moment before lifting the lid.
"Happy birthday, babe. I know you think I forgot but I was just waiting to surprise you." Vivian motioned for her to look at her gift.
They had confessed their feelings for each other when they'd turned fourteen and it was the first time any of Vivian's gifts was small enough to be something as personal as jewelry. Not that she needed anything extravagant, it just wasn't Vivian's style, but after years of receiving things like bathmats and really cool kitchen gadgets, it would've been a welcomed change.
Slowly, as if to savor the moment, she lifted the lid and looked inside. Years of practice helped her put a pleasantly surprised expression on her face as she studied the box's contents. The thin piece of rope was tied in an intricate knot, the kind Vivian liked to practice as a way to relax, and it was sitting alone in the box.
"Thanks, honey." She held it up and smiled.
"It's a new knot I made up for you," Vivian took out a new piece of rope and started replicating the one in Megan's hand. "I wanted to give you something that would symbolize how you make me feel."
"I tie you up in knots?"
"Yeah," said Vivian as she handed over the new knot.
"Good to know, Viv." Her tone was light and amused since she realized Vivian meant the comment as a compliment. "You want to go out tonight?"
"Nah, let's just use up the leftovers from last night. The cat needs new sails so we're saving up."
It wasn't a good time to remind Vivian that, while she liked to sail as well, the boats weren't her first priority. But then it wasn't ever a good time. As true a heart as Vivian had, there was something missing from their relationship. Her birthday had made her realize that what was missing was passion.
For once Megan wanted to feel like the center of someone's universe and be swept off her feet. Then she realized how lucky she was that Vivian was so sweet and loyal, but the seed of want had been planted. Maybe today wasn't the day to talk about it, but it was coming, and like the storm that was raging at the center of the lake, it wouldn't be put off.
New York
"Take your coat, Ms. Kilston?"
"Thanks." Briar shed the overcoat and handed it over. The place was still full despite the late hour, but a trip to the bar, as much as she wanted to make one, wasn't possible since her table and her date were waiting.
"You might want to hang on to this," the manager held up a blue box with a white ribbon. He'd felt it before handing the coat over to one of his staff. "It looks important."
"Or like Shelia's been shopping for me again." She gave him a tip in exchange for the gift as she racked her brain for an important enough date to warrant a trip to Tiffany's.
He laughed as he slipped the money into his front pocket and started for her table. "Have a wonderful evening, Ms. Kilston."
Claire already had a drink in front of her but it was still fairly full. She liked the taste of a good Cosmopolitan but hated the calories. There was another drink set out for Briar, but that one was quickly drained.
"Hello, darling. Rough day?"
"Nothing to worry about. Besides, you hate talking about business," said Briar.
The waiter put down a fresh drink, and she used the interruption to study Clair's profile. Thin was always the first word that popped into her mind when she looked at the beautiful face. Not that there was anything wrong with thin, as all the romance novels prove, but there wasn't anything wrong with curves either.
"This is a special day so I thought I'd indulge you."
The comment prompted her to pull the gift out and slide it across the table. "No need to indulge anything but yourself, Claire."
"I knew you'd remember." Ignoring the comment, she reached for the box and immediately opened it.
"Of course I did." Briar figured this wouldn't be the time to pull out her Palm and put in a reminder to give Shelia a raise.
A diamond tennis bracelet came out of the box and sparkled beautifully in the low lighting of the restaurant. "I didn't realize you enjoyed our first date this much, darling." She handed the bracelet over and offered Briar her wrist. The gift was beautiful but Claire had to steel her face into a smile of surprise when she noticed the box was much larger than the one she was waiting for.
"It's a wonder I can think of anything else." As she closed the clasp a sudden feeling of sadness came over Briar.
Claire had just moved in one day and she hadn't thought to object, but there wasn't a burning passion to be with this woman. It was nice to have someone to talk to at the end of the day when the mood hit her, or to have someone sitting across the table from you at dinner, but the overwhelming sense of love everyone talked about was absent.
Luckily Shelia kept Briar from being a disappointment to the women who'd come and gone in her life by shopping for gifts to fit the things she kept notes on just in case, but she was disappointed in herself for not ever taking the initiative to go out and do it. There had never been anyone she felt compelled to roam the counters at someplace like Tiffany's for. Stopping to pick out something that would make their eyes light up like the diamonds of Claire's gift just didn't enter her mind. She was sure it would do the same thing to those places in her heart that had been closed off for way to long if she took the time to care.
"Are you all right?" asked Claire. She had placed her order and it looked like Briar didn't even know the man was standing there much less talking to her.
"What? I'm sorry, I'm fine." She opened the menu and scanned down to the steak section. "A filet medium, garlic mashed potatoes and a house salad."
"A salad? That's new." Claire handed over her menu and turned to Briar like she had grown horns. "You're usually so boring when it comes to food."
"Then it's a good thing to order something out of the norm. I wouldn't want to be too predictable." She smiled and didn't care that it wasn't completely sincere.
The night had been enlightening in so many ways, and while she cared for Claire, the seed of want had been planted. It was time for someone to share a life with who would eclipse everything and everyone else, especially work. Because for now, it was the only thing that made her blood rush and made her look forward to her days.
"Did she like it?" asked Shelia.
It was early, but the office was already full, and people were working the phones going over information from the foreign markets before they headed to the trading floor. Shelia met her at the elevator as usual and held up a cup of coffee and a cheese Danish. How Briar was able to keep such a trim waist was beyond her but it was her favorite way to start the day and she was there to make sure Briar was taken care of.
"Mighty generous of you, Shelia. Makes me wonder if you're not stepping out with my girl when I'm at work."
"Yes I have so much time on my hands and your money at my disposal to make Claire realize I'm alive much less happy."
Briar stopped walking and just stared at her as if Shelia had just spoken some deep truth no one had ever been brave enough to voice. "Do you really think she's only with me because of the money?"
"I can't answer that for you, boss." Placing her hand over Briar's chest she continued, "For decisions that important, that have to do with your life, you have to look deep in here. I know you don't like to have those types of sensitive chats but sometimes they're necessary."
The change happened so fast it was hard for Briar to realize what was happening. From the time she'd gotten up that morning she'd had a nagging case of heartburn and pain in her arm and neck, but she had blamed it on the late night meal. When Shelia placed her hand over her heart it was like she had started a radiating pain that was making it hard for her to breath.
"Briar?" Shelia took the cup of coffee out of her hand and put it on the nearest desk. "Briar, are you alright?"
"I can't…" The pain cut off anything else she was going to say and for one brief second she was overcome with a choking fear when her vision started to dim. "Shelia," she pinned her with those blue eyes that always reminded Shelia of the first blue of dawn, "please."
As frantic as the office usually was, it kicked into overdrive when Briar slumped against Shelia and ended up on the floor. While Shelia started to assess what the problem was, the guy behind her was on the phone to 911. The lasting image they all had was of Briar's shirt open and the EMS workers running enough current through her body to lift her off the stretcher.
"Clear," said the emergency worker when the first shot didn't work and they still had no pulse. The others stepped away but had equipment in their hands ready to continue their jobs knowing time was precious now. "Move, and call ahead and have the cardiac unit waiting for us."
Shelia ran after them to the elevator, tears making it hard for her to see, but she couldn't leave Briar alone to face this. Seeing her appearing so weak and vulnerable seemed so surreal. It was a run to the ambulance as they continued to pump in medication and strap on more monitors that showed a very weak pulse.
"Briar, don't you dare give up," said Shelia as she got into the back with her. On the way to the hospital she tried to call Claire to have her meet them at the hospital but her phone was off and she wasn't answering at the penthouse.
Hours later Shelia stood when a doctor came through the doors and waved her back to her seat. He sat next to her and exhaled like he was exhausted. "The nurse said you came in with Ms. Kilston."
"Is she alright now?"
He put his hand on her knee and tried to think of the most compassionate way of telling her Briar's prognosis. "She's being monitored, but Ms. Kilston's diagnosis is serious. This morning she suffered a significant heart attack that has left her heart muscle severely damaged."
"But with time or maybe an operation she'll be fine right?"
"I'm sorry, but the damage is irreversible. She seemed healthy but this episode came on because of severe blockages."
Shelia shook her head and tried not to cry but couldn't help the tears that started to fall. "What do you mean irreversible? Is she going to die?"
"We're helping her breathe and we're monitoring her heart, but we need to pray for a miracle now. A transplant is her only hope for recovery and with AB negative blood, it's going to take a miracle."
"Can I see her?"
He took her hand and walked her into the room in Cardiac ICU unit, and didn't let go when Shelia saw Briar for the first time. The vital and animated woman she knew was now lying there fighting for her life. Her fingers felt cold to Shelia as she held her hand, the doctor going back to the desk to give her some privacy.
"I should've asked you to start ordering a salad long before last night. Oh, Briar, you can't do this to me. Please promise me you're going to hang on and not give up."
There was no answer but Shelia sat there with her until the staff asked her to leave. On the way back to the office she called Claire again hoping to find her. She didn't want to just leave a message as to what had happened. If Briar were awake, the fact Claire was missing would have been the answer to the question she'd asked before her heart gave out.
New Orleans
"Morning, babe," said Vivian when she heard Megan behind her.
She had gotten up before the sun had risen and made coffee to take to the upper deck and watch the first colors of the day paint the sky. The rain from the day before had stopped only an hour before but had left a multitude of clouds and a heaviness to the air.
"Morning." She'd taken Mac for his morning walk and was feeling as sluggish as the weather. As she always did, Megan had tried to put aside the feelings that had occupied her mind the day before.
Putting her cup down Vivian walked over and kissed her and held her close for a long time. "You feeling okay?"
"I'm fine, just a little tired. You ready to go?" Because of their job, Vivian and Alan were on the road before six every morning.
"We don't have to go until a little later today so I thought I'd make you breakfast before you have to get to school." The offer garnered Vivian another kiss.
Her first job out of high school had been as a cook offshore and Vivian had discovered something about herself she would've never guessed existed. She found the domesticity of preparing a good meal very relaxing and enjoyed showing off her skills for Megan.
After enjoying vegetable omelets together, Vivian went out and unlocked her bike. Before she got on, she turned back and lifted her hand to wave. "Do me a favor," she called up to Megan.
"Sure. You want a ride?"
"Nah, I just want you to remember something for me."
"What's that?"
She smiled and lowered her hand. "Just remember that I love you." It was as romantic a notion as Vivian ever displayed and it made Megan's face break out into a beautiful smile.
"That'll be easy to remember, honey. Be careful and I'll see you tonight."
When her principal came to the door of her classroom and asked to speak to her, it seemed like the words she told Vivian had just left her lips. Her boss started talking and it was all she could do to not tell her to shut up.
"They brought her to the emergency room at Big Charity." The principal held on to Megan and just kept telling her what she needed to know, no matter how painful it was. "Your brother just called so we have to go, honey."
"That can't be right," said Megan not even realizing she was being led out to the parking lot and into her friend's car. "She was fine this morning when she left for work."
She kept repeating that line as they drove up to the emergency entrance of the mammoth medical complex. Alan ran up to her and took over caring for Megan, putting his arms around his sister. They stepped into a small waiting room where a doctor was sitting patiently waiting for them. This was the part of the job there was no adequate class for. In his opinion, there had been no easy way devised to break such life altering news.
He took Megan's hand and turned his eyes to Alan trying to convey that he shouldn't let go of her. "I have a few things to discuss with you, Ms. Beniot, and your brother tells me you have Ms. Loreio's medical power of attorney."
"I have the paperwork at home if you need it, but I really need to see her. I'm sure this meeting is important but I just need to see Viv."
"No, ma'am, I trust we'll get to the paperwork eventually, if it's necessary. I just want to discuss what happened with you and tell you what to expect before we go in." He took a deep breath like he was about to jump into the deep end of a very cold pool and just started. "This morning because of the slick roads it's my understanding a driver skidded out of control and hit Ms. Loreio while she was on her bicycle."
"But she is always so careful," said Megan, as she gripped onto his hand like a lifeline.
"It wasn't her fault, sis. The guy just went through a stop sign and tried to avoid her but the wet road made him lose control," provided Alan.
"What we have to face now," the doctor paused and took another deep breath, and tried to smile as a way of comforting her. "What we have to face now is that Ms. Loreio has no brain activity so you have to make some decisions for her now that she can't make for herself."
"I know Vivian, and she can pull out of this. She's a hard worker and in great shape. She can beat this if we give her the time."
"Megan, the doc got about four opinions already while we were waiting for you to get here. It's the machines that are keeping her alive. I know Viv almost as well as you do. She wouldn't want this kind of existence. We had that talk once and I know for sure she wouldn't want that." Alan pulled her close to his chest and let the tears come. There were more than a few that fell down his own face for the friend he'd lost in one senseless accident.
"I can't do that to her, Al. I don't have the right to take her life away."
"Then let her words and her wishes do it for her," said the doctor. "Did she have a living will?"
"It's with all her papers. We drew them up a couple of years ago when we met with an attorney."
"Then your brother is right, Ms. Beniot. Let Vivian have what she wanted and ease your heart in that it's her wishes we'll be carrying out."
Megan moved away from Alan a little bit and grabbed on to the doctor's hand again before he could stand and move away. "Are you sure there isn't anything we can do?"
"My oath is always to preserve life were I can, ma'am. Especially when I see what the person has to lose if we don't do everything we can to make them whole again. The people they love and will be leaving behind if I don't do my job to the best of my ability is always a major factor in everything I do. I swear to you on all that I believe that Vivian is beyond my reach and for that I'm sorry."
"Thank you then. I just needed to ask."
He stopped at the door and looked back at them. "I realize this may sound harsh, but was it also her intent to be an organ donor."
"That's something I really don't know," said Megan.
"I wouldn't want to push you but with her rare blood type she could make such a difference to so many people if that was her wish. Look at it as a way of letting Vivian's spirit live on and changing someone's life for the better."
Megan sat with Vivian alone for over an hour, whispering things she'd wished she said that morning before she had ridden off. She kissed her goodbye with a little guilt for the thoughts she'd had the night before when she'd opened the box to find a knot inside. Their relationship might not have been perfect, but not having Vivian there at the end of her days and in the mornings was going to be incredibly lonely.
She rested her head on Vivian's chest and listened to the beating heart inside one last time. It was something she took for granted every night as they went to sleep and Vivian held her. The sound was reassuring and just one of the things she would be losing as soon as they rolled Vivian into surgery.
"I want you to promise me that you'll move on knowing that you are the best thing in my life. I love you, Vivian, and I want to thank you for sharing your life with me. You gave your best always and I'm going to miss you more than I'll ever be ever to say. Take care, love, and you'll be in my heart."
She kissed her one more time and nodded to the medical personal outside. They came in and started to move Vivian as well as all the equipment, and she started crying when Alan stopped them for a moment and kissed Vivian's forehead and whispered his own goodbye in her ear.
"It's going to be all right, Megan. I promise it will be," said Alan.
"Thank you again for doing this," said the doctor as he joined them. "I hope that your kindness will be rewarded."


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This is the list of the 10 best waterproof housing for Gopro you could have a look. These reviews will tell you the differences between each one, and you then can decide if which one is the best suit for your Gopro. These best waterproof housing for Gopro have been designed very nice with great quality. You should be able to enjoy your Gopro activity so good with these housing cases.
- 1.GoPro Camera AHSRH-401 Standard Housing
- 2.SOONSUN Frame Mount Housing Case
- 3.LC Prime 30M Dive Housing Protective Waterproof Underwater Case Black For GoPro
- 4.Oumers 45M Waterproof Housing for GoPro Hero4 Session
- 5.GoPro HERO3 Skeleton Housing
- 6.Dazzne Sports Camera Waterproof Housing Case + Thumb Knob + Tripod Mount for GoPro
- 7.WiserElecton Side Open Skeleton Housing
- 8.Deyard GS-111 Standard Waterproof Protective Housing Case
- 9.By SkyGrand Aluminum Solid Protective shell Metal Housing Case for Go pro Hero 4 Session
- 10.Hapurs Diving Waterproof Housing Protective Case Cover
1.GoPro Camera AHSRH-401 Standard Housing
First of all, let's check out the GoPro Housing AHSRH-401. This skeleton housing allows users to connect the camera with other devices or charging quite easily by its open side. This standard housing is particularly made for GoPro Hero 3, 3+ and 4. If your camera is one of those, there is not a problem with its fit. With this housing case, you are going to enjoy your Gopro activity so good.
2.SOONSUN Frame Mount Housing Case
The second suggestion is the SOONSUN housing case. This item is made highly compatible with Gopro Hero 4, 3, and 3+. It has been made from high quality plastic material, and it has a high quality for convenient use. Light weight is another good thing about this housing case. Either it is for travel, climbing or running, it is going to be great. However, it worth noticing that it is not waterproof.
3.LC Prime 30M Dive Housing Protective Waterproof Underwater Case Black For GoPro
Next is the LC Prim Housing case for Gopro camera. This is a very nice housing design for Gopro camera. And, it is also the design for underwater activities such as diving. For great durability, it comes with the matte clear sealant. It will not easily fade the color. At the same time, it will make the camera look even more amazing. Some users are happy with the housing because it is small and light, very easy to use.
4.Oumers 45M Waterproof Housing for GoPro Hero4 Session
Standing in the number 4, this is the Oumers Waterproof Housing. This item is specifically made just for the Gopro Hero4 Session. A different version might not fit well. Again, this housing is waterproof, and you can have your camera used underwater. That is great for diving deep down to 45m. This housing is as well outstanding for portability and handheld design.
5.GoPro HERO3 Skeleton Housing
Made with open sides for very good accessibility, this is the a great Gopro Skeleton Housing to check out. It could let you live-feed video, charge while enhancing great audio capture. However, this skeleton housing is not made waterproof, and it is used great for only in dry condition. In the meantime, you might use this Gopro Hero3, 3+ and 4 too. With its affordable price, this is such a great option.
6.Dazzne Sports Camera Waterproof Housing Case + Thumb Knob + Tripod Mount for GoPro
The next waterproof housing case is the Dazzne Sports case. This housing is made to work great with Hero 4, 3+, and 3. If your Gopro camera is one among those, this would be an amazing choice. For its waterproof capacity, it is working great deep down 20 m under the water. This brand new skeleton housing for gopro will also let you capture your photos great even in the snowing winter.
7.WiserElecton Side Open Skeleton Housing
WiserElection is another brilliant choice as the best skeleton housing for Gopro. This housing has been designed lovely with good open side to allow easy access either for the live feed video, charging and more. The design is quite enhancing, additionally. Lightweight and sturdy are other good things about this design. With its reasonable price, you are going to like this skeleton housing so well.
8.Deyard GS-111 Standard Waterproof Protective Housing Case
Another housing case which is considered very good for the quality and popularity is the Deyard GS-111. This housing design is made for only Gopro Hero4 Session. If your one is a different version, it will not fit. But, if your one is, this is a great design you can carefully consider. It is a rugged construction, and it is waterproof for underwater use if you need to. As well, the case is quite durable for long lasting use.
9.By SkyGrand Aluminum Solid Protective shell Metal Housing Case for Go pro Hero 4 Session
For the second last review, it is the Metal housing case made by SkyGrand. This case comes with a lot of features to serve. It is small in size, and it is very light. As well, many find it sturdy and durable when in use, making it very lovely for many users. And, because it open side design, there is not a worry as well to connect it through the cable to other devices or for charging. Lastly, you can install it quick.
10.Hapurs Diving Waterproof Housing Protective Case Cover
Hapurs Diving Housing is the last recommendation here. It is made waterproof, and for underwater activities such as diving, this is a great housing for your Gopro. It works well deep down up to 45 m. The housing case is as well made slim, light, but durable. It is quite versatile. Even better, it is available at such a reasonable price you can bring in one to enjoy.

subset: commoncrawl


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Udupi July 24, 2016: Bus rams into a two- wheeler injuring the couples at National Highway 66 in Balaipade near Udyavar on July 24, Sunday.
The injured are Rajendra Prasad (65) and his wife Latha(56). They are the residents of Korangrapadi in Udupi District.
It is said that Rajendra and Latha were on their way to Kinimulky. A speeding Express Bus plying from Kollur towards Mangluru knocked their two-wheeler. Both were seriously injured in the accident are being treated at a private Hospital in Udupi.
A case is registered in Udupi Police station.


text:
- Product Description
Delivery £40.00 kerbside delivery Mainland England and Wales, for any other areas or if you are unsure, please contact us. We provide a kerbside delivery that usually requires two able people to offload at your end, this takes about 20 minutes, the driver calls 1 hour before delivery. A delivery date will be arranged with you 2 working days in advance, if there is nobody there to receive the delivery and it has to be redelivered you will be liable for this cost.
- Download Files & Manuals


text:
21 Ambitions-Styled Tattoos for YA and A sims. 4 Chin Tattoos as Lipstick. 3 Face Tattoos as Blush.
by cyclo_tripz 19th Mar 2013 at 10:09pm in Create-a-Sim » Makeup » Tattoos98 204,086 481
by Tigger379 8th May 2015 at 2:38am
by SallyCompaq122 5th Mar 2015 at 12:06pm
A Poet's Soul -Multiple Eyeliner...
by Vampire_aninyosaloh 1st Jul 2014 at 6:16pm
by Vampire_aninyosaloh 29th Jun 2014 at 7:40pm
by Vampire_aninyosaloh 9th Aug 2013 at 3:59pm
by missy harries 23rd Jul 2012 at 8:33pm
Set of 6 Winged Glamorous Eyeliners
by emmzx 19th Apr 2010 at 2:05am
by Astraea Nevermore 1st Feb 2010 at 4:19pm
LASHED - Lower Lashes Eyeliner
by aarin 1st Dec 2009 at 3:49pm
by xrachaelx 31st Oct 2009 at 7:03pm
by Papercat 27th Jul 2009 at 6:51am


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...was composed in January, 1946 and written to an Aunt who had moved to America decades ago and apparently had forgotten most of her Dutch. She was very helpful and had sent our family several food and clothes packages immediately after the war.
Amsterdam, January 27, 1946
Dear Auntie Mieke and Uncle Alois (Ladie)
At first I will thank you for
the shoes I was very glad with them
amd they fitted me to a T. I can-
not so good english, but I will
write you yet in english. Now, I
will tell you something over my self.
I am 13 years old, and I go to
the Grammar school. There I had
learnt english since 4 months
and well 3 times a week. It's
fine there, but I (better) like (more) to
skate. There is now ice here, and
I skate passionately. Dear auntie,
I shou(l)d like to photograph, and
I can not acquire a film (6 x 4 1/2
Hollands cm)
The italicized corrections and additions in my letter
were made by my father -
whose English was rather rusty in contrast to his French and German.
... talking to a British pilot about how expensive things were during the war: - DAD: "Everything was very yauker" -
(PILOT looks a bit confused) - DAD AGAIN: "Do you understand?" - PILOT: "yes, Sir, I do, indeed!" -
DAD: "yes, very yauker, inderdeed!" - (Explanation: "yauker" is a Yiddish word he remembered from his childhood)
return to previous page


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I would like to touch on the issue of City Guards not attacking quest foes? They certainly did in vanilla despite how brain dead they were by doing it. In vanilla they would sort of walk in the foes direction and attack instantly killing the foe. I havn't seen many people bring it up and was wondering if this would be fixed? I'm not sure if its even an issue you guys know about cause it seems not many people know that guards did attack enemies. (Enemies would ignore the guards however) They'd attack both enemies from the wilderness and quest related foes.Interkarma wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12, 2019 10:11 pmPacify (spell effect) and "restrain foe" (quest action) both operate the same way in back-end by setting enemyMotor.IsHostile=false. This just prevents them from attacking player, it doesn't place them on player's "team" as far as the enemy infighting system works.
The easiest solution I'd see is to have at least city watch ignore the quest safety of foes.


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Mass mortality of Eunicella singularis (Anthozoa: Octocorallia) in the Chafarinas Islands (North Africa, Western Mediterranean Sea)
Records of mortality after a high temperature event in 2014 in the white gorgonian Eunicella singularis were compiled in six different locations around the Chafarinas Islands. Quadrats were used to quantify dead colonies, colonies affected by epibionts and healthy colonies at different depths. No relationship was found between depth and percentage of affected colonies; however differences in the mortality among sites were detected. On average, 43% of the colonies of E. singularis were found dead, 21% damaged and 36% healthy. These results highlight the need of further researches for monitoring the colonies of this species considering future scenarios of rising temperature.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:PDF
DOI: https://doi.org/10.22370/rbmo.2018.53.2.1304
Este obra está bajo una licencia de Creative Commons Reconocimiento 4.0 Internacional.


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The reality of life in lockdown is seemingly bedding in. I know longer feel like sawing my own head off with a bread knife inRead more
7in and EP round-up: April 2020 (part 2)
Afewyearslater / Trophy Jump split EP () Right on. We have some stuff here from continental Europe: Afewyearslater are from Hungary and Trophy Jump (whoRead more
Interview with Cruelty
I'll confess that when it comes to Midlands based metallic hardcore band Cruelty I've had to eat a hefty slice of humble pie. You see,Read more
Sweet Empire – A New Cycle (Umlaut Records, 2019)
A New Cycle is the third full length from Dutch crew, Sweet Empire. Quite by chance I saw them play at the launch party forRead more
7in & EP round-up: April 2019 (part 1)
Custody / The Phoenix Foundation – split 7in (Little Rocket Records) When Graeme Philliskirk hit me up about this one, he said he wasn't goingRead more
Allvaret – Skam Och Skuld (Dirt Cult records / Erste Theke Tontrager 2018)
Allvaret are from Småland, Sweden. Skam Och Skuld (which translates as Shame & Guilt) is their second full length, following 2013's Tank Pa Doden (whichRead more
The Raging Nathans – Cheap Fame (Plasterer / Rad Girlfriend Records, 2018)
Thee plague yeare of 2018 seems to go from strength to strength in terms of two things: 1. global events that signal our (potentially) imminentRead more
Clayface – Don't Hold Your Breath (Horn & Hoof, 2017)
These guys are from Greater Manchester and play what I suppose could best be described as melodic hardcore / skate punk largely influenced by theRead more
Marko & The Bruisers – Every Path (self released, 2017)
So t'other week, I got an unsolicited message on the Apathy and Exhaustion Facebook page (yeah – go on there and 'like' that shit) fromRead more
Black Volvo – Bad Driving (TNS Records / Make That A Take Records, 2017)
Nobody on the team seemed particularly keen to take this one on for some reason. Maybe the band name is a bit off-putting. It's certainlyRead more


text: Amazon's One Day Shipping Map A closer look at Amazon's delivery network illustrates why the company is now ready to make one-day shipping the default for its Prime members. Amazon is already capable of offering same-day and next-day delivery to 72% of the total U.S. population, including almost all of the households… Click to read the entire story here. By firstname.lastname@example.com|2019-05-06T13:23:57-05:00May 6th, 2019|Latest News|


text:
Unexpectedly at the Charlotte County Hospital in St. Stephen, NB, on Tuesday, July 11th, 2017; Mark Butler of St. Andrews, NB. Born in Fredericton, NB, he is the son of Alexa Kaye (Paul) of Scotchtown, NB, and partner to Sandra Bryant of St. Andrews, NB.
For the last five years Mark worked as a welder for Cooke's Aquaculture. For many years prior to that he was a motor vehicle body repair specialist.
Surviving, in addition to his partner Sandra, of St. Andrews, are his mother and step-father Alexa and Paul Kaye of Scotchtown, NB, his two daughters, Victoria Bryant-Butler at home, Jillian Butler of Alberta; three sons, Stephen Butler of ON, Brandon Butler of Manitoba, Cameron Butler of ON; step-children, Kandise Bryant of Saint John, NB, Danielle Bryant and Phillip Bryant both of Alberta; one sister, Susan King (Andrew) of Riverview, NB; three grandchildren, Lennox, Ethan, and Alexander.
Mark was predeceased by his brother Stephen and his father Norman Butler.
By Mark's request there will be no visitation. Cremation will take place followed by a memorial service in celebration of his life on Saturday, July 15th, 2017 at 5 p.m. at All Saints Anglican Church, King St., St. Andrews, NB, with Archdeacon John Matheson officiating.
In lieu of flowers donations to the NB Heart & Stroke Foundation would be appreciated by the family. Online condolences to the family or donations can be made at www.humphreysfh.com
Arrangements have been entrusted to the care and direction of Humphreys' Funeral Home, 20 Marks Street, St. Stephen, NB E3L 2B2 (506-466-3110)


text:
Pultec is Back!
After 30 years, the classic EQ returns, and it's worth the wait
Revived and alive, Pultec is back and here to stay. Through a decade of relentless commitment to perfection, Dr. Steven Jackson restarted Pulse Techniques' production of the original Pultec equalizers, making the magnificent low end, silky-sweet high frequencies and wide-open sound available again for the first time in 30 years.
Considering the rarity of vintage units, the new Pultecs at Vintage King make the classic Pultec accessible again. They've been responsible for making recordings sound great for over 60 years and will continue on, thanks to Dr. Steven Jackson's great new gear.
Three Models, Three Versions
Models are: "Original" A3, "Special" S3, and the "Midrange" MEQ. For each model, there are three versions: Standard Tube, Solid State (SS), and Tube Mastering (M). We did the math, and 3x3 does equal 9.
A3 and S3 models provide delicious sweetening of low and high frequencies. The A3 models have their own classic EQ points, whereas the S3 model offers "special" unique frequencies in low, additional high frequency EQ points and a "special" high frequency shelf option. The MEQ models provides gorgeous control over low-mid, midrange, and mid-high frequencies.
For each model there are tube and solid state versions, and a mastering version. The tube version brings sweetness, silk, and richness to individual tracks and whole mixes. The "SS" solid state versions are not inferior to tube, rather the original designers Eugene Shenk and Ollie Summerland considered the solid state API 2520 op-amp-based make-up gain stage more reliable and easily serviceable. Sonically, the solid state version is considered the punchiest Pultec, with slightly more forward mids. Lastly, the "M" mastering versions provide precision 21-position rotary switches for reproducible 0.5 dB steps of boost or cut.
Info: http://vintageking.com/pultec
Pultec se spet vrača
Začel NLP , jun 25 2014 04:17
1 odgovori v to temo
Objavljeno 25 junij 2014 - 04:17
Nenad Patkovic
Objavljeno 26 junij 2014 - 05:59
Nice,... tudi cene so super
Dodaj odgovor
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text:
You can not change the weather with your head in the clouds.
Almost two decades ago, I was trying to write up a business plan for Addictlab, that was based on the belief that there would be a severe need for creativity. Creativity will become the 'oil of the 21st century' I wrote back then. Defining creativity would take us too far here, yet we can consider creative thinkers people who are able to apply some form of chemistry, so that new things arise. In that perspective, creativity is in no means to be confused with art.
More than ever, I believe that out of the box thinkers have a huge potential in view of the desired changes for the planet, the way we live together. In that sense, creative minds also have a huge responsibility. It's what I've called 'the moral duty of creation'.
Looking back at the different projects we have been doing with Addictlab, be it on our own or for third parties, there is something that is popping up. When you ask people to take part in a session of group thinking, there is a clear wish to come up with the wildest ideas, to change paradigm shifting, all of that. But there is something else: the actual ideas are been assessed by the invited group, based on their sustainability and importance for the social environment too.
What if this comes naturally with the process of sourcing and the methodology behind concepts such as Addictlab? What if bringing people together in collaborative processes results in interaction, in surprising or out-of-the-box ideas, but also brings forward a clear wish to create 'for the community'?
Group thinking sparks responsible solutions. Change R.O.I. from Return On investment to Responsibility Of Innovation.
Could social awareness be one of the outcomes of any creative project? Then maybe that is the most remarkable thing to be studied. Because that would mean that we play less 'individually' when creating in and as a group. So the methodology itself steers the result in a certain direction. We're adding an extra 'social' layer to the filters we use to generate our concepts. And with this, our creative thinkers need to be responsible in what they create.
Am I making sense? Let's make a quick diagram.
1. conventional creative process:
There will normally be a reason of creation. I will limit my example here to that of a consultant creating for a client. Yet the thoughts remain the same for all creation, art included.
A client, a company, a possible sales outlet, there is an economical reason and budget to start a creative process. This process should therefore create changes for that receiver or whoever ordered the process to start. Think of new products, a communication strategy, a brand reflection, a new building, and more. It depends on the creative discipline commissioned.
In the process, there are a number of changes to be looked into. What if we could quantify those 'changes', be it economical, brand-related, personal or more.
• The blue part then shows the 'amount of changes' that are the result for the receiver. Less money but received 'added created value.'
• The red part shows the other party that will be involved in this process: the agency/designer/consultant/artist. He who creates, he who transmits. In consultancy, changes as a result of this process for the agency will be primarily income, but one could also add field experience and added value. (We did THIS for THAT client)
• Next to that, we can/should expect more income (or added value) for external or internal creative resources. That's the yellow part.
• The Green part, is the social part: the PR value, the story to tell. It's what 'other' people will say or do, when coming in contact with the creation. In an economical creation, this means stories can be picked up by journalists & media. Yet, probably, and most of the time in a consultancy relation, this will be limited to the peer group of both agency/ & client.
2. The holistic creative process.
Now. Let's look at what I believe should be an ideal Addictlab project, and a model for all creative processes tout court.
• The blue part stays pretty important: a client – any client – should get the changes they are paying for, and more.
• The red part then, is about quantifying the beneficial changes and/or income (but not necessarily only money) for the organization, as facilitator & methodology to create. The transmitter. This can be remuneration for the 'production'.
• The yellow part here, shows you the income/added value for the creative resources involved. These, in my perspective, are labmembers, registered on Addictlab. Mark: the sizes of client/addictlab/labmembers are equal. Important, as we want to do anything but abuse the creative resources. This sometimes is completely opposed to how creative minds are treated/neglected by agencies in the ordinary process..
• The green part is added value generated for the lab's partners & sponsors. Addictlab's labpartners should be benefiting too. Labpartners can step in & tap into certain research fields. Addictlab's proactive way of working & global research fields demand research partners. The partners/sponsors should receive added value for any process done by the lab.
• Next to that, the purple part, we are looking at changes for society. Why? I believe we shouldn't only create to earn money, or a company shouldn't pay us just to get added value for its board of directors. We have a moral duty when creating. This section is quantifying the social implication of the creative process. The result for our society, the people. Changes here could be heritage, regional branding, respect for social groups & more. the list is long. Our sessions proof that this part comes natural in group thinking.
• The orange field – I've called it 'Credibility of the Independent Lab' – is the authenticity factor. It's what the organization needs to build – proactively – to create reactively based on a briefing. It's what changes we are creating to remain true to the lab's independency and authenticity. If the lab is not authentic, the previous parts are simply just not possible. (This is why some political decisions to sustain the creative industries simply don't work. Politics is all from top down. Creative process is from bottom up.) The orange part are to be considered the engine of this holistic creative process.
• If all those last elements are ok, we have come to the last part, the brown part on the chart, being the story value of the project. The size is the same as the ones in the beginning. As important, because the story we now can tell, is a story that is authentic and very credible in view of sustainable changes. A broad selection of media should be interested in bringing the results of the process, generating PR for the company, the labmembers, and the regional hub it was created in.
The way forward: All creative processes should be assessed.
I believe this model should be implemented throughout the different fields of expertise. All processes could have an assessment based on the changes they evoke and realise.
Such a model, emphasising on the social implication of the creative process, will result in a growing awareness for all aspects involved, and could re-arrange the way we as a society look at art, fashion, design & more.
How can the fashion scene, for instance, have come to a point in which it needs to reinvent itself every 6 months, throwing away whatever they had in a previous season, still knowing that a huge percentage of people need clothes on a daily basis? The whole fashion industry would score badly in our holistic creation diagram, and the market approach needs to be rethought.
The way to do this: mapping of creative thinkers
The mapping of creative thinking should be done with an utter respect and completely unbiased. Prima donna's in the different industries will not score high in a holistic creation process. Let me take the example of Solomons radio.
Personally I believe his art and creation tells a genuine and authentic story. He creates his radios because of the needs – people in Soweto want a radio to listen to local news and soccer games. But what he creates, the way he creates, and the final result, are showing a huge potential in view of the previous chart.
In one such a radio, we can find craftsmanship, vision, heritage, communication, recycling and pride. I believe it's art and much more than that. I believe Solomon deserves to be mapped as a creative thinker. And if by any chance I can sell one of his radios from Soweto in a European art fair for a price that would fit the concept and the object's meaning , he will have a couple of year's income for his family.
Am I living with my head in the clouds or on ideatopia? Or will we really be able to change the weather?
Jan Van Mol, Geneva 2010


text:
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Lovettsville, VA Church
8 comments:
- Margaret Birding For Pleasure said...
Such an old church but in very good condition. Have a lovely weekend.
- Saturday, September 12, 2015 10:01:00 AM
- Mike@Bit About Britain said...
Somehow, it looks like a very SENSIBLE church. Love the tower!
- Saturday, September 12, 2015 8:12:00 PM
- Tom said...
A lovely church that is similar to several in this area.
- Saturday, September 12, 2015 8:30:00 PM
- Unknown said...
Have a nice Sunday Marcia.
Thanks for sharing another good church photo report. I like a lot.
(I have come here through Inspired Sunday)
- Sunday, September 13, 2015 4:51:00 AM
- Shortbread and Ginger said...
Lovely church and some great historical detail.
Liz @ Shortbread & Ginger
- Sunday, September 13, 2015 8:35:00 AM
- Gerald (SK14) said...
so the church was there before the town - fascinating
- Sunday, September 13, 2015 10:08:00 AM
- debsgarden said...
Hi Marcia, I am impressed with the beautiful old architecture, with a style that I see in many churches today. You definitely need to do a search on the Lovetts. No doubt you will uncover some fascinating family history.
By the way, I was just exploring some of your last posts. I love the red shoe!
- Sunday, September 13, 2015 6:48:00 PM
- doodles n daydreams said...
I thought for a start it was the church building that was so old but it's the congregation. A good church for a good congregation.
- Monday, September 14, 2015 2:08:00 AM


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Snow White's Summer Adventure
Yesterday we went to the Theatre by the Bay with the kids and watched a production called…Snow White's Summer Adventure. It's a musical based upon the story of Snow White but with a few twists. For one there's a magic disco ball not a magic mirror. The dwarves are 4 cowboys named: Sorry, Tardy (who had a bit of a gas problem), Nosey and Sparky. Also, the queen has a pet skunk! Anyway, the story was cute and the kids really enjoyed it.
OH!!! The prince was quite the character. He was fashioned after Donald Trump – hair and everything! They dressed this prince up in a bright blue velvet suit embroidered with rhinestones. The pink silk tie, boots, Donald Trump hair, and Monopoly money finished off his look.
The whole story is told in an hour with no sets and very few props. Pretty amazing how our imaginations filled in the gaps.


text:
MDS World Awareness Day
MDS World Awareness Day 2019: HERE TO HELP!
Get ready for MDS World Awareness Day on social media
- Tag or mention a person, hospital, event that is particularly helpful to you, and simply say THANK YOU!
- You can also take the opportunity to mention issues, make suggestions for improvements, and share best practice for MDS care.
- USE #MDSWAD on twitter Facebook and Instagram for MDS World Awareness Day
MDS World Awareness Day Poems
MDS UK Patients' Poems on MDS World Awareness Day
MDS Awareness Day is being marked this year by using poetry to describe the many issues faced by patients and their families.
MDS can affect you in different ways – some obvious, some much less so. Some hit you in ways you could not ever imagine. The plain physical symptoms can be fairly easy to talk about. The deep fatigue experienced by many, however, is harder to explain and patients struggle with the loss of independence it creates.
The emotional issues are the hardest to broach. People can't even start to talk about it, or don't know how. This is why, it is sometimes easier to express these difficult feelings in poetry – as an outlet, which everyone can identify with, and may help them express their own emotions.
Throughout September, Blood Cancer Awareness Month, we started collecting poems, and featuring the wonderful work of KateD, now our official MDS poet. Kate, an MDS patient herself, has written numerous poems about her thoughts, life, emotions and also other people's experiences of MDS.
Help us mark the day by sharing this poetry widely. We hope to reach new audiences this way, to make more people aware of this rarer blood cancer.
The day will also be marked in several locations in the UK – with some events bringing together people affected by MDS
On MDS Awareness Day 2019, we will reveal a new, very special international MDS poem, Kate created with input from many of the international MDS patient organisations around the world!
MDS Fundraising Events
MDS World Awareness Day 2018
On October 25 we raised public awareness of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and its symptoms on local and national radio:
- 11 interviews
- 130 minutes of airtime
- We reached 1.78m people
MDS World Awareness Day 2016
We surprised people in London on 25th Oct with a flashmob
A happy bunch gathered around Harrods and danced to the song I am what I am by Gloria Gaynor. We wore our MDS t-shirts with pride and raised awareness of MDS!


text:
Studying Abroad Still Considered SafePublished: February 1, 2016
Campus globetrotters are giving fresh consideration to travel safety since the tragic death of CSULB's Nohemi Gonzalez in the Paris terror attacks last November.
"If you ask people whether they are more afraid of dying from a shark attack or from a piece of airplane debris falling from the sky and striking them in the head, most people will tell you that they worry more about the shark attack," said Kimberly Walters, a new face this fall in International Studies. "But in fact, shark attacks are much rarer than deaths from falling airplane debris. To put it another way, it's not the things we fear that will kill us. And, more importantly, the fear about things that are unlikely to kill us . . . is killing us.
"That's the point of terrorism: to panic us," continued Walters, who earned her doctorate in comparative human development from the University of Chicago in 2015. "We can't live our lives panicked about something that is, in fact, a highly remote possibility. Yes, it's remotely possible that students who study abroad could become the victims of violence. But it is far, far more likely that students who choose to stay home because they fear violence abroad would end up dying in a car accident while at home. Again, we can't make life decisions based on extremely rare occurrences. There is nothing that Nohemi could have done to 'stay safe' from the attackers. Going to concerts, eating in restaurants, touring beautiful cities–this is all part of living. We can either choose to live or choose not to live by hiding ourselves away. Personally, I choose to live."
When Walters returns to India this summer, she hopes to take a student with her as a research assistant and eventually as a co-author on publications. "I also plan to establish a field school in Hyderabad, India, where each summer I can mentor students in internships and individual research projects," she said.
New International Studies' faculty member Barbara Grossman-Thompson, who earned her Ph.D. in sociology at the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2015, agrees that today's student travelers need to stay calm.
"The first thing I do to protect myself overseas is to understand that a lot of foreign danger is a constructed myth," said the expert in gendered organization of labor in Nepal. "The first thing I would do is deconstruct the myth of the dangerous 'other place'. Tragedies happen abroad, but an enriching experience is far more likely to happen."
During her most recent visit to Nepal, Grossman-Thompson resided in the big city of Kathmandu.
"Living in Kathmandu, the number one challenge was finding a quiet place," she said. "Kathmandu is a bustling, vibrant place but prayers start at 3 a.m. and bells are ringing while they perform worship. It is a South Asian city filled with traffic noise, monks and water buffalo. Roosters do not go to bed at midnight. Just finding a silent moment was the biggest challenge."
Her support for study abroad extends to taking a student to Nepal in the summer of 2016. "Both Dr. Walters and I are enthusiastic about getting undergrads into the field," said Grossman-Thompson. "I want our students to get a look not just at what research is like but what different cultures are like. Being part of another culture, even for a moment, is an enriching experience."
The risks of world travel have been exaggerated, said Terrence Graham, executive director of CSULB's Center for International Education.
"It is the fear of 'over there,'" said Graham, who is completing his doctorate of education in Higher Education Administration at George Washington University. "I always reassure our students and their parents that student safety is foremost in our minds. The design of our programs, the partnerships that we forge and the places we send our students show we use the best practices from across the industry.
"As part of our review process, we provide lots of guidance and advice to students, not only in the orientation but in our advising to them about steps they can take to stay safe," he added. "We rely a lot on our overseas partners as well as the U.S. embassy and the government officials there. The State Department has a useful smartphone app. We require all our students to be registered through those apps with the State Department wherever they are so they can get up-to-the-minute alerts regarding natural disasters or political uncertainties. The situation with Nohemi Gonzalez only strengthened my trust in our partners overseas because our partner in Paris was really on the ball. He kept communicating with us all through the night making sure all our students were safe and accounted for. They are study abroad professionals just like we are. They know what to do in case of an emergency and work together with us as a team."
Walters added that students who travel abroad can stay safe by being as level-headed about their actions while they are abroad as when they are at home.
"Traveling in a foreign country is not the time to start acting crazily and recklessly, simply because you imagine yourself to be on vacation," she advised. "Stay safe by being well-informed and smart about what you choose to do, when you choose to do it, and with whom you choose to do it, just as you would at home."


text:
Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid
| 3841 votes and 49 Reviews Write a Review
Release Date:
- August 27, 2004
DVD: December 21, 2004
1h 37m | Action/Adventure, Horror, Thriller
Scientists set off on an expedition to the Borneo jungle to track down a rare flower called the black orchid to find out if the flower holds the secret to youth and immortality. But the group finds anacondas who are already aware of the black orchid's gifts.
These giant snakes have derived super strength, speed and size from the flowers and the scientists soon find themselves running for their lives.
|Dwight Little
|Columbia Pictures
|Verna Harrah
|Morris Chestnut, Johnny Messner, Nicholas Gonzalez, Eugene Byrd, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Karl Yune, KaDee Strickland, Matthew Marsden
|John Clafin, Daniel Zelman
|Official Site:


text:
It's Appalachian State All Over Again For Michigan
It was bad enough when they lost at home over the weekend to New Jersey Institute of Technology.
But last night, the Michigan Wolverines followed up that embarrassment with another doozy: A home loss to Eastern Michigan.
Wow. Just, wow. They looked like the Michigan basketball program of yesteryear out there!
You throw in the football situation in Ann Arbor and it's a real mess.


text:
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West Ham United v Liverpool Match Thread
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Ha! No. But read on…
Some definitions first:
Endocrine System: the glands and parts of glands that produce endocrine secretions, help to integrate and control bodily metabolic activity and include especially the pituitary, thyroid, parathyroids, adrenals, islets of Langerhans, ovaries, and testes
Phytoestrogens: a chemical compound that occurs naturally in plants and has estrogenic properties
As a vegan environmental science major in college, I did an independent research project on whether or not being vegan could disrupt the endocrine system. I still have my paper – "The Effects of Dietary Phytoestrogens In Women of Reproductive Age. Could being vegan make you infertile?" I researched other scientists' works, which at the time were mainly based on animal studies, and within that group mainly based on animals meant for food or human needs. It was known that sheep fed a particular clover, which contains high amounts of phytoestrogen especially in spring, had a higher than average chance of becoming infertile. Australia and New Zealand had had a crisis on their hands. Alfalfa was another disruptor, this time with cows. The ancient Greeks used pomegranate as a contraceptive and wild carrot seeds were reported to block progesterone, a hormone necessary for pregnancy. It seemed obvious that a plant-based diet could affect fertility.
Back then the effect of consuming soybean, specifically on women and fertility, was my concern. I ate a lot of soy-based products and (pre-cancer) wondered if it could cause me to become infertile, as reports were beginning to speculate. This was early to mid 90's when pop research began to show the side effects of the food we were eating. Not everything reported was correct, but skepticism was building around the unwitting harmful norms of the 70's and 80's – tv dinners wrapped in plastic and microwaved, pesticides airdropped across counties in the name of pest management and easy access mass-produced produce, the hormones in cows' milk (fed to cows for mass production) was linked to girls going through puberty at an earlier age. People were beginning to get worried and angry. Ultimately, my 'investigative report' concluded no, a vegan is not prone to infertility, but it got me wondering about endocrine disruptors.
Insert Helena.
My dear friend, Helena Sweet forwarded a video from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. It's a broad, but important overview of how endocrine disruptors affect us and why industry change is so hard. It's a long video, so I'll summarize.
Sharing knowledge about how chemicals in our environment affect our hormones and our children is not meant to instill fear. Endocrine disruptors are part of our life – flame retardants in the dust we breathe, fragrance in body care products, nail polish, plastic blinds, BPA in cans, lead in older homes, mercury in fish, PFC's in cookware, pesticides in our food, glycol ethers in paint. On top of that, certain groups are more vulnerable to the effects including women and children and certain races and ethnicities, often for reasons like disparities in access to cleaner options between economic groups (the prohibiting cost of most organic produce, for example). Knowledge is power and power inflicts change. When you are aware, you can decide what change you want to make for yourself to reduce exposure. But you can also seek out ways to make changes for the better of us all.
In our modern world endocrine disruptors can't be avoided, but increased awareness and demands for change have birthed stricter organic and non-GMO regulations, a health-crazed market of homegrown nutritionists, and the plow to plate mentality bringing locally farmed foods onto equally local plates (less mass production). It's why I started simple. pure. love. – the determination to remove toxins, endocrine disruptors, and whatever else science is about to reveal, from the products I use on my family.
I try to live with all these realities and the health of my family and the environment in mind. But! And it's a big but. I'm okay knowing I can't escape reality, nor do I want to – I do what I can. I'm open to change, I work toward change, but I'm also okay with getting a hot coffee in a Dixie cup once in a while. 😉 It is what it is. Do what you can.
For your information…
Here's a link to the Environmental Working Group's list of the Dirty Dozen – Dirty Dozen Endocrine Disruptors: 12 Hormone-Altering Chemicals and How to Avoid Them. While you're there you can find greener cleaning solutions, greener beauty products and what to avoid, and a guide to pesticides in produce. Afterward, check out The Cornucopia Institute for more ways to avoid chemicals in your food.
Tomorrow I'll get back to Helena's post about "the right work" and my takeaway from watching my cousin's live webinar on Dharma. And there is still a Year-In-Review coming up. Until then…
Much love and happiness,
♥ Chrissy
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Leaving my four daughters behind in Los Angeles while I explore Spain with my hubby is no easy task, but it's worth it. Josh Kafka (blisscape.com) arranged all our hotels and everything was absolutely perfect!
We traveled back in time to the cobblestone streets of Cordoba where we began our adventure. Cordoba is a perfect one night stop over for an delicious dinner and walk through this charming city. There are no starbucks lining the streets. Instead, there are family owned cafes and restaurants that offer authentic flavors of andalucia.
The following day we drove two hours south to Sevilla. I highly recommend booking a tour with Monica from pancho tours. She met us at our hotel and took us for a 2 ½ hour walking tapas tour of the city. We walked from our hotel (gran melia), to one of the oldest tapas restaurants in the world where the aged white sherry was perfectly paired with the aged goat cheese and olives. We ended our tour at one of the hippest tapas bars frequented by the young, beautiful sevillans. Tapas is the definitely the best way to dine in this sexy city that is filled with patrons in El Salvador square day and night. Don't miss the chance to experience a flamenco performance at the tabancho (restaurant seating with food and drinks) or the flamenco museum (theater seating).
After two nights, we drove further south to Granada, the birthplace of flamenco. One night is perfect for a once in a lifetime experience of live flamenco in a cave (cava) in the salamenca district. Don't drink too much wine because the next day you will spend several hours at the alhambra which is a true force to be reckoned with. Once your cultural palate is satiated head north to Madrid and get your groove on.
Four hours in a car may seem tedious but it was delightful. A scenic drive with my husband filled with uninterrupted conversation. We stopped to get gas, cafe con leche and a snack halfway through our drive. Something you only do on a European road trip.
Arriving to Madrid on Friday at 5 pm was like recharging a battery that had been dormant. We were ready to party without a nap. The city was buzzing and we didn't want to miss a second.
We began our evening with dinner at midnight and ended if after a nightclub with churros and chocolate at 4 am. Amazingly, we were up and out by noon the next day for sightseeing, shopping, lunch and of course a mid-day siesta.
So although, I missed my four precious children, Spain recharged me as a mother and rekindled my relationship with my husband who I do actually adore when we have the time to relax and explore one another.


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Treasure IslandName: Treasure IslandDate: January 18, 2020Time: 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM CSTEvent Description:
A Participation Play for Children
January 18 & 25, 2020 at 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM
The magic of this play comes from the way the entire audience creates the storm at sea, a jungle full of lions and tigers, and a treasure cave filled with eerie ghosts! Children from the audience become members of Long John Silver's treacherous pirate gang, while others join Captain Smollet's crew. Volunteers will also help with sound effect machines for the play!
Presented by Friends of the Opera House
Upcoming Events


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Let's be real here. Being an adult sucks.
I'm in my 30s now and I'm no wiser about the world than I was when I was in my 20s. Sure, I'm more confident in myself and who I am – that is for certain, so I guess that is something. But surely at this point, I should know more about how to be an adult.
But I don't.
I'm still socially awkward (sure, who isn't?), still don't know how to pose for photos (seriously, what do I do with my hands?), and I still overthink eye contact – but, thankfully, in a recent conversation with someone I realized I wasn't alone in this, so that's something. It's crazy hard to hold a conversation without going out on a tangent or bringing up something extremely nerdy in an overly passionate way & I have no idea what Real Talk actually means and, right now, I'm too afraid to ask.
I don't floss.
I've been shampooing my hair by myself for the last.. 20-odd years and I'm only about 95% certain I'm doing it right. I taught myself how to shave & I have the scars on my lip to prove it.
There are so many times I realize something that should probably be pretty obvious to most people. My attention span is so bad that I've been distracted at least a dozen times as I'm writing this.
I don't know how to dance.
But I guess it's a learning process. You have to do something wrong to figure out what is right. You need to make mistakes to learn from them.
If I know now what I didn't know what I was 20, maybe I'll know more about life by the time I'm 40. And hopefully, by that time, I'll have actually learned to brush my teeth.


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It seems as though every gym membership I've had has been for nothing. I think I've never kept off one pound I've lost, and I still have shit endurance when I run on a treadmill. But one thing's for sure… I have always loved watching those fit babes in their tight clothes. I probably lost more weight jacking off thinking about them when I got home than any workout I did while I was there.
Well, holy shit… I found out there's a porn niche for fitness! FitnessRooms.com features those hot gym sluts really working up a sweat from their workout, and from fucking other gym hotties like Keira Night, Emily Clark, Luna Corazon, Jo Grey, Kira Zen, Paula Shy, Davon Kim, Jasmine Jae, and Gabrielle Gucci. I always fantasized about orgies breaking out in the middle of a pilates class, and now I can actually see that happen!
Click here to snag your own lifetime discount pass to FitnessRooms.com and you'll also get the entire Sexyhub Network thrown in free!
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Force Support Squadron Gift Cards
About Your Card
Force Support Squadron (FSS) gift cards make it easy to purchase gifts for family and friends. Best of all, there are no fees to use your card, and no lost value if you don't use it right away! Use your gift card just like cash to make purchases at all participating FSS locations. Your purchases are deducted from the gift card balance and any unused balance will remain on the card for future use.
Check Your Balance
Each time you use your gift card, your receipt will provide the balance remaining on your card. To check the balance of your card, click here.
Using Your Card At Luke Air Force Base
You can use your card to make purchases at the following locations on Luke Air Force Base. Certain restrictions may apply:
Reload or Purchase a Card
FSS Gift Cards may be purchased and reloaded in $5 increments to a maximum of $1,500. You purchase or reload your card at the following facilities on Luke Air Force Base:
Gift Card Limitations
Gift cards cannot be redeemed for online purchases or for cash. The cards cannot be used in Army, Air Force Exchange, the Commissary, Lodging, and some FSS facilities. Unused Gift Card balances cannot be transferred.
The United States Air Force and its affiliates make no warranties express or implied, with respect to gift cards, including without limitation, any express or implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. In the event a gift card code does not function, your sole remedy and our sole liability, shall be the replacement of such gift card.
No Air Force entity or affiliate is responsible if a Gift Card is lost, stolen, destroyed or used without your permission.


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The Press Kit. Probably one of the most important things that need to be created for your book to achieve success (besides the book itself). I will be going through the ins and outs of creating one in this post. But first, what is a Press Kit and why do you need one? What is … Continue reading Marketing Media Press Kit
Category: Road to Publication
Building Readership
Although this post will not be anything novel and original, I do want to reiterate this because it is something that I am doing currently through my pre-marketing strategies (which if you've read my other posts should be around 3 - 4 months prior to your books release). The strategy? Well, its releasing your novel … Continue reading Building Readership
Digital Marketing Options
I recently came across this amazing image and although it is more for small businesses I think any independent publisher who has their own house is a small business owner. More realistically, though, for those of you who have not set up something like that, then this may be relevant for the types of things … Continue reading Digital Marketing Options
Putting Together the Plan
Alright, it's been a while, but like I said, I've been busy with my own deadlines to meet. We talked last time about building a plan for your book and how it should have a marketing scheme set up 2-4 months prior. Also, I mentioned that this timetable (the one I gave in the blog … Continue reading Putting Together the Plan
Planning the Timeline
Alright, Been busy the past couple of days, and this week is actually extremely busy for me as I meet my own deadlines, but while I mention deadlines, I figure what an appropriate place to talk about scheduling. Something I would invest in right off the bat is a planner. Whether you have an hour-by-hour … Continue reading Planning the Timeline
Let's Talk Marketing
Alright everyone, with this post I'm just going over a few things you want to consider when marketing your books. Or businesses for that matter. I talk with a bunch of small businesses trying to gain accounts and marketing is one of those "necessary evils" that no one wants to admit. It's just a tad … Continue reading Let's Talk Marketing
Business Plans–The Rest of It
Alright, so yesterday we looked at just the expenses part of the business plan because when you are making something like that, that is the one section you want to start with. Now, I forgot to mention this but you should also add your projected revenue. This is a TOTAL GUESSTIMATE. Especially if you don't … Continue reading Business Plans–The Rest of It
Creating the Business Plan–Expenses
Business Plans are by far the most taxing part about the writing process (pun intended). They are dry, dull, and boring material that definitely limits our creativity. However, we still need to do them because that's life. If you plan on getting a loan for publishing your book (because it can be quite the hefty … Continue reading Creating the Business Plan–Expenses
Choosing the Name
This was the hardest part for me. I know from advertising and being a huge fan of Madmen (which if you aren't watching you definitely should) that picking a name can be one of the most frustrating things to do. It can't just be ANY name. It has to be the "write" one, especially when … Continue reading Choosing the Name


text: I have 12 week scan tomorrow I'll be 11 + 6. I am super nervous something could be wrong. I'm sure it's normal to be worried but I feel like it's taking away from being excited which is making me feel so guilty cause I am excited but don't wanna have my hopes up and find out something is wrong. This is my first pregnancy after couple years of trying and couldn't even imagine what it would be like to have bad news.


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Latest News
In order to participate in commencement exercises in spring, you must register your intent by completing the online Commencement Participation form available via the My.CSUDH Student Center. Simply login to your My.CSUDH account and look for the Commencement Participation link located in the Important Student Links box in your Student Center. The deadline for registering your intent is April 15.
For additional questions about commencement please contact the University Ceremonies and Events office at (310) 243-2666.
1000 E. Victoria Street
Carson, CA 90747
© 2020 California State University, Dominguez Hills


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Diddy Becomes "Child Of America" This May
AllHipHop Staff
(AllHipHop News) Hip-Hop boss Sean "Diddy" Combs will be honored by the Carver Foundation
The music business pioneer will be toasted during the Carver Foundation's 80th annual celebration and will be given the 2018 Child of America Award.
Not only will he be recognized for his accomplishments and business over the past three decades, but Diddy will also be acknowledged for his activism and philanthropic activities.
"We try to honor exceptional role models for Carver youth and it's called Child for America for a reason, because we look to honor someone who's national," said Novelette Peterkin, Carver's executive director. "He inspired my generation and he continues to inspire the younger generation now."
In August of 2016, Diddy opened The Capital Preparatory Harlem Charter School.
The institution launched with 160 sixth/seventh-grade students and has plans to expand to 6-12 grades.
Legendary investor Ray Dalio of Bridgewater Associates will bestow Combs with the award at on May 11 in Norwalk, Connecticut.


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Just in case you have not been in Kansas. Here it is:
I have to say there is NOTHING, and I do mean nothing, in the middle of Kansas but cows and corn......oh, and wind.
Even Ty is bored and hot! It was a long day
I did get everything I could do on the Needlepoint project, Inside the Box done. I now have to wait for the additional threads, as well as for our next RV trip to get it finished. It will be this fall.
And finally, the wind is something. There is nothing to slow it down or stop it so it just blows like crazy!
That is it for today.
Back in Texas tomorrow ---- hurray. I think we will be in Abilene tomorrow night.
Thanks for visiting.


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Matrix Biolage Cleansing Conditioner for Curly Hair - 16.9 oz.
$15.60 $26
Low-lather conditioner with pomegranate enhances, preserves and defines curls' natural bounce. Suitable for daily use or in between traditional shampooing. for curly hair soap-free, non-stripping formula suitable for color-treated hair no silicones, sulfates or parabens Made in America. How to use: Apply to wet hair. Use 6-8 pumps depending on hair length and density. Distribute evenly and massage until hair is completely saturated. You will see little or no lather. Leave on for 5 minutes. Rinse. JCPenney limits the sale of all salon products and salon special purchases to 8 of any one item, up to a maximum of 12 items, per customer, per month.
Browse all deals at JCPenney
See more in Hair Shampoo
* This offer may contain time-sensitive information and offers. Please check with JCPenney to confirm actual price & availability.
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"My daughter has been diagnosed with ADHD, dyslexia and possible autism. I was dealing with daily meltdowns. In 6 months of year 2 at school there had been no progression. I had reached the end of my tether. The paediatrician had said the only option was medication or discharge. A friend suggested I had a look at the successful learning website as her son had benefited greatly from meeting Jean and Hillary, so tentatively made the call to arrange a meeting. I immediately felt that someone understood where I was coming from and accepted the reason why I didn't want to give my child drugs.
The first meeting was emotional to say the least, my little girl was asked to do a task I never thought was possible for her to do, but with the right support she sat and spelt "uncomfortable" forwards and backwards. This was a child who struggled to read words such as "is" and "it".
Five weeks on, the change is amazing. My little girl is now calm and relaxed. She has not had a meltdown in weeks. Her teacher has commented on improvement for the first time this year. She sleeps!
She still has a long way to go to catch up, but I am amazed at the improvement in such a short amount of time."
"My son, now aged eight, has struggled with all aspects of school since Nursery. He was always that step behind his peers and found it difficult when forming relationships with friends and teachers.
We had tried absolutely everything to help him with his work and confidence and when he started Juniors we just felt despair – then I found Jean and Hilary.
What a transformation! In such a short amount of time we have a happy, confident, sociable little boy and a very calm, stress free household. He has improved in all subjects as he is now listening, trying and taking part. He is enjoying learning and everything has just clicked into place. We have just had Parents' evening and it was like hearing about another child. Thank you so much!"
"Dear Jean and Hilary, I thought it was about time I wrote to say thank you for everything you have done for our son.
It is eleven years since we came to you for help with a seven year old boy who was very quiet and very much of a loner.
My son's teacher at the time told me, as he was coming to the end of Year 2, that all he was capable of was writing his name and that he would need statementing. Coming to see you confirmed to me that the boy I knew was not the same one who sat in her classroom and that he just needed the right attention and help so that he could achieve. It surprised his school that at the very time she was telling us this he was getting top marks in his Year 2 SATs, with obviously no input from the school.
We came to you from the end of Year 2 to the end of Year 6 and in that time our son was admitted on a gifted child programme and passed his Eleven Plus with a score of 99.5 percent also achieving the maximum in his SATs. Most importantly he became a more confident child with both his peers and others.
We said our goodbyes to you and our son headed off for his chosen grammar school.
Everything seemed to be fine, until we had his report towards the end of Year 9 when it was obvious he had switched off from school. Back we came for your guidance and support at our son's own request. He said he regretted giving up three years earlier.
These last four years you have not only helped him with his education, getting him back on track but also given him the confidence to help others and grow into the young man who his dad and I are very proud of. In the next couple of weeks our son will finish taking his 'A'Levels with the intention of going to university to do a degree.
The words 'Thank You' seem inadequate for all these years of support, but they come with a sincerity that is often missing when normally used."
"Dear Jean and Hilary
Our son is a new boy! Quite simply you have brought out the best in our son and helped him to grow up and enjoy learning. We cannot thank you enough.
When we first came to see you we didn't know if our son was going to have a happy future, now we are filled with hope.
You are inspirational and we thank you so very much."
My 11 year old son started going to Successful Learning to increase his confidence about doing 'a bit more' than what was asked of him. After attending sessions for less than eight weeks he wrote a letter to his teacher asking if he could have a speaking part in the play and listed his reasons. He was given two parts. When I asked him whether his confidence had wholly or partially improved because of going to Jean and Hilary's or whether it had nothing at all to do with him going he said it was wholly because of Jean and Hilary.
My six year old girl was starting to dislike school and it was a struggle to get her to school every morning. She told me that she couldn't read, write or spell but so desperately wanted to be on the top table in class. Her self esteem was getting lower and lower. After seeing Jean and Hilary for the first time she went home and got out her keywords for me to help her learn them. The next morning she ran in to class. When she came out of school she told mi that it was a lot better to be nice, to care and share rather than be silly in class. Jean and Hilary have given her back her confidence and they have also given me more confidence that I am able to help.
"After coming to Successful Learning for just one term he has turned his predicted 'D' in his Maths 'GCSE' into a 'B'. In our house we can't stop smiling. Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou.
We don't know where his dyslexia has gone but he is now reading two years above his age when he was, such a short time ago, reading two years below.
After the three days he spent with you at winter half term we could see an immediate improvement in him and it was as though an internal switch had been flicked. Whatever you had said to him had triggered something that suddenly resulted in him wanting to try."
"We thought that our daughter was right on track for the 11+ and had been practising on and off at home before the summer. However we were a little surprised when she sat her first practice paper at school and only managed 68%. We decided to send her to Jean Robb for tutoring and are glad to say that after 2 weeks her score had gone up to 83% and after 3 weeks to 91%."
"When I was confronted by a teacher inferring that my child had some problems I knew that they were not right. However, as a mere parent with no teaching qualifications or contacts in education I felt cornered and powerless to argue against this teacher who claimed to have "extensive experience". It was an awful situation and I didn't know which way to turn.
After contacting Jean at Successful Learning I received reassurance, help and confidence to deal with this matter.
Thank you Jean, I am so grateful for your help." A very appreciative parent.
"Our six year old son was 'not up to standard' and certainly not ready to go into the juniors, his school told us, and after meeting with the Special Education Needs Co-ordination we decided to see if Successful Learning could help.
At our first meeting with Jean and Hilary our son spelt words, forwards and backwards, that even I would struggle with. It was amazing and Jean's honesty and commitment is to be admired.
Our son can now read books above his reading age without any problem, where before he struggled and spelt out 3 letter words. Now he asks to write and shows off his neat writing and wonderful spelling, but in a nice way.
He attended one of the Three Day Schools not long after starting and skipped in happily each morning telling me after each session what he had learned, who he had played with and helped and about their beach visits.
He now has much more confidence and for the first time attended a Soccer Holiday Club, without Mum, something unheard of before meeting Jean and Hilary.
We cannot thank them enough! His manners have also improved and he is a much nicer boy all round.
He will continue to attend as long as necessary as we are all gaining so much from it!"
"Our four year old daughter has recently started attending Successful Learning with Jean and Hilary and already we have noticed a difference. She has become more inquisitive and has a new excitement for learning, reading and writing. What is so unique/great about Jean and Hilary is their holistic approach. The relaxation activity she has been doing during their session has helped her calm down and focus on learning (and unexpectedly helped her settle down during bedtime and go to sleep much easier too!)
Learning in a relaxed, calm and disciplined environment is having such a positive effect on our daughter. She cannot wait to get to each session, and mixing with children of different ages is motivating and giving her an enthusiasm for education.
Thank you Jean and Hilary for your wisdom and inspiration".
"Dear Jean and Hilary,
We would like to thank you for all your help with our daughter. She was really lacking in confidence when she first started visiting you and was struggling at school, particularly in Literacy. I was worried that she was not prepared for secondary school and would find it difficult to keep up. I was particularly afraid that if she had a problem she would be reluctant to approach the teacher, but I think you have helped her find her voice and we all feel much happier about her starting secondary school now.
One of the big rites of passage in my daughter's primary school is that Year 6 star in the Christmas production. In September my daughter told me that she would not be auditioning for the production because she was afraid that she would not be able to read her lines and her classmates would laugh at her. By the time December came around the change in her was so big that not only did she perform in the production but she had one of the lead roles. This involved her starting off the whole production with the opening lines on an empty stage. I would never have believed she would agree to do that! She also performed a reading at the Christingle service and on both occasions spoke loudly and clearly and came across as one of the more confident children."
"My 10 year old son was classified in a local school as a chronic under-achiever requiring special needs tuition. He also suffered bullying at this school for years so his self confidence was rock bottom and school life for him was a pretty miserable experience.
After only 6 weeks in your Successful Learning classes he has progressed from having a reading age of 5-6 years to a reading age of 8-9. His self confidence and concentration have improved and he is now beginning to understand the school lessons. The school still want to label him 'Special Needs' and have stated he will not progress past a 2a this year. I believe he will prove them wrong as the light switch has now been flicked to ON. The bullying has also started to subside because he is not targeted as the 'odd one out' in the class and has the confidence to seek help if needed from the Head Teacher.
The methods you use are what I would classify as 'old fashioned teaching', coupled with extreme care, understanding and a fundamental belief that no child should be 'written off' as an under-achiever and that all children can fulfil their educational potential wit the correct teaching methods. Since starting at tuition my son has become more confident in himself and his reading and spelling have improved tremendously.
Many, many thanks for giving him back his confidence, his pride, his future."
"Our 5 year old son would not listen to his teacher during his lessons and we felt as though we had lost our little angel. Successful Learning was suggested by a friend and we took him along to meet Jean. After the Three Day Course we could see improvements in his concentration and behaviour. Thank you Jean and Hilary for your help and continued support, we feel there is light at the end of the tunnel."
"Within the first 10 minutes of meeting Jean and Hilary I was feeling more confident and proud of myself than 5 years of school education had ever made me feel.
Despite being told that I was intelligent by everyone i did not believe in my ability but Jean and Hilary showed me what my capability was and got me believing in myself.
I no longer get frustrated because I think I can't do something, I get frustrated because I can't use it as an excuse for not trying. I have far more confidence to give anything a go and now enjoy testing and stretching my limits.
My parents are very proud of me but more importantly, I am proud of myself.
Thank you Jean and Hilary for all your help and guidance."
Archie (9)
"On a Tuesday and a Thursday I come to Successful Learning to learn new techniques and skills or maybe just to do some homework. My mum normally drops me off. When I first started coming I was really nervous because I didn't understand anything in Maths or English but after a few weeks or a month I really started to understand what to do. Everyone at Successful Learning is very nice and friendly and calm."
A Secondary Pupil