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Alternative Healing & The Mainstream
by Jesse Wolf Hardin
Excerpted from Wolf's upcoming book "Plant Healers and Wisdom Keepers", and will also appear an in the Summer 2013 Issue of "the Magazine Different":
Intro: One of the most difficult things facing anyone, is the tension between the pressure to fit in and the desire to be our unique selves. It doesn't help that the credibility of our chosen field of herbalism is often discounted or discredited, even by our parents and peers, making herbalists question their worth and seek some kind of accreditation that might earn acceptance. And yet, we find that there is both some pleasure and advantages to be found in not having been accepted as "mainstream" in the past 500 years.
"Better to be who and how we are, than to try to fit in!" –Rosemary Gladstar
A grieving herbalist friend of ours posted on a private group about how family members were threatening to disown them both over their attendance of an herbal conference. Other people posted about similar situations of being ostracized, pressured or manipulated by parents, siblings, and friends for practicing herbalism "instead of getting a real job."
In the latter cases, the insinuation is that being an herbalist is neither "real" nor respectable work, even if the herbalist is in fact making a decent income for their selves and their loved ones, with some of us treated as if we are irresponsible hippies or aimless daydreamers by the very people who most loudly assert their love for us. In the former situation, it would seem that the woman's family equate herbalism with something far more threatening than simple NewAge indulgence or unregulated plant constituents, with a darker, more nefarious, subversive, or even unholy purpose implied.
It's alarming when we recognize the degree to which herbalists continue to be looked down upon, trivialized, dismissed, defamed, vilified, and directly or indirectly pressured to move on to a more practical vocation. It's also mighty odd, given that scientists consider over two-thirds of the world's known plant species to have some medicinal use, that more than 7,000 of the medical compounds found in the modern Pharmacopoeia derive from plants, and that even the most generic grocery stores sell a plethora of commercially profitable herbal preparations these days. Yet, for all its commercial successes, the actual practice of studying and recommending medicinal plants for the treatment of illnesses and imbalances remains largely unacceptable, beyond the norm, outside the fold.
This is arguably a problem we need to recognize and be ready to deal with if and when it comes up. At the same time, as far as problems go, "going our own way" can feel mighty darn good!
Acceptance & Belonging
The desire to belong is strong, whether to a family, clan, club, church, professional association, ethnicity, culture, or nation. This is true not only for herbalists but for most of humanity, and also for a majority of our fellow animal species. Membership in a group provides pleasing company and increased physical security, help with hunting or extra sets of eyes to watch out for approaching danger. More significantly in the case of we humans, is the opportunity to identify with others sharing a common purpose, with similar interests, opinions, desires, priorities, and codes of behavior. Membership can translate into emotional security, offering comforting friendships, alliances, and pacts. We may enjoy our efforts more, and accomplish more in alliance. Plus, to be accepted by those we identify with or look up to, is to have met their criteria and qualifications, bolstering our sense of worthiness and competence, while providing both a place and a way to belong.
Just being a plant lover, herbalist, or folk healer makes us a member of not only a community, but a lineage of purpose. This may not always feel like enough, however, and we may have a natural psychological hungering to feel an accepted part of the larger culture, the mainstream, the norm. We may even feel guilty about not identifying more with it, earning more of its praise and rewards, or being happier when we are in the midst of it.
There's no question about it. There are obvious indisputable advantages to our embracing professionalism, legitimacy, organization, or guild registration, or otherwise earning credibility with the authorities and at least some portion of the mainstream consumer public. Official and public acceptance remains rare, fickle, conditional, and uncertain, however, and only ever comes at a high cost in terms of the years given to formal education and many thousands of dollars in tuition fees, as well as in our efforts to prove ourselves. And at no point is it likely that a "certified herbalist" will be viewed by either the professional community, or the average consumer as equal to an industry scientist or licensed medical specialist.
What we find, are:
•Some unregistered herbalists feeling inferior to, or else excluded by the approved members of professional herbal associations.
•Community herbalists imagining that they are insignificant, just because they mainly treat their families, neighbors, and friends.
•Caregivers working nights to pay for nursing school, in hopes of more certain employment aiding the ill.
•Nurses feeling inadequate or under-recognized and underpaid, in comparison to medical doctors working in the same facilities.
And even if we earn a half dozen letters of credit and affiliation at the end of our names, get a well -paying position doing herbal research or a teaching job at the university, we will still be seen by many outside of our community as fringe, as pseudoscience, as a counter-current or side channel.
Once we come to terms with this fact, we have the choice of either:
1. Consciously and willfully rejecting the process of accreditation, legitimization and public relations, sacrificing any benefits…
(or else)
2. Willingly focusing our energies and resources on winning as much acceptance as possible regardless of the extent of inequity or disregard, and without fooling ourselves that herbalism is or will soon be truly "mainstream" again.
Stream Morphology
"…mainstream culture – there was no fitting into it back then, there's no fitting into it now."
–Bob Dylan
From the very beginnings of what it means to be human, the shape of herbalism and the shape of the mainstream of human society and culture were the same, and where people migrated or ideas evolved, the principles of natural healing and cabinet of plant medicine knowledge would go too. When a culture swerved towards one direction or the other, its medicines swerved and undulated in unison, for it was not only the preferred way of healing, it was often the only effective means.
This began to drastically change in the early Middle Ages, especially as "familiarity with healing herbs" became an indicium, an official indication of witchcraft according to the Catholic Inquisition of the so-called "civilized nations." In Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and England especially, terrible tortures were used to extract confessions for a horrific number of accused witches, many of whom were accused for no more reason than a profane oath, a tendency towards disobedience, or "the gathering of fruits and plants for medicine." Many were apparently turned in by jealous or weary spouses anxious to be free of them, and many more were easily implicated by their role as midwives, herbalists and healers.
Most herbal practice at the time included a bit of conjuring, invoking, entreating or praying, making it easier to understand how the Inquisitors following Father Bernard Gui's 1315 manual Practica oficii Inquistiones, were able to convict so many people on evidence of "collecting herbs on bended knee while facing the East and praying the Lord's Prayer." (Inquisitor Gui also cited "discovering hidden facts or manifesting secret things" as reason for conviction, something I would be found particularly in violation of). In Peter Binsfield's 1622 manual Commentarius en Titulum Codices lib. IX de Maleficis Mathematicis Et Cetera, his indicium included something as simple and seemingly innocuous as "seeing a woman gathering flowers from various trees and putting them into a pot." This, in spite of the fact that herbs had long been used ritually by the church itself, and that a rival inquisitorial tract, Girolamo Menghi's 1626 Fustis Daemonum, suggests that "A good preventative of demon possession" is to combine not only gold and other ingredients, but also Frankincense and Myrrh.
By the 1700s, the mainstream of society was veering even farther from the course and cause of herbs, becoming ever more estranged from the natural world. Professional organizations in Europe, and then in America, began to insist that only their vetted members were competent enough to be paid a wage for their consultations and house calls, and by the 1920s and 30s were able to frighten lawmakers and voters into passing laws against unlicensed practice. While England made it possible for practitioners to earn accreditation and a license, in other countries including the United States it became possible to continue practicing only if one denied that they were diagnosing or treating illness. While herbal product sales increased dramatically in the 1970s and 80s, herbalism itself became indelibly linked to – and tainted by – an association with commonly dismissed New Age thinking and practice. Plant Medicine has largely remained a semi-legal, semi-outlaw, alternative field ever since… and we probably need to get used to it: a different healing stream, committed to following its own evolving direction, aptly finding its own channel of ingress and expression, proudly assuming its own characteristic shape.
The Mainstream
I have to tell you… normal is highly overrated.
–Charles "Doc" Garcia
mainstream |ˈmānˌstrēm| noun
1. ideas, attitudes, or activities that are regarded as normal or conventional
2. the dominant trend in opinion, fashion or the arts
Let's be clear: Increasing public acceptance of and support for herbalism is a worthy and perhaps even necessary goal for us, irrespective of its degree of attainability. I say this, because the more people whose trust we can win over, the more we can help… and the more support that herbalism will have, as increasing numbers of regulations are decided or voted on. No matter how polar their politics or what ethnicity they might be, the majority of U.S. and European citizens think of themselves as being in the "mainstream." For this reason alone, if we want herbal healing to be embraced by the larger society, it is to them we must appeal, to them we must hope to educate and stretch, entice and inspire.
That said, before we go too far in our attempts to be accepted by and integrated into the mainstream, it could be helpful for us to first take a good look at its character and direction. Whether we are talking mainstream medicine, fashion or entertainment, you'll note that it tends to be marked by:
•A general absence of critical thinking.
•Acting out of fear, such as a fear of unconventionality, the fear of medical self-care, a fear of trusting the aid or advice of anyone unofficial.
•Default acceptance of the opinions, research, beliefs, prejudices and proclamations of people and institutions in power, popular celebrities and official "experts."
•Dependence on and subservience to the edicts and strictures of officials, agencies and authority figures.
•Endemic superficiality, responsive to sound bites rather than making deep investigations.
•Allegiance to conformity, or even uniformity, as exemplified by fads, adherence to fashion trends, uniforms, dogmatism, regulated behavior and self-restraint.
•Greater individual worry about appearing "weird" or different, than concern about doing the best thing.
•Mistrust of and resistance to the unfamiliar, unusual, untypical, uncommon, unconventional, unorthodox, out of the ordinary, irregular, abnormal, aberrant, "strange," exceptional or unique, eclectic or eccentric, adaptive or creative.
•Disregard for options and alternatives, more resistant to considering new ideas, methods, means, products, practices, and possibilities.
Those outside of the mainstream are more likely to:
•Act out of vision or instinct, hunch or hope.
•Listen to the pronouncements of authority figures, agencies and official "experts" with a critical ear.
•Personally experiment, and independently evaluate.
•Investigate deeper, and weigh supposed facts against personal intuition and observation.
•Challenge entrenched beliefs, systems, prejudices, and protocols.
•Sometimes question their own habits and assumptions.
•Place more importance on authentically being themselves, than on conforming in order to fit in.
•Value and appreciate the unfamiliar, unusual, untypical, uncommon, unconventional, unorthodox, out of the ordinary, irregular, abnormal, aberrant, "strange," exceptional or unique, eclectic or eccentric, adaptive or creative.
•Be more afraid of being a meaningless, conformist "cog in the wheels," than of being thought of as different or weird.
•Be open to options and alternatives, considering new ideas, methods, means, products, practices and possibilities.
My dictionary definition of "mainstream" includes "conventional," which that same edition describes as actions "based on or in accordance with what is most generally done or believed." For this simple reason, we cannot be truly and completely conventional if we are an herbalist who acts on or in accordance with our own observations and beliefs, convictions and aims.
We may think we could be happier fitting fully into the mainstream, or that it's the most practical and safest choice, but if so, it would be best to first decide if it embodies the values and characteristics, the goals and means for getting there, that we personally aspire to.
And if it is students, clients or customers that we seek, we would do well to be realistic about the propensities of the mainstream, how many we can serve and how deeply we can engage and benefit them… and grateful for the creative, sensitive, receptive alternative.
alternative |ôlˈtərnətiv| adjective
1. one or more things available as additional possibilities
2. of or relating to behavior that is considered unconventional and is often seen as a challenge to traditional norms
Nearly everything alternative is painted in the mainstream as being either extreme, subversive, heretical, unseemly, fatuous, or foolish. Alternative schools are often dismissed as undisciplined daycare for the children of liberals, and alternative novels criticized as being for the effete. Members of the mainstream often seem to enjoy being disgusted and mortified by what they call "alternative lifestyles," from communal living to gay marriage. And anything other than conventional medicine is considered quackery, whether via deliberate fraud or self-delusion.
A number of mainstream scientists speak as if alternative medicine (including herbalism) meant "ineffective or unproven" or "without any scientific basis or verifiable results." Alternative practices "do have scientific value," quipped one of the commentators on Randi.org, but only "to psychologists studying delusional behavior!" A standing joke among MDs, is that "alternative medicine" means an "alternative to medicine." This includes plant medicine in the eyes of the great majority of them, considered of little more use than colloidal silver and magnet therapy. One online rant goes as follows: "Herbal Medicine? Give me a break! If herbs pass the test, they're just medicine. And if they don't, they're just soup and potpourri." This prevailing attitude on doctor's forums and in many scientific circles helps explain why up to a third of all herbalists go to such incredible lengths to establish academic, professional and scientific credentials. They don't spend so much money on formal education and memberships just to get a better job in the field, or to be better informed and positioned for influencing the academic community… they're hoping at the least, to avoid being completely ignored, disregarded, denigrated, and dissed.
The writer Richard Dawkins calls alternative medicine – herbalism included – "a set of practices which cannot be tested, refuse to be tested, or consistently fail tests"… and without mentioning that most research is conducted by an industry with a vested interest in profitable synthetics, is usually done on isolated compounds rather than whole plants, and fails to take into account individual constitutional factors. Thank you, Dick! His is one example of how the mainstream discredits any but conventional, institutional practice… by totally missing the point!
As I have learned from Kiva, herbal effects are indeed testable – in some convincing way or another – if:
•Using whole plants, not constituents.
•Paying close attention to dosage, when to use dry or fresh plant material, and means of preparation
•Looking for more than an isolated action or effect.
•Taking into account the constitutions and health histories of those in the study.
•Measuring health as more than the alleviation of symptoms.
Herbalism and other nature, folk, tradition, and experience-based healing practices are not merely complimentary adjuncts to "modern medicine." They're vital alternatives to the conventional, blind-sided, narrow minded, profit motivated, corporate financed, pharmaceutical drug pushing, in many cases life endangering medical paradigm.
Nor is alternative medicine an insubstantial alternative to "real medicine," it is an alternative way of perceiving the body, illness, treatment, and the very notion of what it means to be healthy.
"It is often thought that medicine is the curative process. It is no such thing… nature alone cures. And what [true] nursing has to do… is to put the patient in the best condition for nature to act upon him." –Florence Nightingale (from Notes on Nursing)
You might think of alternative medicine the way you think of alternative energy. Wind and solar power are alternatives to mountain-leveling coal mines and air polluting power plants. Or the way you think of healthy whole foods from the woods or garden, an alternative to the mainstream American diet of processed carbs, sugar and salt, hormone laden meat, genetically modified vegetables, canned food, and snacks. Or like what is undoubtedly the best music these days, not the formulaic (certified, licensed) mainstream music being pushed, but the often unsigned (uncertified), independent musicians creating new Alt-Country/Americana, Alternative Rock, World Fusion, Alt-Latino and more. Think about how much the mainstream media sucks, and how necessary are any alternative sources of much needed news.
In a similar way, we are the alternative – to a fearful, highly distracted and controlled humankind, increasingly divorced from its nature and from the natural world, out of touch with its native intuition, instincts, emotions and their triggers, dreams and service, purpose and calling. And herbalism is an alternative – to institutional/industrial health care, to viewing the body as a mechanism or chemical factory, to treating symptoms instead of causes and imbalances, to the restricting of health care access and total dependence on technology and drugs.
Some of you may be attached to identifying with or being thought of by others as mainstream, but let's get serious! How mainstream is it today, to practice plant medicine apart from its twisted pharmaceutical successors, to make one's own preparations, to think of health as wholeness instead of an absence of symptoms, to provide advice to nearly anyone who asks, to put ethics and quality ahead of income, or to be concerned about the health of plant populations as well as of the people served?
I frankly don't know hardly any mainstream-type people in the field of herbalism. Nobody has done more to broaden the appeal of herbalism than the herbalist Rosemary Gladstar, for example. Yet on closer examination, we see that she, like I, has a soft spot – and acts as a magnet for – radicals and activists, wild women, frisky fellow and self-proclaimed freaks, outlandish outliers and edge-dwellers.
"These people are my tribe. I'm one of them! I identify with them because I'm a bit freakish and outlandish myself! I just have a sweeter cover, perhaps, than many of my fellow radicals, is all!" –Rosemary Gladstar
If your reputation is based on clinically informed medical herbalism, you're clearly still not mainstream if you teach aromatherapy, promote critical thinking, or sing "I'm An Herbal Rebel" at events full of other alternative-type folks. You may be an officer of the American Herbalist Guild making inroads in the scientific or legislative community, but you are unavoidably alternative if you're also an activist, eco-tourist, or conservationist, teach energetics, or had an herbal epiphany at a Grateful Dead concert. Academic degrees are impressive, as are any years of study you may have put into your botany or chemistry, but these things are not enough to earn you full mainstream membership, if you are known to administer to the homeless, volunteer in Nicaragua, fight to protect endangered Sandalwood trees, foster free clinics, run a first aid station at a Rainbow Gathering, sleep in the back of your herbal business to save money, prefer nature documentaries over action-movie superheroes, or discuss in public what plants seem to be communicating to you.
Sorry, but at most – if you are quiet and guarded about much of who you are and what you believe, and are careful with your appearance and language – you may be partially accepted by a mainstream that you can only partially relate to.
Confluence & Divergence
"Just because I have success, doesn't mean I'm part of the mainstream."
–Matt Drudge
So what might be a healthy relationship, a healthful confluence with the predominantly unhealthy mainstream? How can we interact with it that serves both our well- being and our purpose, draw from it what we need or desire, trade with and help its members, influence and help heal its culture? Consider the following model/parallel.
In many parts of the world, for hundreds and in some cases thousands of years, the majority of the population lived outside of the few urban areas, gathering or producing food, living in rural villages with cultures that helped keep them aligned with the spirit and needs of the land. Cities, with their closely packed buildings, constant commotion and mind numbing noise, were seen as rather unpleasant places one traveled to in order to trade their rural produce or crafts for things that couldn't be obtained elsewhere, meet and hopefully mate with someone from a different town or tribe, and party hearty! With any luck, one would wake up suffering no worse than a hangover, recover their wagon and newly scored goods, and then get the hell out of Dodge as quickly as their feet, horse, or jalopy would carry them.
Imagine now, if you will, mainstream society as an old-school urban center, with the herbalist as the ecocentric outlier, a feed-stream periodically entering the mainstream in order to exert a positive effect, teach or be taught, exchange products or services for what's needed or enjoyed, dance with the most attractive elements until late at night… but always returning to the alternative of our true community, to the source and heart of herbal wisdom, identity and mission.
If we are to give our lives to this work, we perhaps need to become more comfortable with, and find more satisfaction in being different… and to be more fulfilled and satisfied, serving not the masses so much or so deeply as the exceptions – those exceptional folks courageously looking beyond current convention for the most natural, healthful alternatives.
I was once asked if I had ever treated "mono." Even if I were a clinical herbalist, I likely still would have had to say "Yes… monotony, monopolies, monotheism, monoculture, and monosyllabic cliches." And a good treatment for that is a protocol of divergence, diversity, multiculturalism, and intelligent investigation and communication.
Let us return our watercourse analogy again, in closing.
While the mainstream features the greatest volume, it is also in some ways the narrowest and straightest channel, herding, compacting, densifying and considerably accelerating everyone caught up in its flow. As anyone who has ever been caught up the central current of a fast river knows, it can be exceedingly hard to paddle out of its hold and into a preferred path. Even within the river itself, there are deep currents that do not run nearly so fast, and to either side can often be found shallower waters slowed by their more intimate contact with shoreline terrain, affording one time to consider both where one is? heading and what we are passing by. There are even eddies, areas where the water catches and swirls, sometimes sending floating objects temporarily back in the direction of the headwaters, the source. Each of these is an available alternative to mainstream: The depths, where meaning is paramount but few reside. The gladly uneven, explorative, meandering edges. And the pivotal moments of eddy spin, when we're helped to find our way back in the direction of the dream and connection, to where our herbal journey began.
Indeed, what we have been calling "alternative" is never a single option, but a multiplicity of directions, possibilities, methods, means, and personal styles.
Rather than seeking a single unified body of herbalism, let us celebrate the many divergent streams. And rather than obsessing about herbalism's acceptance into the mainstream, let us celebrate our divergence. Let us be happy with the healing effects we are able to have on any members of the dominant culture… and thrilled with those atypical and alternative thinking folks who will continue to comprise our main clients and favorite suppliers, our students and teachers, our allies and tribe.
Excerpted from Wolf Hardin's upcoming book "Plant Healers and Wisdom Keepers", and it will also appear an in the Summer 2013 Issue of "the Magazine Different":
And help yourself to the Free 154 Page Long Plant Healer Sample Download:
(Feel free to re-post or quote this – with a link please)
4 Responses to "Divergent Streams: Herbalism & The Mainstream"
Wow, thank you! Thank you so much for this post. Just yesterday I said to my husband I have to make a choice whether I will try to "play the game" to possibly gain some marginal acceptance or whether I will be myself and take what comes. I really knew what I would choose but I felt sad about the choice. I felt there wasn't a way for me to be true to myself and still help others with my herbal knowledge and instincts. What you said about serving "the exceptions" really spoke to me. That's is something I can do and remain true to myself—to just keep embracing those dear exceptions and build our own tiny community outside the mainstream. Again, thank you!
I am just now at 66 years old beginning to study and consider natural healing. Your blog and books are something special.
Thank you for sharing.
Hi Kiva~
Your words are truly amazing. Even in the bigger picture of trying to fit in versus being ourselves, I feel that as humans we struggle with this concept. How do I truly be myself, be happy with that and feel supported?
I have always been the extravagant, avant garde type in my family and there were many moons where I had to bring it down many notches. To find something that you are passionate about, and wanting to scream from the roof tops, should be celebrated. And while there are often times of embarrassment, rejection, self criticism, one must really ask: 'what is it that fulfills me?' It is not easy, but so powerful when we decide to walk the path we were sent here to walk (or dance, crawl, wheel)!
Thanks for sharing.
This is truly an inspiration. Thank you! This article by Hardin was the shake I needed. It's never bothered me that I've been on the fringes. But from time to time, you do take a pause and ask, is this worth it? Shouldn't I be doing something differently? I've been attracted to herbs and the potential for healing ever since I was a child and ever since I used my first home remedy. My mother was never an adept in the kitchen, but she shared stories of her mother (who passed while I was a baby) who was the go-to person in their neighborhood for remedies; her mother's mother did the same in her village back in Italy. So, I guess you could say it's in my family. 🙂 I've taken herbal classes, read every book I could get my hands on, and investigated a wide range of traditions– but over the years, I never was able to afford "accreditation." I have herbs everywhere and before I run to the pharmacy, I check my books and my home apothecary. I am also an academic, in my other life, and actually teach university, alas on the fringes as an adjunct. On top of that my husband and I recently started our own micropress, since we're writers and our proclivities in writing tend to be– you guessed it– on the fringes of what would be accepted in "mainstream publishing." I'm in the midst of a blog post and will be quoting & sourcing this piece. I'm also considering, for next term, possibly using it as a discussion point in class. I teach freshmen writing students who are exactly that encapsulation of what Hardin characterizes as "mainstream" and I try so desperately to show them another path, if even a glimmer. Thank you again! ~Jessie


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You can only scroll through Instagram with one eye open like CBS for so long. Eventually you've gotta stop thumbing. Here's what you missed while you were catching Zzzs last night
Drake, Jhene Aiko and company throwing back drinks
Photo Credit: Instagram/jheneaiko


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Tour Central Europe on an adventure from Vienna to Dubrovnik
Travel from Vienna to Dubrovnik on a tour through Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and Croatia. Discover a region where the past continues to weave its spell through alpine towns and green valleys, and emanates from medieval castles and austere monasteries - getting a sense of the hidden magic of Central Europe. Traversing nine countries, there is much to see and plenty of opportunity to experience the culture and the people of this enchanting pocket of Europe. Better yet, there's loads of flexibility for you to do it your own way.
Soak up the royal history of Krakow's Wawel Castle and step back in time with a stroll through the city's medieval main square
Immerse yourself in the history, architecture and bohemian vibes of the Czech Republic. Soak up the smooth sounds of jazz at a low-lit bar in Prague before stepping right into a fairytale in the World Heritage-listed town of Cesky Krumlov
So much of what is great about Europe can be found in Vienna. Revel in the city's rich offerings of art, history and music and stroll along the eclectic Ringstrasse
Enjoy a scenic walk along the banks of the River Danube in Budapest. Threaded with bridges and hemmed in by castles and historic city buildings, Europe's second longest river is also one of its most beautiful
Hike in the picturesque Tatra Mountains and traverse the steep slopes via funicular, gondola and electric steam train
A sobering tour of Auschwitz concentration camp offers insight into one of the most tragic periods in human history
Cross the Chain Bridge in Budapest and take the funicular up to Buda Castle for beautiful views over Pest
Sip Serbian wine at a family-run vineyard in quaint Sremski Karlovci, just outside of Novi Sad. Known as the Serbian Athens, Novi Sad has been built, destroyed and rebuilt over the centuries
Wander through Belgrade's Bohemian quarter and grand 19th-century boulevards, before launching yourself into its animated nightlife
Witness Mostar's famous bridge divers hurl themselves from the stones of a bridge that has stood their for centuries
Sarajevo is one of the most scenically located cities in Europe. See the sights on a guided walking tour and learn about its recent history as a city under siege
Sections of this trip will be travelled by train. The journey from the Tatra Mountains to Budapest will be especially long, taking approximately 10 hours and with at least 3 changes. Train travel is a fast way to traverse long distances, allowing you to avoid traffic jams and arrive right into the city centre. Trains are comfortable and often decked out with air-conditioning, toilets, a snack bar (or vending machine) and power points. Please note that you'll have to carry your own luggage on and off the train, so make sure it doesn't exceed our weight and size recommendations. You can find this information in the 'What to Take' section of the trip notes.
On day 5 & 6 we will stay in private apartments in Prague. Apartments are of different size and usually have two or three rooms. You will share the apartment with other members of the group and it is likely you will also be sharing a bathroom within the apartment with them too. Several separate apartments are located in the city centre so you may be a short walk away from some other group members and your leader. Most of the apartments have fully equipped kitchens (again, shared between the group members staying in one apartment) and you can choose to buy your own groceries and supplies for meals. Please note the apartments are not hotels, which means there's no reception, room service or daily cleaning service, no televisions or washing machines, but plenty of charm and the location is perfect.
On day 12 we plan to go for a day's hike in High Tatra Mountains. To fully enjoy the day, you should have a basix level of fitness. Please also make sure you bring appropriate clothing and footwear; rain coat and sturdy trainers or walking boots are a must.
In many Central European cities streets are made of cobblestones and you may expect potholes. That is also the case in the Balkans. In addition, some of the accommodation we use across these regions may not have lifts, so you will be expected to carry your luggage up and down some stairs. It is recommended that you leave any wheelie bags/case at home and bring a backpack instead.
Summer temperatures can be extreme in many of the regions visited (over 40°C), which can be uncomfortable. It's important to use sun protection, wear layers to combat the heat and drink plenty of water. Please carefully consider the time of the year you wish to travel and your suitability to that season.
As accommodation on this trip is multi-share, single travellers will share a room with another traveller of the same sex. This trip is a great opportunity to get to know other like-minded people, so embrace it while you can. However, if you'd prefer not to share, a single room supplement is available at an additional charge. Please ask your travel consultant for more details. Also, hotels in Europe often don't have double beds, but rather two single beds that can be pushed together.
As this is a combination of 2 trips, your leader and the composition of your group may change in Budapest.
This trip is designed to give you a fair amount of free time so you can explore each destination at your own pace. We will, however, take you on regular orientation walks, so you'll be on your feet quite a lot. While this may be tiring for some, it's the best way to get your head around a place and to set yourself up for further discoveries.
This itinerary is valid for departures from 01 January 2018 to 31 December 2018. View the itinerary for departures between 01 January 2019 - 31 December 2019
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There are currently no scheduled departures on our Vienna to Dubrovnik trip. If you are interested in other trips in the region visit one of the links below.
A single supplement is available on this trip with exception of Day 3-4 Cesky Krumlov and Day 26-27 Kotor.
Our Vienna to Dubrovnik trips score an average of 5 out of 5 based on 10 reviews in the last year.
9 countries, 30 days. Vienna to Dubrovnik was an amazing tour with fantastic guides (Mirek: Central Europe, Duje: Balkans). I learnt lots from these guys whilst having an incredible time. I may already be planning my return to explore some of the countries more thoroughly. I 100% reccomend this trip.
Review submitted 12 Oct 2018
They spare you the stress and hassle which gives you more time to just enjoy your trip. Great value for money. Roughly every second day is free for you to explore.
Review submitted 25 Sep 2018


text: Being a bridesmaid at a wedding is all about supporting a bride weeping over wilted flowers, frantically scouring nooks and crannies for sets of keys, and looking great in the process! Well, you're in luck! At LatterDayBride, the bridesmaid dress is no longer an item to be feared! Our modest bridesmaids dresses are just what the wedding planner ordered. Choose from as many as 52 different colors and knee, tea, or floor length gowns to get that custom look that your guests will simply envy. Best of all, you'll find a style for every body shape and dress taste because we know happy bridesmaids mean a happy bride!


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Adalberto IbarraBoston Red Sox
Catcher | Ht: | Wt:
|Red Sox | Adalberto Ibarra has surgery
Wed, 03 Nov 2010 07:51:40 -0700
Boston Red Sox C Adalberto Ibarra (shoulder) had surgery on his right labrum recently, and the team hopes he can at least be a designated hitter by spring training, WEEI.com's Alex Speier reports.
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|| Source: WEEI.com - Alex Speier
|Red Sox | Finalize deal with Adalberto Ibarra
Thu, 19 Aug 2010 03:42:00 -0700
Updating previous reports, the Boston Red Sox signed C Adalberto Ibarra to a minor league deal with a bonus between $700,000 and $800,000, WEEI.com's Alex Speier reports. Ibarra had originally agreed to terms on a five-year major league deal with a guarantee of $3 million and incentives that could push the value of the deal to $4.3 million. But the catcher, who defected from Cuba last year, failed his physical in late June. He was assigned to High-A Salem.
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|Red Sox | Adalberto Ibarra taking physical
Mon, 28 Jun 2010 03:00:45 -0700
Cuban C Adalberto Ibarra is taking his physical Monday, June 28, to finalize his deal with the Boston Red Sox, ESPN The Magazine's Jorge Arangure reports.
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|Red Sox | Agree to terms with Adalberto Ibarra
Mon, 26 Apr 2010 10:00:28 -0700
The Boston Red Sox agreed to terms with Cuban C Adalberto Ibarra on a major league deal Monday, April 26, according to ESPNBoston.com. According to reports, the deal is worth $4.3 million over five years. Ibarra will reportedly be placed on the 40-man roster when the deal becomes official.
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Deflate the balls until they are prunes, switch the jerseys until Lane Kiffin is wearing one, and it still won't detract from one undeniable USC truth.
Marqise Lee is the best college football player in the country.
Talk about firing the coach, rip the defense so bad that Mike Brown applies to replace Monte Kiffin, and there is still only one undebatable USC conversation.
Marqise Lee deserves the Heisman Trophy, and would actually have a chance of winning it if the Trojans had won more games.
During a rare break from a controversy-filled autumn, Lee reminded everyone Saturday what should have been this team's narrative all along. While his team took a deep cleansing breath in a 38-17 victory over Arizona State, Lee continued to take away everyone else's breath, one play at a time.


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Home - Brands - MBRP
MBRP 01-07 Duramax 5" Down Pipe Back, Dual SMOKERS T409
Pricing: $884.99
KEY FEATURES: * Rugged T409 stainless steel construction * Rich, mellow exhaust note * Installs with common hand tools * Eliminates muffler * Boosts torque and horsepower * Classic look * Maximum exhaust flow The down pipe back type system mounts to the short stock down pipe in Duramax equipped vehicles and eliminates the catalytic converter. The objective is to provide the absolute lowest exhaust gas temperatures, maximum exhaust flow, torque and horsepower possible. It's the ideal configuration for off road applications. Personalize your ride with 6", 7" or 8" angle cut stacks in your choice of mirror polished T304 stainless steel or our awesome Black Finish - we've got what you want. The Best Systems Start with the Best Materials MBRP's XP Series is the performance exhaust of choice for the enthusiast who needs a system that can take anything that the road throws at it. This system's rugged sixteen gauge T409 construction can be counted on to withstand everything from salt to rocks, tar to grime. We have had such success with this line that we back it with a Lifetime Warranty. Built to Perform You count on your truck to tow all of your gear to where you want it. With your MBRP performance exhaust you can make that happen with up to 18 HP more horsepower and 28 ft/lb more torque. Give your truck more pulling power and much improved throttle response with an MBRP diesel exhaust system. Our systems are so much more efficient, it will be easy to see what your truck can really do. Minimize Backpressure The secret to getting more out of your diesel engine is to give it lots of cool, clean air. The only way that you can get fresh air in is to get the hot air out. From the spiral louvered high flow muffler to the fully mandrel bent tubing to minimal bend degree angles, your MBRP SMOKERS™ system gets exhaust out fast. Drop exhaust gas temperature by up to 200F and set the stage for all the performance you want. An MBRP SMOKERS™ exhaust system is the starting point to getting the most from cold air intakes, programmers, modules and downloaders. Easy Installation MBRP SMOKERS™ are as much fun to install as to drive with on your truck. They are designed to make installing a system onto your truck a no weld, no hassle two to two and a half hour project. Everything is direct fit to the OEM hangers and you get all the clamps and parts you will need, all in one box, no matter what configuration of truck you have. We're With You Here at MBRP we take "customer service" very personally. Need help finding the right system...finding a dealer...working through your install...we are here to help. Give us a call toll free at 888 636 7223. Sound & Style Performance is one thing but at MBRP we believe that appearance and sound are just as important. Every MBRP performance exhaust system has been specifically tuned to get the optimal sound from your pickup. With our built in quality and our unmistakable styling, there's no question that you have the hottest performance exhaust on the road - MBRP.
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At the inaugural meeting a couple weeks ago of what is hoped to become the Silicon Valley chapter of the Institute of Industry Analyst Relations (IIAR, website, blog), I ran into Ludo Leforestier, AR wizard with Oracle in Europe and IIAR board meeting. I asked Ludo what is up with the analysts in Europe. Here is his answer.
[blip.tv ?posts_id=1304627&dest=-1]
Filed under: Analyst industry | Tagged: analyst relations, AR, European IT analyst landscape, IIAR, Ludovic Leforestier, Oracle |


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Joseph T. Stuart Professor
Director, Advanced Technology for Large Structural Systems (ATLSS) Center
Professor, Structural Engineering
ATLSS Engineering Research Center
IMBT Labs - Room A202
Lehigh University
117 ATLSS Drive
Bethlehem, PA 18015-4729, USA
Email: email@example.com
• Ph.D., Civil Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, 1989.
• M.S., Civil Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, 1983.
• B.S., Civil Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, 1981.
Dr. Sause conducts integrated experimental and analytical research on innovative, self-centering, seismic-resistant steel and concrete structures; on the seismic performance of floor diaphragms; on structures with passive damping systems; on steel highway-bridge systems, including the application of high-performance steel (HPS) and the development of innovative steel bridge girders; on the fatigue performance of steel highway structures; and on the in-service performance of prestressed-concrete bridge girders. Two demonstration bridges based on his high-performance steel bridge research are now in service.Dr. Sause has been principal or co-principal investigator on more than 60 research projects with budgets exceeding $50,000, and on 15 large-scale, multi-investigator research programs with budgets exceeding $1,000,000. He is the co-author of more than 90 peer-reviewed journal articles and more than 230 conference proceedings papers and technical reports.
Dr. Sause teaches courses in Structural Dynamics, Stability and Design of Steel Structures, Structural Analysis, and Earthquake Engineering. He has supervised or co-supervised 23 completed Ph.D. student dissertations and 39 M.S. student theses. Some of these completed Ph.D. students are now faculty members at Auburn University, Cal Poly Pomona, The University of Akron, University of Illinois, University of Notre Dame, Purdue University, and Princeton University, as well as at several universities overseas.
Lin, Y.-C., Sause, R., and Ricles, J.M., "Seismic Performance of a Large-Scale Steel Self-Centering Moment Resisting Frame: MCE Hybrid Simulations and Quasi-Static Pushover Tests," accepted for Journal of Structural Engineering, 2012, doi:10.1061/(ASCE)ST.1943-541X.0000661.
Chae, Y., Ricles, J.M., and Sause, R. "Large-Scale Experimental Studies of Structural Control Algorithms for Structures with Magneto-Rheological Dampers Using Real-Time Hybrid Simulation," accepted for Journal of Structural Engineering, 2012, doi:10.1061/(ASCE)ST.1943-541X.0000691).
Chae, Y., Ricles, J.M., and Sause, R., "Modeling of a Large-Scale Magneto-Rheological Damper for Seismic Hazard Mitigation, Part II: Semi-Active Mode," accepted for Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics, 2012, doi:10.1002/eqe.2236.
Chae, Y., Ricles, J.M., and Sause, R., "Modeling of a Large-Scale Magneto-Rheological Damper for Seismic Hazard Mitigation, Part I: Passive Mode," accepted for Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics, 2012, doi:10.1002/eqe.2237).
Fleischman, R.B., Restrepo, J.I., Naito, C.J., Sause, R., Zhang, D., and Schoettler, M., "Integrated Analytical and Experimental Research to Develop a New Seismic Design Methodology for Precast Concrete Diaphragms," accepted for Journal of Structural Engineering, 2012, doi:10.1061/(ASCE)ST.1943-541X.0000734.
Roy, S., Park, Y.-C., Sause, R., and Fisher, J., "Fatigue Performance of Stiffened Pole-to-Base Plate Socket Connections in High-mast Structures," Journal of Structural Engineering, 138 (10) pp.1203-1213, 2012, doi:10.1061/(ASCE)ST.1943-541X.0000554.
Naito, C., Zimpfer, J., Sause, R., Kaufmann, E., "Impact of Environmental Conditions on Field Welding of Precast Concrete Connections," PCI Journal, 57 (2) Spring, pp. 142-161, 2012.
Sause, R., Frosch, R., Ghosh, S.K., Lien, J., Naito, C., Sennour, L., and Yamanishi, T., "Preview of PCI's Japan Earthquake Reconnaissance Team Report," PCI Journal, 57 (1) Winter, pp. 7-11, 2012.
Karavasilis, T.L., Sause, R., and Ricles, J.M., "Seismic Design and Evaluation of Steel MRFs with Compressed Elastomer Dampers," Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics, 41 (3) pp. 411-429, 2012, doi:10.1002/eqe.1136.
Chen, C., Karavasilis, T., Chae, Y., Ricles, J.M., and Sause, R., "Performance Evaluation of a Real-Time Hybrid Simulation System for Structural Engineering Research," Engineering Structures, 35 (2) pp. 71-82, 2011, doi:10.1016/j.engstruct.2011.10.006.
Karavasilis, T.L., Ricles, J.M., Sause, R., and Chen, C., "Experimental Evaluation of the Seismic Performance of Steel MRFs with Compressed Elastomer Dampers Using Large-Scale Real-Time Hybrid Simulation," Engineering Structures, 33 (6), pp. 1859-1869, 2011, doi:10.1016/j.engstruct.2011.01.032.
Guo, T., Sause, R., Frangopol, D., and Li, A. "Time-dependent Reliability of PSC Box-girder Bridge Considering Creep, Shrinkage and Corrosion," Journal of Bridge Engineering, 16(2), pp. 29-43, 2011, doi:10.1061/(ASCE)BE.1943-5592.0000135.


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With the Patriots getting last weekend off, Devin McCourty headed to his mom's house in northern New Jersey to see firsthand how she making out in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. Unlike a lot of folks on the East Coast, the news was good.
With the Patriots getting last weekend off, Devin McCourty headed to his mom's house in northern New Jersey to see firsthand how she making out in the wake of Superstorm Sandy.
Unlike a lot of folks on the East Coast, the news was good.
"There were some power outages, but not a lot of damage," McCourty said yesterday as he returned to work at Gillette Stadium. "I would say she was pretty fortunate."
Phyllis Harrell lives in Montville, which is located slightly northwest of New York City in a home purchased for her last year by Devin and his twin brother Jason, a cornerback for the Tennessee Titans. Her lack of electricity was rectified when Devin showed up with a generator.
McCourty then went into a personal energy-saving mode, getting physically and mentally refreshed for the second half of the season with some rare in-season quality family time.
The Patriots' coaching staff, front office and many of the players engaged in some serious self-scouting during the break. McCourty opted to streamline the process.
"The bye week gives you some time, but I don't think now is the time to go back and try to access the whole first half of the season," the third-year defensive back said. "I think it was more focusing as a team and individually on the things you can improve on and how they can affect you going forward."
The consensus is McCourty is playing somewhere between his rookie season, when he was named second-team All-Pro, and last year, when he got lit up more than a Bic at an Aerosmith concert during a season-long sophomore slump.
McCourty has been the best of a bad secondary, one that rank 28th in the league in pass defense. He leads the Patriots with nine passes defensed and has two interceptions, a total that could easily be five if not for drops.
And according to espnboston.com, he has played a team-high 97.8 percent of the defensive snaps. Perhaps most impressive is they've come at two positions.
McCourty started the first six games at cornerback. He moved to safety two games ago due to injuries to starters Steve Gregory and Patrick Chung.
McCourty was used at safety toward the end of last season. He also played the position in high school and during his first two years in college, at Rutgers, so he has previous experience.
He also the complete confidence of his coach.
"I would say he's pretty good at everything," Bill Belichick said. "He's a good tackler, he's fast, he's instinctive. He has a good feel for the game wherever you put him in terms of leverage, angles, decisions, that kind of thing. He's smart. He has the mental flexibility to go back and forth between assignments and that kind of thing."
McCourty's shift to safety has seemed to bring some cohesiveness to a secondary that has had to deal with a lot of moving parts due to injury and ineffectiveness. That's come through recognition and communication.
"I have a good knowledge of what our corners are doing, so I think a little bit of that helps," McCourty said. "I can see things and then communicate with them to let them know I'm on the same page with them. It helps them out a lot, and just my experience from corner helps me out with that aspect."
Whether McCourty remains at safety or reverts to cornerback once the injury situation is resolved hasn't been announced. He shrewdly claimed to not have a preference for where he played.
However, there are plenty of people outside the organization who think McCourty, a defensive captain, is better suited for safety.
He's had trouble tracking the ball while keeping up with receivers at cornerback. That's less of an issue at safety, where the focus is on keeping the action of front of him.
In addition, his leadership and communication skills aren't as negated as when he's isolated at cornerback.
"You get used to seeing more of the field, and I think you have more of a responsibility because you have that viewpoint to let everyone know," McCourty said. "I know when you're playing corner, it's not as easy to see the different things that you see on film when you're just on that side of the field. So I try to communicate and let guys know if I see anything from film study that might happen to send that alert out."


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OAKLAND — It's not often that a Kaiser Permanente physician also holds the title of Miss California. However, Rita Ng, a cardiologist with the hospital for more than two years, has bridged those two very different worlds.
"The experience of being Miss California for a year made me a more compassionate person and physician," said Ng, who held the title in 2000 — the first Asian American to do so in the pageant's 80-year history.
"It helps me see my patients as people and individuals. Every patient is special."
The newlywed Ng, 36, who lives with her husband and sister in Montclair, stumbled upon the world of pageants quite by accident.
"Lipstick was never part of my vocabulary," Ng said. "I was a self-described 'pre-med nerd.' "
Ng was preparing to graduate from Stanford University and enter medical school at UCSF when her college thesis adviser endorsed her for a profile in "Glamour" magazine's "Top 10 College Women." After her profile was published, she got a call from a modeling agency in New York, asking her to take part in a global beauty campaign with Proctor & Gamble skin and hair products.
"I said, 'I think you're calling the wrong person, I don't even wear makeup,' " Ng said. "I initially said 'no' — modeling was not something that had ever crossed my radar."
However, when the agency approached Ng again, telling her that a portion of the campaign money would go to Save The Children, she changed her mind.
"Philanthropy and community service are what I've always been passionate about," said Ng, who grew up in Tracy with her first-generation Chinese-American parents and four siblings. "My parents always encouraged us to do well at school, work hard and contribute to the community."
While Ng was jetting back and forth to New York and Los Angeles for modeling shoots — "It made for a very busy senior year" — her sister Ruby, also a student at Stanford, entered Ng in the Miss Los Altos pageant.
"Ruby saw a flyer for the event and, unbeknownst to me, entered me in the competition," Ng said. "I wore the gown that I'd worn to the winter formal and some lip gloss."
Ng, an accomplished pianist, played her favorite Beethoven piece and landed the Miss Los Altos title, which automatically qualified her to compete for Miss California.
"I didn't expect to win; I thought it would be a fun adventure before heading off to medical school," said Ng, who later completed her cardiology training at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. "There were about 55 beautiful, smart girls competing — to say I was intimidated would be an understatement."
She competed on a platform of public health and health care equity, a category in which she took first place before the interview panel.
After being crowned Miss California 2000, Ng sat down with the organizers who asked her if she would be able to defer medical school for a year, to serve as Miss California.
"UCSF traditionally doesn't defer medical school for students, so I wasn't sure what to expect. When I called the admissions office and explained, there was complete silence on the other end of the phone. Then I heard someone say, 'I can't believe I'm talking to Miss California,'" said Ng, adding that the university was "very sweet and supportive" and agreed to the one-year deferral.
Ng went on to represent California in the Miss America pageant in Atlanta in 2001, where she was second runner-up.
After being crowned Miss California, Ng traveled across the United States and around the world, simultaneously promoting humanitarian causes that are important to her.
"The title and crown gave me a voice to draw attention to my passion, which is health care," said Ng, who still gives keynote speeches and piano recitals at charitable events. "It opened my eyes to so many people doing amazing things."
It also dispelled stereotypes that she had about beauty pageants.
"Pageants focus on beauty, but not only external beauty, beauty of the internal kind as well," said Ng, who met many "amazing women who are friends for life."
She also learned that the Miss California and Miss America pageants are nonprofit organizations run by volunteers.
"All the money from the competitions goes to girls' scholarships — it's the leading source for scholarship money for girls in the world," Ng said.
Ng said she loves the East Bay and its diversity as well as working at Kaiser Permanente, which shares her passion for preventive medicine.
"When I was a little girl I dreamed of becoming a physician — I always loved science and biology," she said. "I'm lucky that I get to heal hearts and help sick people — it's a goal I've aspired to all my life."
Ng is also thrilled that pageants have become so ethnically diverse. In 2013, both the winner and runner-up in the Miss America pageant were of Asian descent.
"I think it's phenomenal, I'm so proud of their accomplishments," Ng said. "It goes to show how far this program has progressed. We are a land of so many diverse cultures and ethnicities — that's what makes it so beautiful."


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Newly Named MacDonald Commons Honors Family's Ties to Bucknell
The gift from Randy and Kathy MacDonald P'02 reflects their support for beyond-the-classroom learning.Read more
Please note: You are viewing an archived Bucknell University news story. It is possible that information found on this page has become outdated or inaccurate, and links and images contained within are not guaranteed to function correctly.
Stand if you are the first person in your family to attend college.
Stand if you have ever been racially profiled.
Stand if you have a family member who is or has been incarcerated.
Stand if you have ever been bullied.
Stand if you can marry the person of your choice.
Stand if you would go to jail for something you believe in.
Stand if you would die for something you believe in.
The Crystal Ballroom at the Best Western in Lancaster, Pa., on a snowy February weekend was filled to capacity with Bucknellians — 230 to be exact. They came together for a weekend-long retreat. They are students, many of them members of Bucknell's 12 Posse classes, and guests of those students, known as "plussers" in the Posse vernacular: fellow students, faculty and staff members.
Except for the voice of the facilitator who read the "stand if" statements, the room was silent. As participants stood and sat and stood again, each person came to realize and appreciate the complexity, depth and expanse of the inner lives of the people surrounding them. From time to time, someone gave a reassuring squeeze or hug, and more than one person fought back tears.
The PossePlus Retreat (PPR) is an annual event that happens away from the campuses of the foundation's 51 partner institutions around the country and is designed to take on relevant national and campus issues. This year's retreat was titled "Revolt? Reform? Rethink?" and focused on social and political movements in the 21st century.
One of the group exercises focused on defining what a movement is. Oswaldo Galicia is a senior majoring in engineering. He is Latino, from Los Angeles and openly gay without much family support because of his sexual identity. He said that he was surprised to see that some people don't consider the battle for LGBT rights a movement. "While it was shocking to learn that people I've known for years don't hold the same opinions about LGBT that I do," he said, "I also came to understand that it doesn't mean that these same people can't be supportive. The PPR is a place where you can voice your own opinion in a safe environment. I realized that you don't have to agree with someone to respect them."
Tyler Julius, a Bucknell sophomore majoring in political science and religion and a "plusser" for the weekend, was attending her second PPR, which she said, "is a weekend that can change your life." Though she had been through the Stand exercise before, it was no less powerful for her. "You can learn so much about a person. You don't have to talk, just watch, listen and learn."
Professor Deborah Sills, civil and environmental engineering, is new to Bucknell. She returned to campus feeling great about the University and wanting to tell all of her students to attend the next PPR. "I am interested in connecting engineering with real life," she said. "My environmental engineering course is connected to real-life situations. Issues of privilege and cultural competency came up in the course, and the things we discussed at the PPR related to those. I can see how I can be more brave about bringing these issues into the class."
Running a retreat for 230 people is difficult but not impossible. Facilitators from New York City led the group, which was further broken down into family groups comprising five to seven people. It was within the smaller groups that the most meaningful bonding took place; Sills plans to have a reunion with her PPR "family."
An even more intense experience is the dyad, where individuals are paired up and given a sheet of questions to ask each other. Many people talk for over an hour and never get through the entire list. Helen Vu, a sophomore majoring in education and psychology, said that for her, the dyad was the culminating moment of the weekend. "I connected with someone I never thought I could because these questions aren't asked on a daily basis," she explained.
Julius agreed, and added, "The connections that you make at the PPR reflect the importance of the weekend. People share things that they don't normally do in their everyday life at Bucknell. We tend to not ask or want to know the background stories of people."
Vu, a Posse scholar from Washington, D.C., wishes that more people on campus understood the Posse program. "Outside of PPR, people have the misconception that Posse is a minority scholarship. It's not," she explained. "It's a leadership scholarship. This retreat brings non-Posse scholars and Posse scholars together in a way that allows them to discuss relevant issues and problems. We can then bring this conversation back to campus and start talking to each other in a more meaningful way."
Bucknell has partnered with the Posse Foundation since 2006 to recruit qualified students from urban areas. Posse operates in nine cities, and Bucknell has classes from Washington, D.C., Boston and Los Angeles. At the beginning of the 2013–14 academic year, the University reached its full complement of Posse scholars, 124, 10 in each class year from each of the three cities.
Mark Davies, Bucknell's assistant vice president for enrollment management and director of partnerships, has been involved with the University's Posse partnership since the beginning. "We have worked for years to impact diversity on this campus, but until we invested in Posse, we hadn't really made any real strides," Davies explained. "It's fantastic to have 124 students from different socioeconomic backgrounds, life skills and ethnicities come here and flourish. The PPR then allows even more students to be involved. It's a great connector for people."
"This weekend offers you perspectives you don't get on campus," Julius added. "It's magical."
The gift from Randy and Kathy MacDonald P'02 reflects their support for beyond-the-classroom learning.Read more
A gift from an alumnus will strengthen the successful Bucknell Bison Leadership Academy for student-athletes.Read more
PossePlus Retreat challenges students and staff to examine beliefs and values.Read more
During the WE DO Campaign, Bucknellians worldwide made more than $500 million in gifts and pledges that will shape the future of our University.Giving to Bucknell
The following links are virtual breadcrumbs marking the 27 most recent pages you have visited in Bucknell.edu. If you want to remember a specific page forever click the pin in the top right corner and we will be sure not to replace it. Close this message.


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Senior batsman Mike Hussey on Monday urged besieged opener Phillip Hughes to back his natural game after being retained in Australia's Test squad.
Despite failing with just 10 and seven runs in the first Gabba Test, Hughes looks set to get another chance in the second Test against New Zealand, starting on Friday in Hobart.
Australia's selection panel on Monday made just one injury-enforced change to their 12-man squad from the first Test with the inclusion of Dan Christian.
Christian replaces 12th man Ben Cutting (side strain) which means a batsman would make way if the South Australian allrounder was chosen to make his Test debut.
Hughes has passed 36 just twice in his past 17 Test innings and with all-rounder Shane Watson (hamstring) and Shaun Marsh (back) on track to return from injuries in the Boxing Day Test against India, the opener's Test position appears vulnerable.
His six-ball failure on Sunday as Australia romped to a nine-wicket win, highlighted the New South Wales left-hander's technical weakness as his average has dived from 69 after three Tests in 2009 to 36.
Michael Hussey urges Hughes to back himself
Senior batsman Mike Hussey on Monday urged besieged opener Phillip Hughes to back his natural game after being retained in Australia's Test squad.
Hughes was dropped fifth ball at second slip off Chris Martin before cutting the next ball to gully where he was caught by Martin Guptill.
But Hussey said he doesn't believe the 23-year-old opener should be singled out for continuing an unhappy knack of falling to catches behind the wicket.
"I just think it's important for him to keep a real clear mind and to keep playing his way," Hussey told reporters.
"He's had success playing his way. He's still put together some really good scores for us in difficult conditions in Sri Lanka (126) and South Africa (88).
"He works extremely hard and he knows the areas he needs to work on.
"Obviously, he'd want to get some more consistent scores but it is tough work against the new ball opening the batting."
While Watson and Marsh have been given extra time to recover, Australia are also keeping teenage pace sensation Patrick Cummins (heel) in cotton wool ahead of the four-Test India series.
Cummins, man of the match on his debut against South Africa in Johannesburg last month, is one of five pacemen sidelined along with Ryan Harris (hip), Mitchell Johnson (foot surgery), Doug Bollinger (hamstring) and Cutting.
In their absence, James Pattinson gave a man-of-the-match performance at the Gabba, taking 5-27 to rout the Black Caps for 150 in their second innings.


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Visit BAYAREAPATIO.COM for outdoor and patio furniture
BayAreaSofa.com offers a simple, straight-forward, no-nonsense approach to buying low-cost living room furniture sets at bargain sale prices. We are local to the California Bay Area, and we keep our selections and our ordering process as simple as possible.
Whether you're looking for a sofa, loveseat, ottoman, recliner, sectional, or an entire collection, BayAreaSofa.com has something for everyone.


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Cedric GoodmanFree Agent
Wide Receiver
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News | Stats | Stat vs. Team | Targets | Injury | Depth Chart | Roster
|Steelers | Six players released
Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:49:52 -0700
The Pittsburgh Steelers have announced they have released DE Jeff Bradley, LS Mark Estermyer, WR Jayson Foster, WR Cedric Goodman, QB Kevin McCabe and FB Ryan Powdrell.
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|Steelers | Sign eight undrafted free agents
Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:40:00 -0700
Steelers.com reports the Pittsburgh Steelers have signed undrafted free-agent WR Steven Black (Memphis), DT Jeff Bradley (Western Carolina), WR Cedric Goodman (Georgia), WR Tyler Grisham (Clemson), LB Tom Korte (Hillside), DT Steve McLendon (Troy), RB Isaac Redman (Bowie State) and QB Mike Reilly (Central Washington State). Terms of the contracts were not disclosed.
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Doing More With Less: Competitive Contracting for School Support Services
Competitive contracting can provide schools with expertise, flexibility, and cost efficiencies not always available with in-house service provision. If they are properly designed and monitored, contracts between schools and private providers can help school administrators do more with less. Includes step-by-step guidelines for the "make or buy" decision, tells how to avoid pitfalls, and suggests measures for contractor evaluation. 26 pages.


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I must admit that it is a fitting way to remember those who died and those left behind, ten years ago on September 11.
I did some research with Google Maps and off we went. The street view showed the street sign clearly where we were to turn at Wattaquadock Hill Road. I saw that after that turn was a church, a police and fire station and a ball field.
Well, the street was blocked off, probably for a ceremony so we continued on to see what Bolton was like. After some time, we turned around and ventured down the street that turned into Manor Road. It intersects with the blocked road just past the church. Hooray!
We went quite slowly because could see the Winery fields and sure enough where we neede to turn down Berlin Road, the street sign was missing some letters.
We turned and after a couple minutes there was the cemetery and this sign. [It matches the one at the Pan Burying Ground]
There is a "road" inside the cemetery and we drove around to the right hand side and pulled onto the grass. Good thing we did because as this is an active cemetery with new graves, a car turned in because they wanted to tend a grave in the back.
We wandered around. I tested the Resting Spot app and also took photos with my digital camera.
On the way back, we found the street open and we sailed home without incident.
One thing. They are cutting down trees on the property next to the cemetery. It was very noisy. Was it loud enough to wake the dead? Not a chance. But, I did tell them that it was OK, they were safe in God's hands.


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When sleeping in till 7:08 is great, cutting grapes to avoid choking is "gangsta," and you can change a diaper with two wipes, you've got 'Daddy Skills.' In a video posted last week, California dad Sam Dorman (aka Sam Deezy) spits a few endearing, if corny, rhymes about a day in his life as a proud father.
Dorman teams up with David Wittman, the LA composer behind this year's viral satire rap It's Gettin' Real In The Whole Foods Parking Lot, to describe his daily adventures in daddyhood, from mastering playground small-talk to breakfast negotiations that can sometimes resemble "a dope deal."
Dorman's daughter is the highlight of the clip, though, adding a crucial spark of cuteness – not to mention critical proof that Dorman does indeed walk the walk. So if you take care to attire your daughter so nobody asks if Daddy dressed her, if you've got a tricked out MacLaren and six copies of Goodnight Moon, then clearly you've got Daddy Skills.
And if you want to download the song, you can grab it from Amazon, iTunes and CD Baby.


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Mikel Arteta proud of Arsenal in spite of Champions League exit
Mikel Arteta feels Arsenal have plenty to be proud of after bowing out of the UEFA Champions League at Bayern Munich.
Last Updated: 14/03/13 8:54am
The Gunners headed to the Allianz Arena on Wednesday hoping to pull off a European miracle, with a 3-1 defeat in the first leg of their last-16 encounter leaving them with a mountain to climb.
Arsene Wenger's men came agonisingly close to completing a remarkable fightback, as they ran out 2-0 winners on the night.
The away goals rule means they will be missing from Friday's last-eight draw, but Arteta feels Arsenal offered the perfect response to those who continue to write them off.
He told Sky Sports: "We gave absolutely everything we had in the game. We knew we had conceded three goals at home and it was going to be difficult, but we kept going and we kept believing.
"It was mentally a very difficult game to manage tonight. When we scored the first one they didn't look very convincing and we tried to take advantage of that. We scored a second one at the end and maybe with 10 minutes more we would have had a better chance.
"Coming here, not many teams win here. They have shown that they are a top side in Europe this season, so the lads deserve credit and the boss as well because he believed from the start that we could do it. We tried our best."
Carl Jenkinson also believes that Arsenal should be looking to use their performance on German spoil to spark an end-of-season surge - with the Gunners still scrapping for a top-four finish in the Premier League.
He said: "We got that early goal that we needed. We knew that it was important that we kept it tight at the back and we did that. We got the second goal and we really thought we could do it, but I am proud of the boys and the effort everyone put in.
"We were so close to doing it when, to be honest, everyone had written us before the game. We have come here, we have won 2-0 and come so close to doing it. I am very proud of the boys."


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The Eagles have traded within the division for the second time this offseason, dealing the 55th overall pick to Dallas in exchange for the 59th overall pick and a fourth rounder, No. 125 overall.
Dallas used the 55th pick to select Penn State linebacker Sean Lee.
The Birds then moved down again, sending No. 59 to Cleveland in exchange for No. 71, 131 and 146. By adding the 71st pick, the Eagles get into the third round.
And then they traded down once again, sending No. 71 to Green Bay for 83 in the third round and No. 122.
That gives them four picks in the fourth round: 105, 121, 122, 125, along with 134 and 146 in the fifth, 200 in the sixth and 243 and 244 in the seventh.
The Eagles stayed on defense at the start of the second round, selecting South Florida safety Nate Allen at No. 37.
Allen said the Eagles showed interest in him at the combine. "I'm just so excited to be an Eagle," he said.
The pick was acquired from Washington in the Donovan McNabb trade.
Asked about being taken with the McNabb pick, Allen said: "It's great. I'm just honored to be an Eagle. I'm just glad coach [Andy] Reid and everybody had faith in me. I'm so glad and I'm just ready to get up and just start working hard and I'm just excited. I'm at a loss of words, I'm so excited."
Indications were that the Eagles had serious interest in Mississippi running back Dexter McCluster, but he was selected one pick earlier at No. 36 by Kansas City. The Birds might have been looking at McCluster at No. 55, were he still available.
Allen played in 48 games, starting his final 39 contests at free safety for South Florida. For his career, he had 224 tackles and nine interceptions (fourth in school history). As a senior, he was an all-Big East first-team selection, starting 13 games at free safety. He had four interceptions and helped the Bulls lead the Big East in pass defense (186.31 ypg) and pass efficiency defense (113.39 rating).
"Wherever I'm needed, if they want me to play special teams, whatever, I'm there," he said.
Allen got the news at a draft party in his hometown of Fort Myers, Fla.
He was originally recruited as a quarterback and also played some on offense at South Florida.
"I think it was definitely beneficial," he said. "It's a big step from being a college quarterback. Just as far as knowing what quarterbacks look at, their checks maybe, how they look off receivers. Just the quarterback mentality a little."
Asked about criticism of his inconsistent tackling, Allen said, "That's their opinion and I'm just going to come in and try to show everybody that I can tackle, be a consistent tackler and just always improve. I can always improve in everything."
The Eagles also are slated to pick at No. 55 in the second round tonight. They traded their two third-round picks to move up to select Brandon Graham in the first round last night.
The draft concludes tomorrow and the Birds have five picks: Nos. 105 and 121 in the fourth round, 200 in the sixth round and 243 and 244 in the seventh round.
Name: Nate Allen
School: South Florida
Position: Safety
Height, weight: 6-foot, 207
Hometown: Cape Coral, Fla.
Birthdate: Nov. 30, 1987
The numbers: Played in 48 games at USF, and started his final 39 games at free safety. Total of nine interceptions (four as a senior), and 12 passes defended (four as a senior).
Pro day: Ran a 4.52 for the 40 during his campus pro day and also bench-pressed 225 pounds 16 times. Has a 34-inch vertical leap.
Against the run: Nearly half of his 224 career tackles (108) came against the run and 27 came on third down.
On offense: Originally recruited as a quarterback, he did make two catches for 27 yards as a receiver at South Florida. In high school, he threw for more than 5,000 yards and broke all the school's passing records.
To the house: Scored three career touchdowns at South Florida — an 11-yard reception, a 3-yard fumble return and a 37-yard interception return. The fumble return and the interception return came in back-to-back weeks in 2007.
On the court: Had as many scholarship offers to play basketball as football. His father, Jackie, played hoosp professionally in Europe.
To read our earlier coverage, including a report from first-rounder Brandon Graham's press conference, click here.


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Bay Bridge in Calif gets good luck charm: troll
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A final piece of safety hardware — a bearded, spindly legged troll — has been installed in the new eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.
The troll is meant to be a protector and good luck charm, modeled after a similar statue placed surreptitiously by a steelworker on the old span after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.
The new statue forged by an unknown artist was installed at an undisclosed location, Bay Area Toll Authority spokesman John Goodwin told the San Francisco Chronicle (http://bit.ly/19waNW3) in a weekend story.
The original troll was removed from its perch on Labor Day in preparation for the demolition of the old bridge and will likely be housed in a museum or park, but plans were still being finalized.
The new, $6.4 billion portion of the Bay Bridge opened to traffic on Labor Day, nearly 24 years after the Loma Prieta earthquake damaged the old span.
Construction was years behind schedule and billions of dollars over budget amid political fights over its design and engineering challenges.
Goodwin said the new troll, with an axe in one hand and a hammer in the other, is somewhere inside the new bridge but its whereabouts will be kept secret.
"A new troll appeared, as these things happen, on Labor Day, under the cover of darkness," Goodwin said.
Information from: San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com


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Experts to discuss county land exchange policy
Two well-known land management experts with different perspectives, along with a noted land appraiser and journalist, will participate on a panel in a joint meeting of Pitkin County Commissioners and the Open Space Board to discuss a proposed land exchange policy for Pitkin County.
"After the recent Wexner land exchange controversy, we decided everyone could benefit from a policy that clearly expresses what can be expected when someone asks Pitkin County to request that Congress exchange public lands in the future," said Director of Pitkin County Open Space and Trails, Dale Will.
Sitting on the panel will be Western Lands Project's Janine Blaeloch, an environmental activist and planner in both private and public sectors. Her work includes preparation and analysis of numerous U.S. Forest Service environmental impact statements and planning documents. Western Land Group's Adam Poe will bring his extensive background in both private and public sector planning and conservation to the meeting. Poe has completed dozens of transactions involving the acquisition of conservation properties in Colorado and throughout the West. Also joining the panel will be land appraiser Mark Weston, best known for his work with conservation easements and Ed Marston, former editor of High Country News.
"Privatizing and disposing of public Forest Service or BLM land in our valley is permanent. Determining which land exchange proposals confer net public benefits and deserve County endorsement, and which do not, requires a public process with useful standards. This forum should help to insure that the correct standards are adopted," said Open Space and Trails Board Chair, Tim McFlynn.
The meeting comes against the backdrop of controversy over Ohio businessman Leslie Wexner, the CEO of Limited Brads, and his wife's proposal to swap 1,268 acres of Bureau of Land Management property south of Carbondale for their 520 acres north of Carbondale.
The public is invited and encouraged to attend this meeting to hear the debate, ask questions and offer input as Pitkin County works to craft its new Land Exchange Policy. The meeting will be held at the Aspen Institute on Tuesday, October 5th from 6:30 to 8:30 pm in the Koch Building, Lauder Room. It will be televised for playback on CGTV Channel 11. For more information call 920-5232.
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Yu-Jui Yvonne Wan, a national leader in the study of liver diseases whose work focuses on the role of retinoids and their receptors in control of liver function, joined the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine as professor and vice chair of research on July 1.
Wan also will serve as scientific director of a new biorepository program, working with Senior Associate Dean for Research Lars Berglund to develop a master plan to expand and unite current biorepositories into a comprehensive tissue-banking service spanning the health system. She also will participate in the Human Anatomical Specimen and Tissue Oversight Committee chaired by Executive Associate Dean Fred Meyers and will report to Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Chair Lydia Pleotis Howell.
"Dr. Wan is an award-winning researcher and mentor with more than 30 years' experience in academic medicine," Howell said. "Her work on retinoic acid, vitamin A and related nuclear receptors is advancing knowledge of liver cell differentiation, proliferation, metabolism and disease processes, including cancer, metabolic syndrome, obesity, alcoholic liver disease and cardiovascular disease. In addition, her emphasis on translational research and education complements existing efforts under way in our stem cell biology, cancer and pharmacogenomics programs. The department and I are excited to have Dr. Wan lead integration of our clinical and research faculty into multidisciplinary collaborations that will create innovative solutions to scientific and health-care problems."
Wan came from the University of Kansas Medical Center, where she was a professor of pharmacology, toxicology and therapeutics, program leader of the Cancer Biology Program and director of the Liver Center. Before that, she was a professor of pathology at UCLA. She is recognized for establishing the Human Liver Depository, which has become an indispensible resource for scientists worldwide seeking liver tissue, serum and blood for studies. The repository contains more than 1,500 liver specimens with extensive corresponding patient data.
Wan has received many honors and awards, including the 2010 Chancellor's Club Research Award from the University of Kansas, SIG Elsevier Mentoring Award from the Society of Toxicology, California's Distinguished Women in Research Award and Richard Weitzman Award. She received her doctorate in pathology from Hahnemann University (now Drexel University College of Medicine) and began her career in the pathology department at UCLA.


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It was another exciting night of boxing at the Minneapolis Convention Center last night. ESPN was in town, and broadcast some of the bouts for its Friday Night Fights program. For us, the highlight was local middleweight Caleb Truax's fight against Don "Da Bomb" George. We wrote about Caleb most recently here, after he won a thrilling but decisive decision over Matt Vanda, another Minnesotan.
Truax was a heavy underdog last night; Vegas bettors favored George, who fights out of Chicago, by two or three to one. George is a heavy hitter who came into the fight 24-3 with 21 knockouts, and had only been stopped once in his career, by the reigning light heavyweight champion. He had a deal that would gave given him a million-dollar payday if he had won last night.
But it was Truax from the opening bell. He put on a stunning display, dominating every round of the fight and putting George away in the sixth. Here, Caleb connects with a right, courtesy of Minnesota Boxing.com:
Truax is a smart fighter, known as a canny tactician and an excellent defensive boxer. The knock on him has been that he doesn't have much power. It will be hard to sustain that critique after last night. He punched with real authority, and George had to be helped out of the ring. It was simply a brilliant performance by Truax, one that undoubtedly put him into the mix for a world championship fight. His record now stands at 22-1-1.
My son bought a table for the event, and my wife and I attended along with our sixteen-year-old daughter. One of Truax's sparring partners was also at our table; I am pretty sure he gave Caleb more trouble in training than Don George did last night. We are hoping that next time I report on one of Truax's fights, it will be from the MGM Grand.
UPDATE: One of the fun things about a card like last night's is that everybody from the world of Minnesota boxing is there. Here is one more photo, of my daughter with the state's top heavyweight, who is undefeated and ranked:
Nothing in sports is more exciting than a good, live boxing match. If you have never experienced live boxing, it might be fun to check it out.


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$79.99 $47.99
SOG PowerAssist Multi-Tool
"Or two knives and 11 other tools to be specific. The SOG PowerAssist Multitool is a beast. Let's begin with the fact that one model of the PowerAssist comes with a C4 punch. Now let's think about this for a second: what type of person needs a C4 punch and more importantly what do they expect of their multitool? They expect to be awesome and in fact that's a fine word to describe the SOG PowerAssist Multitool. Just about every multitool begins with a pair of pliers and integrated wire cutters. The SOG stands out here with their patented Compound Leverage design and the strength of their stainless. As a test, we took a titanium spork and used the cutters to slice through the handle. Not a scratch on the cutters but wow did it make short work of the titanium! The blades on the SOG pop free using the PowerAssist technology built into the tool. Just unlock a blade and flick it with your thumb and the tool takes over. On the other side, you have a standard rack of various tools. However, unlike most multitools each individual component locks into place on the SOG giving you a steady and sturdy tool to work with. This model does not include the aforementioned C4 punch but it does include a host of other amazing tools. And if you really want that punch, the SOG PowerAssist is fully upgradable through the simple-yet-sturdy hex-bolt construction. Includes the following tools: Pliers Wire Cutters Blasting Cap Crimper (also good for general crimping) Straight Knife Blade Serrated Knife Blade Three-sided File Phillips Screwdriver Can Opener/Small Screwdriver Bottle Opener/Medium Screwdriver V-Cutter (useful for stripping wires, cutting seatbelts or cords) Ruler (built into the handles) Additional Product Specifications Stainless Steel Multitool with Black Oxide Finish Hex-bolt construction for easy maintenance and upgrades Closed: 4.675"" Open: 7.125"" Weight: 9.3 oz. Model: B66N-CP Includes heavy duty nylon sheath"


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Savory Stuffed Pork with Wine Sauce
This hearty pork chop is filled with a delightful grape stuffing. A creamy wine sauce infused with rosemary tops the chop with fragrance and flavor.
6 cups California seedless grapes
1 cup onions, finely chopped
4 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
1⁄4 cup parsley, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1⁄8 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
12 pork loin chops, boneless
2 cups water
2 cups dry white wine
1 1⁄2 cups heavy cream
1. Combine 3 cups grapes, 1⁄2 cup onions, 2 tbsp. rosemary, parsley, and salt, and pepper. Cut a pocket in each pork chop and stuff chops with grape mixture; close with skewer.
2. In a large pan, heat oil and brown chops. Deglaze with water and wine. Add remaining grapes, onions and rosemary and reduce liquid to 1⁄3 the original volume; strain liquid. Add cream and simmer until thickened. Serve sauce over each chop.


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July 19, 2014 at 9am to August 31, 2014 at 5pm – Jackson, Ohio We are currently having a Log Railsing near Jackson, Ohio. Please call to schedule a personal appointment. Organized by Tim and Anita Dyer | Type: log, raising
August 16, 2014 to August 23, 2014 – Crawford County Fairgrounds, Home Show Building #1 You are cordially invited to visit us ay the Crawford County Fair, where Kathy and Art Hoffman, authorized representatives for Timberhaven Log Homes, will display samples of our solid and laminate lo… Organized by Kathy and Art Hoffman | Type: fair, display, and, seminar
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At Nemours, we promise to do whatever it takes to treat children as we would our own. When your child comes to Nemours, we know you're placing your trust in us. This trust and our dedication to improving the health of your child is what inspires us to provide exceptional care and the most satisfying experience possible.
Patient Care
Stories: Patients and families share their experiences.
News & Recognition
A Remarkable Journey
Dr. Freeman Miller with former patient- and journalist-Melissa Pileiro
Somewhere between hallways named Starfish Street and Lobster Lane, a little boy not yet old enough for school ran circles around his wagon filled with toys. A tiny camouflage cast encircled his entire left leg and he wobbled a little as he went, but didn't seem to care.
Finally, his watchful mother lifted him up and placed him gently inside the wagon he was now attempting to climb, being careful to straighten both legs slowly before wheeling him into the orthopedic department.
Near my family's spot, a teenage boy in a wheelchair flashed me a wide smile, eyes bright even as he couldn't move or speak. A few minutes later, a girl of the same age walked slowly toward him and introduced herself, her gait awkward but voice full of enthusiasm.
There in the waiting area at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Del., the journey of some families was only just beginning. But for me, this was the end of the road.
Later, the sounds of a slight Pennsylvania Dutch lilt could be heard outside the exam room, and then Dr. Freeman Miller entered, greeting my parents and me with a crinkly smile and friendly handshakes before turning his attention to me. "How's your summer been? You must be ready to graduate soon."
I filled him in on all the details: a newspaper internship, learning to drive at last, my indecision about pursuing graduate school. There was a comfortable familiarity to our conversation, but this was no ordinary doctor-patient relationship, either. Ours had spanned nearly 20 years.
From the moment my parents first found out I had cerebral palsy at 18 months old, there was no telling if I would develop normally. It's an unpredictable, unchanging neurological condition that appears in almost countless ways: all four limbs affected, just legs, one side of the body; stiffness, twitching, seizures, or none of these. Some have no mental problems, but others need special-education classes, and in the most severe cases cannot eat independently or talk at all.
For me, it means walking in a walker with only occasional stiffness in my legs or balance problems. Comparatively, I got off blessedly easy. Most days, I can almost forget I'm disabled.
As a toddler, Dr. Miller had come in on his day off to visit my stuffed penguin, Michael, and me; both of us were tagged with tiny hospital wristbands post-surgery. Then, at 15, he squeezed my hand tightly as I shook with fear and watched him draw 3-inch lines in marker up my thighs, soon to become my newest scars. We would carry on silly, morphine-fueled conversations about our newest fashion accessories — my bright blue walking casts and his infamous bow ties — while I fought off muscle spasms in the following days.
Now, after two major surgeries to stretch my once inflexible leg muscles, years of physical therapy and doctor visits, I am turning 21, too old for a pediatric hospital. There is nothing more he could do for me, Dr. Miller said, but not because I was beyond helping. In fact, there would be no referral to an adult specialist. I wouldn't need one. Virtually perfect, he told me. He couldn't be happier.
Stunned silence and a mix of expressions received this news: a furrowed brow from my mother; eyebrows raised with surprise from my father; and, from me, a fierce embrace for the man who had mended my wounds, shared my triumphs and encouraged me to do even those things that seemed impossible. Living independently on a college campus? Done. Learning to drive? A slow process, but definitely not out of reach.
We went our separate ways quickly, me with his business card and him with my thank you card, both of us promising to keep in touch as I enter post-collegiate life. On the way out, even the barista in the downstairs café congratulated me over my celebratory latte.
Thinking back to the little boy I had seen in the waiting area, I knew I had been wrong about something. My journey wasn't really over today. If anything, like him, it was only just beginning.
© The Daily Journal, 2011. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.


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2006 Onwards
Car Audio Fitting Accessories
Find the correct wiring kits/accessories for your car
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All, I was looking for a solution to cover a multitude of requirements but wasn't quite sure which unit would be the best fit. At Car Audio Centre they took care of everything, from consultation to system integration, cost effectiveness and even potential future upgrades available! In my line of work it is rare to find a supplier of goods and services that meet and exceed my expectations, I am very please to say these guys did and still offered a complete value for money service along with customer satisfaction. They care about what they do and the end results they produce are testimony to this, I made quite a few demands due to the fact that I wanted a seamless install without compromise to the original features of the car and interface controls. They produced the prefect result! Car Audio Centre have set the benchmark standard for others to follow, this is how business is done! Mit freundlichen Grüßen / Kind regardsJason Connelley
Jason Connelley
26 October 2016
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A Drive Around The Roman Empire By Fiat
Will space humans float their hovercars down Interstate 90 to have space coffee next to Mount St. Helens in the year 4000? It's a little early to tell but you can do something very similar today. Go for a long drive in Italy!


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Home > Plan Your Trip > Relax and Adventure > Play exciting sports > Kamogawa
Relax and Adventure
Surrounded by the sea, Japan has varied coastal features including beaches, rock reefs and estuaries. Surf spots and dive sites are found all over the nation. There is a big difference in the nature of the sea between the Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean. And sea conditions vary a great deal according to the wind, the sea floor terrain and the tide. We introduce you the surf spots with relatively easy access from the Tokyo Metropolitan area and the two leading dive destinations in Japan, the Kerama Islands and the Ogasawara Islands.