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It’s finished! Done! Off the needles and waiting to be felted (and lined and handled…). Woo! Hoo! And just in the nick of time so I don’t have to part from it for ten days with several rows left undone. I just love it when the projects are completed – especially when they come out so well! I am really excited to see it felted. It’ll have to wait a few days, though because I’m still on the road toward home. What a fun project … despite a few challenges (like being able to count) … and I am thrilled with the way it has turned out. I really like the color choices (although I have to admit that I’ve thought it would look great reversed, too) and I am glad that I made the main color gray. The acid green/yellow is a good accent and the pattern pops! Yippee! One down, one to go! Alpaca fingerless mittens found on Ravelry … Basketweave Gauntlet by Isabeau Knits. This is a pretty simple pattern to follow. The first pair I made were finished in a day-ish and I loved them (as did their recipient). This pair is also a gift … and I think they’re going to be beautiful … and warm! Sending the two socks on one needle home with N. His dog got into them today. He’s old and has Cushings Disease and fortunately there was no major harm done. I was stuck anyway … need some help figuring out how to turn the heel despite having looked it up on the Internet. Thought I had it but not so much! LOL! My cotton vest is growing exponentially. I love it and I think it will be something that I’ll Two inches to go on the back ... live in come fall and winter … well, at least when we’re in Florida. It may not be warm enough for Maine. Have purple yarn to make some more baby hats for Click for Babies Period of Purple Crying project. I’ve donated one so far and want to do a couple more. I will be donating mine in Maine. Too late to knit more tonight but I’ll be back at it tomorrow … pictures are coming! Gone … to bed to read! This entry was posted in Knitting and tagged knitting, Maine, progress, socks by Queen Bee Knits. Bookmark the permalink.	2,116
It seems you have no tags attached to pages. To attach a tag simply click on the tags button at the bottom of any page. Included page "clone:staceymartell960" does not exist (create it now) If you have a job and you secretly do not like it, never mention it on your Facebook profile: you may possibly be friends with a co-worker or higher-up you might share a network that overlaps with someone from your firm you could absentmindedly add your boss as a buddy two years later and price yourself your job visit the next Document and dignity. Just don't do it. We use the criteria you pick in the 'Who you happen to be searching for' web page to generate a list of compatible Soulmates in 'Your matches' The list is primarily based on two-way matching, taking into account the significance of every single criteria to you and your match. You can select the value of each and every matching criteria by using visit the next document slider tool. 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By default, emails you've added to a label will nevertheless show in your inbox (as effectively as in the label). You can take away the emails from your inbox by archiving them this will lead to the emails to disappear from your inbox with no being removed from their respective label(s).Like many of the other apps, this one lets you generate gardens in various shapes and sizes, and select plants. But the graphics are cartoonish: strange shapes that bear little resemblance to the plants chosen, alternatively of photographs or drawings (a dogwood tree looks like a spade, for instance). Nevertheless, if you tap on the shape, the app reminds you which plant it is and when you planted it.Most smartphones now enable customers to send messages and make calls over Wi-Fi, so turning on this function can defeat patchy mobile telephone signals. Click on Today" at the prime left corner of Google Timeline. 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Tap the delta symbol in the top proper corner of your screen to view your Inbox. Direct messages will appear here.Tap your Apple ID. It is the section at the top of the menu that includes your name and image if you have added 1. Welcome to Twinkl Develop! Just select a template, add text and pick the artwork you require to make the perfect handmade resource! A Premium service.And having to move apps individually across the screen can be tedious and challenging. We're continuously installing apps, which can leave your iPhone looking particularly messy. You can scroll through iPhone pages by swiping left more than the screen. Enter your email address, name, and preferred password on the left side of the web page.Smartphones include such deeply personal data that handing them over to a buddy or family members member can prove an ordeal. If you never like the thought of someone else reading your WhatsApp messages as they flood in, via the previews that pop up on your screen, you can just restrict the amount of information they show. Connect to the target laptop from your pc. Enter the target computer's ID in the "Companion ID" text box, click CONNECT, enter the password when prompted, and click Log On. Doing so will allow you to access remotely the other computer anytime you like.Create an account today, it will only take a couple of minutes. This version of How to Generate a Fake Facebook Profile was reviewed on November 22, 2017. It is best to use a new e mail address that does not seem affiliated with you for this step. Beyond photographs, the app added the capability to send and received PDF files. After customers receive the file they can see an in-line preview. - Comments: 0 Avocado Oil, derived from the fruit of a tropical American tree, is a wealthy, fatty-acid emollient. 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Actually really like it.Onion and garlic are also frequently used to support to reduce the blood sugar in Diabetes sufferers. It is the Allyl Propyl Disulphide (APDS) in the garlic and onion that really assists. This is simply because APDS fights for insulin-inactivating websites within the liver and that helps to totally free up insulin within the physique. Even a low dosage of onion extract can really support Diabetes sufferers so it is absolutely worth thinking about as a organic medicine for Diabetes. - Comments: 0 Fantastic web design will satisfy the users' data specifications, direct them to take some sort of action and in the end obtain a predefined purpose. When it comes to design, functionality is one point, and look and really feel is an additional. The important is placing these with each other to generate one thing that is simple to use and supports the brand online.You just need a functional website that's straightforward to use and loads quickly. But, learning a few psychology principles will assist you to enhance the usability of your internet site and thereby improve the user engagement that you obtain, such as social media engagement.Almost two-thirds of men and women in the United States now personal a smartphone, and the numbers maintain climbing. Many individuals access the Internet only by means of phones and tablets. If your site doesn't function on these devices, several users will never ever see what you have to supply. Google's algorithm also provides much better rankings to websites that are mobile friendly, growing your church's visibility on-line.Use a content material management program (CMS). This is the second option. WordPress is an example of a excellent option for developing web sites. 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If the plug-in doesn't come pre-installed with most browsers, there's a threat that the user will have neither the know how or the patience to install a plug-in just to access the content. If the function demands sophisticated coding language capabilities, it may possibly be as well costly in either time or funds to code compared to the amount of enhancement the function will add to the user experience. There is also a danger that advanced interactivity could be incompatible with older browsers or hardware configurations. Publishing a function that doesn't function reliably is potentially worse for the user knowledge than producing no attempt. It depends on the target audience if it really is probably to be necessary or worth any dangers. - Comments: 0 The services provided by Sky have not changed all that much because last year, even though Ofcom reports that they continue to attract fewer complaints than any of the other key broadband and phone providers in the UK ( here ). On best of that the regulator also finds that the ISP delivers a very good level of consumer satisfaction ( here ) and their pricing is clearer than some of the other individuals on this page.In this case Plex is an outstanding app that allows you to access your private videos, motion pictures, Television shows, pictures, and music all from 1 location. It has DNLA help built-in and can send your content to other devices or even stream it across the web when you are not at home. Previously you had to search for PLEXBMC to locate this important app, but now it really is officially offered as a Kodi add-on.You can get any kind of IPTV using either making use of your laptop and an ordinary internet browser or, if you want to appreciate on your living area screen, a set-leading box. IPTV can be delivered via the public Internet. This form of broadcast typically falls into to the 'OTT' gray region due to the fact it is supplied over the leading of the ISP, with no their involvement. Generally, HTTP is the protocol, or perhaps a modified type of HTTP or even over a managed or closed network, generally supplied by the ISP themselves. If you have any thoughts with regards to exactly where and how to use click through the following post, you can get hold of us at our own internet site. In this case, the streams never typically travel the public World wide web and can give you the very best encounter as the signal goes from the provider's network straight to your residence.Alter the YUV Color Range to Full. The purpose for this is the players click Through the following post IPTV function is stuck making use of the GUI jpeg -255 Colour Range. So utilizing Partial, that is the video 16-255 Colour Variety, will make a grey image. Press Apply, bottom appropriate.IPTV offers the very best possible way to distribute Television and video channels around a creating, inside a business web site, or across a number of placing broadcast Tv and your personal audio-visual channels onto your IT personal computer network, IPTV systems let you simply and simply show Television and video anywhere. Kodi is an amazing app developed to fulfill your entertainment require. It converts your Television, Smartphone, or Computer into a set-best box. You can install numerous AddOns to boost the experience. One particular such addon is the Ultra IPTV Kodi which delivers the Television shows and videos by way of the web. 3. If you discover your stream is nonetheless lagging, it is worth properly opening up the bonnet and tweaking a few of Kodi's cache settings. Cache can be believed of like slack in a rope: the far more slack you have, the much more patchy your stream can be without having Click Through The Following Post causing interruptions.With IPTV, you can get a huge array of channels transmitted to your house Television over your residence phone line making use of an IPTV set-leading box. IPTV is frequently bundled with packages providing broadband, video on demand (VOD) and voice over IP (VoIP). Collectively the bundles are often referred to as Triple Play packages.Legal (official) Providers: Above as an introductory instance, we named Sky UK. In recent years (since 2006) Sky itself has been broadcasting Click through the following post it`s applications more than IPTV also making use of their official app referred to as SkyGo. This enables the business to keep their subscribers happy letting them tune to their favorite plan any where, anytime. Now this is the business who owns the service and consumers must subscribe legitimately for a fixed number of channels, in a single language and mainly circulating the content which issues British people.This is a quite easy addon, which is each a pro and a con based on your perspective. On the plus side, it is easy to use and does exactly what it promises, which is offer working hyperlinks to IPTV channels. On the downside, there is no search tool or any of the other bells and whistles that some Kodi customers like to mess around with. But for us, its simplicity was its huge strength and if it increases the number of channels it has accessible in the two principal sections most users will be hunting for, Matrix could speedily grow to be an important addon for Kodi users.The Matrix Kodi addon is certainly not the finished solution. But it is currently the variety of addon that all IPTV fans ought to be downloading. It is simple to navigate, simple to use and starts streaming with a single click. At the moment, it developers have prioritised good quality over quantity. But as it adds much more links, Matrix promises to be a single of the major IPTV addons for Kodi customers.If you want to find reside Tv channels on Kodi then just install the Cerebro IPTV on Kodi. The advent of the internet, and now increasing levels of bandwidth obtainable to buyers thanks to the spread of fibre-optic cables, are a couple of the causes for an boost in demand for television services delivered through set-leading boxes (IPTV). More than the subsequent 12 months it need to continue to benefit from the improved availability of bandwidth and a continued customer preference for much more interactive entertainment experiences. - Comments: 0 Writing far better, personalized emails is a excellent way to boost your online advertising efforts. When he decided to make please Click the Following website marketing approach a key concentrate of his blog, he knew that sharing the lessons that he discovered when creating his blog and former businesses would attract a lot of readers. It depends on where you have registered your domain, and if you happen to be still researching, it's worth being aware of that not each domain registrar will supply this service - at times not at all, and occasionally for an extra charge. 1&1 delivers this service for cost-free, and so if you register a domain, or even a handful of with 1&1, you'll have access to a free e-mail account below the identical name. For instance, if your domain name is , having a customised e mail address such as myname@ is a fantastic way to show your professionalism and give the impression of a nicely-established, effectively-organised company.Continue testing! Digital services need to have to be continually tested for responsiveness and quality. As you add and adjust content on your internet site, you will require to alter the way your content is shown on mobile devices, and this indicates you will need to have to test these modifications. To keep these search rankings higher, make positive to usually test your changes.Decide on your best consumer. Make a decision who your demographic is, in order to target it with your strategy. Focus the majority of your online advertising spending budget on your perfect demographic. Marketing typically covers communication methods that are paid for like television ads, radio commercials, print media, and web advertisements. In contemporary times, there appears to be a shift in concentrate offline to the on the web planet.When you happen to be nevertheless in the phase of producing cost-free content to develop an audience, never waste your time with SEM. You will run out of income more rapidly than you can spell S-E-M. Should you have any issues relating to where by and also the best way to employ please click the following website, you possibly can e mail us in our own site. If you have not however incorporated them into your on the web marketing approach, verify out the resources below to begin aggregating and monitoring achievement metrics across your diverse advertising and marketing channels.Facebook, meanwhile, has its personal drone plans. In March, Mark Zuckerberg revealed solar-powered drones, satellites and lasers are all being developed in the firm's labs to deliver the web to underdeveloped nations. But what if you never want to weblog? Well, you don't have to. Right here are the diverse types of content material advertising and marketing and how you can use them to fit your own business targets.Marketers are free of charge to speak to men and women below the basis of ‘legitimate interest' in a quantity of scenarios, such as if they have an existing company relationship with the individual in query (not just the company they function for). Even so, the most relevant genuine interest for marketers is that the individual in query has offered their explicit and informed content material.Be consistent and regular in your social media technique and maximise your growth. Great social media strategies can have a profound influence on lead generation and conversions, brand awareness and, of course, greater search engine ranking. Your audience is what matters. Your audience should be in a position to engage with your brand name, your values, and your product, to create a lasting connection and association with your firm.Think about how you will package your item and how the packaging fits in with your brand image You might, for instance, generate packaging utilizing the identical colors and business logo that you use for all of your other products. This consistent use of your brand image will assist clients remember your brand.As an alternative, specialize in one aspect of digital advertising and marketing very first. Go after clientele who are only searching to enhance the conversion rate on a landing page or people who want help with advertising on Facebook. Monitor client comments and feedback for future post, blog-post and white-paper ideas. For instance, you can create a series of weblog posts that answer customers' most pressing concerns as they relate to your solution or service.When it comes to Search engine optimization, you want your content to load quickly. Google prefers web sites that load quick as nicely. 20. Use Neighborhood Keywords and phrases - Contain geo-certain search phrases in your web site, weblog, and even social media copy to drive visits and interest from shoppers in your location.Develop a advertising campaign employing social media outlets such as Facebook or Twitter. BusinessBlogs is the well-known on please click the following website internet Hub for top quality organization articles. We publish distinctive articles and share them with our social followers. For a great instance of blogging content material, appear to Content Advertising Institute They develop troves of valuable, useful content for content material marketers in order to teach, instruct, guide, or inspire. - Comments: 0 Help \| Terms of Service \| Privacy \| Report a bug \| Flag as objectionable Powered by Wikidot.com	27,608
In 1854 ‘Friends of the National Movement’ opened a subscription list and asked the National Board for a land grant to establish a school ‘opposed to labelling children according to the religion beliefs of their parents’. Prime movers, Dr Thomson, Messrs A Fyfe, W Bright, J Noble and J Guthrie saw the foundation stone of Flinders National Grammar School laid by Major General McArthur on 5th December 1856. The first HTs were Gilbert Wilson Brown 1858-59, George Morrison 1859-61, John Fisher 1861-62, Eugene Lennon 1864-68, George Link 1879-94. In 11880 the main building was extended and galleries incorporated in the rooms. Although the school became known as SS260 Flinders, matriculation classes continued until 1894 as both Lennon and Link determined that children of parents on limited incomes should have a chance to gain entrance to the University. Famous ex-students of this era were Samuel Mauger, Professors William and Wilfred Kernot, George Musgrove, Theodore Fink, and Sir Harry Brookes Allen. By the turn of the century the enrolment was 1,000 and Flinders continued in the vanguard of new ventures in State education. Boys attended sloyd classes at the Gordon Institute and girls commenced cookery classes. Teacher training classes were established under W J Bateman and Miss J McKellar. Free night school was authorised in 1910 and in 1922 a needlework centre was established. Among the eleven HTs from 1900-39, William Attwood served for thirteen years. Pupils from this time who have distinguished themselves are James Wilson, Samuel Leon, Robert Camm, B Holden, A V Galbraith, M Molmby. In 1939 Flinders became a Girls School for secondary education with 350 pupils, under HM Ada Knowles. The name was changed to Matthew Flinders Girls School. From 1942-47 Frances Higgins was in charge and, on her appointment as a Secondary Inspector, Elizabeth Cawthorn succeeded her. During this time enrolment rose to 750 and the two imposing new wings were added to celebrate the centenary. In 1950 Matthew Flinders gained the distinction of being the first school to enter pupils for the Girls School Leaving Certificate and the school was renamed Matthew Flinders Girls Secondary School. When in 1958 Miss Mary Lazarus became HM, matriculation classes were reintroduced. Up to her retirement in 1963 she was engaged in the preliminary steps for the conversion of the school into a Girls High School. Dr J S Bowden completed that conversion and the school became Matthew Flinders Girls High School in 1966. Under Mrs Doris Embling, the present Principal, Matthew Flinders is again pioneering new ventures in 1969. The school’s motto, ‘Looking Forward’, has been justified in its fine history. [i] Today, in 2019, it is known as Matthew Flinders Girls Secondary College. The former Flinders National School was erected in 1857 to the design of the celebrated Geelong firm of architects Backhouse and Reynolds. Styled in the then innovative Italianate mode and constructed with a dominant central tower, this cement rendered masonry structure has significant associations with the early development of education in Geelong. The second headmaster, G P Morrison, later established the Geelong College. Matthew Flinders Girls School survives as an important work of Backhouse and Reynolds and one of the finest of the early National Schools in Victoria, although the original building has been concealed by subsequent sympathetic alterations. [ii] [i] Vision and Realisation: a centenary history of state education in Victoria, Volume 2, Education Department of Victoria, 1973, pp 1069-70. Backhouse, Flinders State School, Matthew Flinders Girls Secondary College, Reynolds Previous Post Next Post June 14, 2019 \| Reply Congratulations! Your blog has been included in INTERESTING BLOGS in FRIDAY FOSSICKING at https://thatmomentintime-crissouli.blogspot.com/2019/06/friday-fossicking-14th-june-2019.html Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ Recent Posts Are we allowed to have this much fun? 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This is an opportunity area for you. Please keep in mind, that “what’s on the inside shows up on the outside.” Leadership is about enabling people to rise. Here are some ideas for you: Consider bringing employees together to ask them what’s getting in their way of delivering value. But ask them by stage of your customer journey….or by customer goal. Then…do something about those things…and market your actions back to them to prove your commitment. Look at the way you hire – do you hire the “human behind the resume?” Take a look at my resources page, “Enabling People to Rise” for more help in your journey. And I’m always here to help too. Strengthen your skills! View helpful materials by visiting my downloads page. Do our customers feel understood, appreciated & cared for? This is an opportunity area for you. Earning the trust and respect of your customers is earned first by respecting and honoring them. Here are a few ideas to help you advance: Consider doing a “Trust Audit.” Read all your paperwork and fine print. Is there anything in there that signals to customers that you are trying to protect yourself from them? Anything that gives you the upper hand? Also, consider doing a “Customer Time” review. Are you running your business on company time – your schedule or on customer time – their schedule? There are many resources available for you here, and we will continue to add more. achieve their goals? This is an opportunity area for you. The companies in the marketplace who are earning organic growth, and customer and employee admiration do so because they design their operation and how they work – from the customers’ point of view. Here are a few ideas to help you advance this work inside your organization, and with your leadership: Rethink the work of your business – bring people together and your customers to identify the top 5-8 goals that your customers want to accomplish with you. These can comprise your journey stages…. Or what I call your “business decision blueprint.” Beyond surveys, consider other ways to get to know your customers’ lives and their goals. We are using ethnography and even “anthropology-driven” listening to understand the goals of those we serve. See my blog post where the good folks at St. Jude Children’s hospital show how they do this. Rethink how your leaders ask for accountability. One big and actually fast switch could be changing the traditional CEO report out or leadership report out from silo-based report outs – to conversations by customer goal achievement. Really examine your key performance indicators “KPIs”. Once you know clearly your customer goals, you may be finding that you are measuring the wrong things. There are many resources available for you (link to general resources page and books pages ) here, and we will continue to add more. I’m always here for you, too. Do acts of leadership bravery make us stand out? This is an opportunity for your company. The leaders who are choosing to reverse the trend on business practices that have defined their industries are creating a more balanced relationship between a company and its customers. Through transparency in communication, fearlessness in actions, and in fessing up when things go south, they are deliberately taking the risk to grow in a different manner than business as usual. By honoring the people on the other end of their decisions they are establishing more balanced relationships where both sides win. Both customer and company are better off because they are in each other’s lives. The high road is a choice. And while it’s not always the easiest choice, it’s the one you’ll be happiest about in the rearview mirror. It’s the stuff that earns admiration from customers and employees. Here are a few ideas to help you advance this work inside your organization, and with your leadership: Do a “transparency review.” Do you fearlessly let your customers know about everything relating to the conditions of your relationship with them? Are they ever surprised by add-ons or legal language or terms? Try to identify and remove any “nickel and diming” with customers? “Opportunistic pricing” is using a customer’s immediate need or desire as an opportunity to make money in that moment. To customers it says, ‘they know I have no choice.” For example, Virgin Hotels has banned the crazy mini-bar pricing. Instead they offer guests the mom-approved “street pricing.” You only get charged what it would cost you to run down to the local mini mart or grocery store to buy that candy bar you’ve just got to have. Instead of making you wonder about their motives for making money – they build fans that are raving all over the Internet about this practice that bucks the trend. Ensure your leaders lead with purpose and give people examples to emulate? Actions that align to purpose, more than words, are the hallmarks of leaders who can move mountains and grow it to the top of its category. For example, Southwest CEO Gary Kelly made a commitment that Southwest Airlines would no longer sell more tickets than it had seats. Not even one. There are many resources available for you here, and we will continue to add more. I’m always here for you, too. your “3 blocks long” reveals itself in how you… KNOW how you want to be remembered; BUILD how you want to be remembered into actions; and LIVE how you want to be remembered with your behavior. Memory Creation is the currency of your brand. I hope that my prodding with these questions has given you clarity to define the memories you want to leave about your meaning… and in how you want others to remember you and think of you. If you’d like further support, please contact me. All the very best in your journey, Find Your "Three Blocks Long" How I Help Want to share your results? Click on a social link below or enter in an email to share your results directly. Clarity for how you improve lives, and your leadership behaviors and actions are what will fuse people to you. They will define how you will be remembered…How you earn admiration…and how you grow. In a marketplace that values congruence of heart (what you know is right) and habit (how you act)…the memory of how you help others achieve their goals, and who you are as people becomes the greatest currency of your brand. Let’s find yours.	6,468
It's usually a silly (and potentially offensive) series poking fun at National Stereotypes, but occasionally (if not almost as frequently), Axis Powers Hetalia offers its share of tear jerkers. The Chibitalia chapter ends with the Holy Roman Empire (rumored to be a younger Germany) leaving Chibitalia aka Italy, kissing him and saying that he's "loved Italy since the 900s and will keep loving him no matter how many hundreds of years pass." If you're familiar with European history, you can guess how well that ends. If the HRE=Germany theory is true, they meet again as adults, but of course Germany has forgotten all about it by now. He may have started to recover his memories in the Valentines Special, but it's not clear. Rather small in comparison to the Tear Jerker the entire chapter was more or less built around, but the look on Austria's face when he acknowledges that the Holy Roman Empire has left - especially when compared to his earlier (rather harsh) portrayal. The fact that the until-then always happy Hungary is just standing by his door, looking sadly at him and whispering "... Mr. Austria...", really doesn't help. Also the "Cleaning Out the Storage" chapter, when America remembers how England helped raise him... only to nearly kill the rebellious America during The American Revolution and break down in tears when he can't bring himself to do so. ("You used to be... so big...".) The Drama CD made it even worse. One phrase: "For all you've done for me, England... Thank you." Until then, I was "meh" on Katsuyuki Konishi's voice acting, but that CD drama is what sold me in. The Drama CD most definitely made it worse. After England sinks to the ground, he says "Why did you do this, damn it... I thought we would always be together" The confrontation is also more heartbreaking. YMMV, of course, but this troper found the dubbed version of that scene in the anime heartbreaking as well. Especially England's "There's no way I can shoot you. I can't. ... Why? Damn it, why! It's not fair!" "England and Japanese Folklore" ends on a slightly somber note that bemoans the loss of Japanese traditions. Despite its brevity, Make A British Food was rather sad with America reminiscing about England and his (bad) food. Russia's Start of Darkness. "Hey, Lithuania... We don't want children who can't play nice, right?" Lithuania's dream(s). And Russia's reaction. FULL STOP. "There's a side of Lithuania... I don't know". SEVERE Mood Whiplash there, since that part was Played for Laughs until Lithuania gets into a a bath tub and we see his scar-crossed back.. For this troper, what made that strip so heart breaking is that it was Lithuania. He's one of the most kind and gentle characters in Hetalia. Before that we know he's suffered a lot by the hands of Russia but I couldn't imagine that the abuse was THAT severe given that this is Hetalia we're talking about. Given that the series is a comedy, Lithuania sections all have some aspect of this trope, even when Played for Laughs. Much milder than the other examples here, but Korea's reaction to seeing what his adored older brother China really thinks of him with the super-powered binoculars. "These are broken... so Korea didn't make them..." The manga version of how Switzerland found Liechtenstein and barely rescued her from Dying Alone was pretty sad. The animated rendition made it simply heartbreaking. Having poor little Liech slump against a wall in the rain and lose almost all hope of survival, wondering what would happen to her and how she wished she was a country "just a little bit longer..." * SOB* Oh, yes. I cry every time I watch that scene and that's saying something. What did it for me is the dramatic music that starts playing when she falls down against the wall and closes her eyes... something about it is very powerful. This. I can't watch that scene without getting tears in my eyes. When you add the potential Alternative Character Interpretation brought about by the fact that Liechtenstein was looked after by Austria-Hungary until World War I forced them to abandon her, it only makes it all the more painful to watch. America's face in the last panel here just does is for this troper. It projects how, even though America bugs England constantly, when he sees that England is happier around his, ahem, 'imaginary friends' than America, America's a little heart broken. I thought he was upset because he thought England had suddenly lost his mind? Since no one else can see England's imaginary fairy friends. This Troper cannot possibly be the only one that didn't feel like bawling after hearing China's second character song "Aiyah, 4000 Years". She doesn't even understand Japanese, but the slow and frankly beautiful part close to the end (3:30 in the full version) was enough to bring her to tears. Oh, absolutely YES. That song was just so beautiful and heartbreaking. Some of the character songs don't really help to understand the characters that much, but that one did. (And the China/Japan shippers must have been happy about it...) And if you do understand Japanese, then you know that the lyrics aren't that joyful, either. It's about China and Japan's betrayal. Even though Japan's betrayal was cut out of the anime. "I Love You..." While we're talking about character songs, Germany's "Einsamkeit" always got to this troper, and even more so when she found the translation. Oh God, "Einsamkeit"! Poor Germany is both Not So Stoic and Moe. There's even one line where he says, 'because you are here, I can be myself'. Tell me that's not about his relationship with Italy. Also makes me want to give Germany a great big hug, hearing him be so emotional about his stoic-ness. While this troper is glad to not be the only one who can't understand why "Einsamkeit" falls under Wangst over at the YMMV tab, this version, pitched to sound like Germany and Prussia singing it together, is also tear-worthy, if you think about the years the brothers spent separated after WWII. This troper found this strip about Prussia saddening it tells something different about him. And if you think about it the end of Prussia which is portrayed well in this video, but Hidekaz Himaruya made it better in the strips, as he's alive, but he just lost his status. Did anyone else start feeling bad for Romano and just want to give him a hug while telling him it'll be alright after reading this strip [dead link]? Especially with that face he made as he watches his brother draw? How did we get this far, and past China's character song, and not mention THIS strip?? You know, the one that its about! How can the last half of this, from the moon gazing to the betrayal to the bar scene, not make you tear up? Of course Russia ruined the sad moment, but still!! For this Troper, Belarus. She's madly- blindly- in love with her brother, and, creepy though it is, you just have to feel sorry for her because it's completely unreturned. He has NEVER shown any affection towards her, and, to This Troper, at least, it's completely heartbreaking. This troper feels that way about her too, but for different reasons. She's a popular character to ship for heterosexual pairs in the fandom, but keep this in mind- she's so blindly in love with her brother and so batshit that she'll likely never form a healthy relationship. You know, with someone else who could probably return her feelings. Instead she lets her love for her brother totally consume her and you can just feel her slowly spiraling to a point where there's not much left for her. Even though she's criticized for being a bit of a Flat Character, deconstructing her Yandere tendencies is so easy and it hurts. Adding to this is Lithuania's love for her. He's so unconditionally in love with her, and he could be the person she needs to return her affections tenfold. And yet, she's so obsessed with her brother, she would never give him a chance. So in the end they both suffer, and she doesn't even realize it. To me, this makes my heart break for both. To all of you that have commented about this... Download the Liet/Bela doujinshi "Sayonara Sankaku Mata Kite Shikaku". [dead link] Read it. WEEP. Russia's relationships with his family. He really does care for Belarus as a sister, he just gets scared whenever she starts being yandere at him and tries to get him to marry her. This troper nearly started crying at the transition from Chibitalia's to HRE's "Marukaite Chikyuu" in the "Marukaite Chikyuu Nonstop-Version", since HRE's part starts with him saying "I love you". I'm not sure if everyone is with me on this, but This Troper was moved to tears by "Makka Na Ito", a song detailing the separation of Holy Roman Empire and Chibitalia. It's especially heartbreaking when it talks about how they will always love each other no matter what because their hearts are connected with a red thread, even when the song talks about said connection being broken because of the war and HRE's supposed death. I think I need a minute... Even though France is a lech, a liar and an all around bastard at times, he has his moment to be pitied. At the end of the first volume, there is a sketch of a much younger France with a girl with short hair and wearing armor. And she tells him, "I'm fighting for you, you know!" Yeah, she's Joan of Arc. We know how that ended. To think of France, hedonistic and arrogant, startled and then drawn to this one girl, only to lose her- it makes you feel for him at least a little, right? That's not counting the French Revolution, the Terror...on second thought, those pretty much explain (along with Jeanne's death) why France became the way he is. It's somehow worse when you realise that England was the one who killed her. Yeah, it's not like they hate each other for no reason. Actually, Joan/Jeanne was executed by the French. Yeah. This troper's headcanon is that France's bosses spread the lie that it was England so that France wouldn't be torn apart by guilt - he genuinely doesn't know that he killed her. Then again, if this was why France hates England... OH GOD. Oh god. Oh, god... pauvre, pauvre France... Indeed, she was. Confirmed by France himself in this comic from Volume 4. Can also double as a Crowning Moment of Heartwarming. For that matter, England himself hasn't gotten it easy either. In Europe, he's ruthlessly picked on by his brothers and has little to no friends. Then he finds America and is genuinely happy for once. Only for The American Revolution to happen and break his heart. When you think about it, the reason England has a crush on America is probably because America was really the first person to show him any sort of affection. Then America got angry over England's parenting style (and while it wasn't the best, it's pretty plain that England did the best he could) and had a war with him. Not to mention that nowadays America shoots England down hard whenever he momentarily cools down and tries to be friendly. Let's not completely demonize America, though. The beginning of "Cleaning Up the Storage" and his words in the flashback when England breaks down shows that, even if he doesn't show it, he does love and care for England in his own way, and he's kept every single memento of their relationship (whatever you want to call it). The toy soldiers England made him, the suit he brought him, the weapons they pointed at each other... and at the last one, America himself (who had acted rather normal, if a little sentimental) almost cries. Both sides have suffered, and War Is Hell. This troper is new to the series, so he doesn't know how official this is, but a lot of fan art has portrayed Hong Kong and Taiwan in a way that is varies from utterly adorable to downright moving.This image showcases China turning Hong Kong over to England, and has all the emotional turmoil of someone forced into separation from his family. And then Taiwan just... just read it for yourself. Doubles as a Crowning Moment of Heartwarming. Another fandom example: this video. The video itself and the comments have brought quite a few people to tears. This troper cannot stand the strip where Russia is asking for advice from France's radio show given Russia's enormous desire of making friends. Specially when every time the subject is wring up he mentions that his bosses advice him to use force and his constant failures at it (specially with the Italy Brothers) are just heartbreaking. Even thought the movie was mostly hilarious, this troper teared up many times. Especially on the part where each country is shown beholding their ruined monuments. America staring at Lady Liberty, England with Big Ben, France with l'Arc de Triomphe.) It's possibly made even worse by the fact that for once Russia isn't smiling! Oh, the movie can get downright painful. How about the very end, where the countries, save Italy, are finally overwhelmed by the Pict and in the process of transforming into Pict themselves. With the last of his strength, Germany tells a horrified Italy to "smile." Sniff. The look on England's face when Sealand is overtaken and his bewildered sounding reaction: "But... I told him not to go" is another moment. Made worse by the fact that until then he had been acting in his typical brusque manner with his brother. The moments after the characters crash into the ocean after falling from the mothership always gets to this troper. It looks like Germany was the only one to survive, and it shows him staggering across the island, obviously injured and barely conscious, trying to stoic his way through. "I will not… ask for water!… ach, I wish I had a beer to wet my throat… I will not ask for food! …if only… I had some… wurst…" collapses To this troper, it does make it worse upon remembering that they are personifications of countries as well. Showing this shows how the countries are dying or being assimilated because they didn't worked together until the end. Though it's still unfinished, Austria and Hungary's relationship is bound to become this, especially once history is considered. Their "falling out" in 1848 to be followed by a reconciliation that leads to them finally getting officially married (1867 Compromise)...only for World War I to end it. The whole Valentines day Issue. Germany being happy for once and actually proposing to Italy. With a custom 'tomato'shaped ring no less Since Italy is such a ditz he doesn't really understand what's going on. Germany also stays up all night reading relationship books for advice. Seeing such a stoic trying to understand all his conflicting emotions, sniff. That issue is just full of Germany being a woobie. It looks as if whenever a strip is about France and his relationship with his citizens is a mix of this and Heartwarming Moments: Young Soldier: I showed you an album as you were younger, right? The picture is small but it's without a doubt the same face as fifty years before. Isn't it cruel, how short the life we humans lead really is. Being forever young, for him it surely feels like living in eternity. We who are trying so hard to live look stupid compared to that. If I only could have stayed young forever, wouldn't it be wonderful. Don't you think... Girl: Are you sure you want that? It means to go on with your life and spend time with a different tempo than everybody else Even though we would laugh together, even though we would lead the same life. Had children that would grow up. Even when my hand would grow all wrinkled and I wouldn't respond to your voice. Even when I would die. And after I wouldn't be here anymore, you would watch over so many people. Something like that, a normal human being would never withstand. No matter how many people you would fall in love with, they would always leave you behind. And like that, you would be always alone. If you would have to bare such fate, it would be so cruel, I couldn't stand it! To live forever isn't such a good thing after all. Young Soldier: You're right! Without this plain mortal body, I wouldn't be able to pursue my dream! To grow old together. Until our hands will be full of wrinkles. Read that strip. Then read this. Cry harder. There's nothing overtly sad about "Ren Ren Renaissance"; it's just a bouncy, syrupy sweet duet between Grandpa Rome and Chibitalia about how much they love each other. And then you remember what happened to Rome... This version of "Einsamkeit" is fanmade, but HEARTBREAKING. Even worse, I watched this after reading the newest chapter of Seven Little Killers, when Germany died, or was SEVERLY injured. Pages with Broken Links Cookies help us deliver our services. By using our services, you agree to our use of cookies. OK This page was last edited on 14 May 2021, at 23:55.	17,201
Log in Register What's new Search By: New posts Log in Register Forums JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Thread starter businesslawyer Not open for further replies. Next 1 of 2 Go to page Next Last B businesslawyer Joined Aug 24, 2011 Dec 18, 2011 #1 O.K. Last year, in 2010, we finished 8-4 in the regular season with a Fiesta Bowl loss to Oklahoma, tied for the Big East crown at 5-2 in conference, and finished the year with a Sagarin rating of 56 (not as high as we'd been in other years). I predicted 8-4 for 2011. My prediction was based on a better D and better special teams play with most key pieces returning, an easier schedule and one extra home game, balanced out on the negative side by almost total turnover at the offensive skill positions. I did hedge my prediction by saying I wasn't adjusting my pick for the coaching changes because I had no way of predicting how that would effect us, although it was certainly possible that it would effect us. In fact, we went 5-7, 3-4 in conference, and had our Sagarin rating slip to 78. So what happened to cause us to endure our first losing season since '06? I will look at changes in offense, defense and special teams, and then conclude with some less statistical factors. Before doing so, however, I want to make one key point. The first is that our schedule did not turn out to be easier in '11 than in '10, because our three losable OOC games, Vandy, ISU and WMU, were all against teams that had very strong for them showings in the Sagarins this year (39, 29 and 77, respectively). Thus, our Sagarin SOS in '11 was 64, actually (immaterially) higher than our 65 in '10. Also, we "lost" this season in September. The 3-4 conference showing was not inconsistent with where I thought this team would be. It was the OOC showing that was. Let's start with special teams. We returned the great Dave Teggart, and he went 22 for 28 on FGs, compared to 25 for 31 last year. So while his overall performance remained very strong given the lengths of many of his makes, his overall percentage went down and, unlike 2010 where his leg won us a game in Tampa, this year he did not (had he been perfect against ISU, where he made two 50 plus FGs but missed two in the 40s, we might have been bowling this year). We returned both Chad Christen for kickoffs and Cole Wagner for Punts, both of whom were clearly getting better as last year went on. This year, Christen did get better. His average went from 64.9 to 65.7, but and touchbacks went up from 9 to 14. I think you saw his leg get stronger, but he struggled a little the first half of the year trying, at the staff's direction, to focus more on the side of the field he was kicking to. I expect more improvement next year. Punting, Cole Wagner's average went down from 41.3 to 41.1, but ratio of punts inside the 20 to touchbacks went from 25 to 9 to 21 to 5. I think, like Christen, he struggled a little early focusing more on direction, but should be better for it in 2012. On kick coverage, punt coverge got materially better this year, giving up only 6.5 a return as opposed to 11.0, but kickoff coverage was worse at 24.2 as opposed to 22.5. The biggest disappointment on specials, of course, was our return game. We went from 8.2 yards per punt return to 5.7, despite the shuffled returners in '10 compared to Nick Williams all year in '11, and on kickoffs we went from 27.0 and 3 TDs to 24.2 and no TDs (although we were seeing substantial improvement here as the year went on). So, while it is hard to summarize a collection of different units, my takeaway is I expected the way that specials finished the year in 2010, combined with returning personnel, for this to be even more of a strength in 2011 than it was in 2010. In fact, it wasn't. Special teams was probably close to neutral this year, and we only got to neutral because FG kickers against us this year was only 9-18. It should also be mentioned that the only two times we had winning records in the Big East, we needed to outplay our opponents on special teams substantially to do so. What about offense? Coming into the season, everyone was rightfully worried about the loss of everyone at the skill positions, but on the other hand we thought we were fine on the OL and there was some of a "how much worse can the passing game be" attitude. I thought the O might be down from 2010, but not by a huge amount and not by an amount that would stop us from beating mediocre teams at home. What was reality? There has been a lot of discussion about whether our QB play was better, worse, or the same than last year. Our QB efficiency rating went up from 103.7 to 113.2. That is a material gain. Passing yardage went up by 43 yards per game, 2.4 yards per catch and 1.0 yards per pass, and TDs passing went up from 10 to 14 while interceptions were flat at 9. So, once the ball left the QBs hand, we were clearly better in '11 than in '10, and JM clearly produced more than ZF did (and this was all produced with a less threatening running game). You do, however, have to balance that with the negative, which was sacks allowed which, remarkably, went from 15 to 41. Did this reflect worse play on the OL? A QB who, while he threw better, couldn't get rid of the ball quickly enough? An OL struggling with schemes? A staff being more aggressive and putting us in more positions where the D could tee off? Yes, probably, to all of them contributing. But that change in sacks allowed may be the single biggest key to our disappointing season. On the rushing side, we knew we wouldn't be as good without Todman and we weren't. Rushing yardage went down a remarkable 56 yards a game, and 1.4 yards a rush from 4.5 to 3.1 (although that number was greatly influenced by the number of sacks allowed). Total yardage went down from 326 a game to 313, and yards per play went down from 4.6 to 4.0. We had two less first downs in 2011 and 2.4 less points per game. And we were slightly more effective in the redzone (88% to 89% in scoring and 49% to 53% in TD scoring). So the bottom line on offense is that while it was a mixed bag, it went down a little. We saw some life in the passing game, which may give hope for the future, but those gains were unfortunately more than offset by the loss of productivity in the running game and the incredible number of sacks allowed. It was much more surprisingat least to me, how this year went on defense. We gave up 29 fewer first downs, but 2.3 more points per game. The rushing defense was great, where yardage per game went down from 143 to 86 and yardage per carry 3.9 to 2.7. Those are remarkable gains. Were they caused by sacks? I don't think so. Sacks went up from 27 to 35, which is material but not overwhelming enough to cause these statistical changes. More likely, the running D was this great because the front 7 played the run aggressively every down at the expense of playing the pass. Look at the passing stats. Yards per game allowed went up from 223 to 281, yards per catch from 11.1 to 13.6 and yards per pass from 6.5 to 7.9. We were awful in pass defense this year, period. Total yardage per play went up .2 per snap and per game was flat. Turnovers forced was flat at 31 (although that is a slightly higher number per game this year). My second key stat of the season -- other than sacks allowed -- is TD allowed in the redzone, which went up from 46% to 59%. All we had to do to do better than 2-4 in games decided by 8 points or less was sometimes hold our opponent to a damn FG. Bottom line on D -- we were more aggressive, but it didn't make us better. It made us a sieve on pass defense. A few more statistical comparisons before I try to giftwrap what happened for the holidays. In 2010 we had 27 fewer penalty yards per game than our opponents. That went down to a 5 yard advantage this year. We were plus 12 on turnovers last year. That went down to plus 8 this year, still good obviously. We were outgained by 41 ypg last year and 53 this year, but last year outscored our opponents by 57 points and this year were outscored by 1. And it all adds up from going 8-5 to going 5-7. I do think a summary of what happened flows fairly easily from looking hard at the statistics. While we played smashmouth football prior to this year, we played conservative, and at times passive, football. We did what we could do and we sat back and let the other team make the mistakes trying to make plays. And then we took advantage of it. Coach P is clearly moving us towards a more aggressive style of football, both offensively and defensively, and we were the worse for it in terms of wins and losses, I do think 7-5, playing our old way, was likely this year. But that does not mean P can't make us better, over a few years, switching to more aggressive schemes and attitudes. It also does not mean, TDH notwithstanding, that it will make us better. Will we improve at these schemes as they become more familiar? Yes, probably. P has never been an incompetent teacher as coach and I see no reason to think we won't see improvement executing his schemes. Are the schemes, when executed better, going to be better than the schemes Edsall executed? More importantly, will those schemes work for the players who the staff implementing them can bring to UConn? The answer is we will see. Nothing done this year proves we can or we can't. We hired this head coach, and we are going to have to see if, over a few years, the shift to aggressiveness on both sides of the ball will be a better way for this program to go. And that is my bottom line on the staff as well. Was waiting until late September to pick a QB, in hindsight, a mistake? Probably. Was I angry that we didn't sit on the lead against Vandy? You bet. Did it make sense that there was no adjustment that could be made against WMU? Nope. Did I think the coaches handled the last two minutes of halves well. LMAO. But, while those kind of things probably kept us from being 7-5 this year, they are not important in the big scheme of things. Yes, we could have won more games with fewer changes being made immediately, but we could have won less if P did what our former coach did at Maryland and insisted on tearing everything down and having it be rebuilt from ground zero his way. P and his staff tried to find a balance, and if they didn't get it perfectly correct in year 1, especially in the start of the year when our die was cast, so be it. My bigger long term worry about this staff remains can they recruit, playing the rating services game, at a much higher level than where we've been. Will the class of 2012 be an improvement, to some degree? Yes. And can you fairly judge a staff's recruiting with a class who had started to be recruited before P got here? No. But I said this when P was hired and I will repeat it now -- he may win here, but he will not win here using the same strategy Randy Edsall used. He will not win here finishing seventh or eight every year in the recruiting rankings, and doing better than that by keeping things simple and doing remarkably well finding very talented football players that no one else wants. Ultimately, the success of P making this team more aggressive on both sides of the ball, and taking this team to a different level, will depend on him moving this program to another level in the recruiting rankings. Not an SEC level, because northeast kids will continue to be undervalued. But at least into the top half of our conference. To me, the jury is out on whether we can get there. But here is hoping we can. Between new year and recruiting day, I will try to summarize our roster position by position to give us something to talk about. Happy holidays everyone. And to TDH -- may your stocking be stuffed with happy dreams of 400 plus passing yardage games. Joined Aug 27, 2011 Dec 18, 2011 Great job as usual Biz and Happy Holidays to you and everyone on board. I'll just say this. Under RE I never had the feeling that we could make a huge improvement gain. We always played the bend don't break Def and had an offense which relied way too much on the run. Despite our record we clearly had a better balance, more open receivers, and a team that was much harder to prepare for. You encapsulated it very clearly below. Coach P is clearly moving us towards a more aggressive style of football, both offensively and defensively, and we were the worse for it in terms of wins and losses, I do think 7-5, playing our old way, was likely this year. But that does not mean P can't make us better, over a few years, switching to more aggressive schemes and attitudes. It also does not mean, TDH notwithstanding, that it will make us better. Will we improve at these schemes as they become more familiar Head Happy Hour Coach Joined Aug 27, 2011 44,409 Dec 18, 2011 I agree with almost everything you said. I do think that the inability to manage the clock is something that needs to be rectified, because that is something that will cost you a game a year if you do it as poorly as this staff did in 2011. I'm not sold on the staff, but there is no option then to hope they prove my doubts wrong. B businesslawyer Joined Aug 24, 2011 Dec 18, 2011 #4 whaler11 said: I agree with almost everything you said. I do think that the inability to manage the clock is something that needs to be rectified, because that is something that will cost you a game a year if you do it as poorly as this staff did in 2011. I'm not sold on the staff, but there is no option then to hope they prove my doubts wrong. To be clear, yes, it does need to be rectified. My point was that the staff not doing it well, in their first year, was not something that tells me we will have a problem with it going foward. If we mishandle it as badly in year 2, I will think differently. noeynox Joined Aug 26, 2011 Dec 18, 2011 #5 whaler11 said: I agree with almost everything you said. I do think that the inability to manage the clock is something that needs to be rectified, because that is something that will cost you a game a year if you do it as poorly as this staff did in 2011. I'm not sold on the staff, but there is no option then to hope they prove my doubts wrong. I sometimes wonder it the clock issue didn't have at least some to do, with how poorly the QBs managed the play clock. Too many times this year we burned a time out because the playclock ran down on us. I hope this staff can get us to the "next level" which will be incredibly difficult regardless of who the coach/staff is. BTW, props to BL and anyone else who has the patience to decipher stats/numbers like that. Your stupidity is ruining my country. Joined Aug 26, 2011 Dec 18, 2011 That is a better analysis than you'd find in most media outlets. You covered the secondary problems, but I'd be curious to see the number of 20+ yd plays allowed. The defense was routinely beaten on for long gains with many coming on 3rd down. I was not surprised that the QB play wasn't as statistically bad as it looked to the eyeball, but am shocked that it might have been a whole lot better if not for the number of wide open receivers that were missed. Bottom line for me is still that this team was better than 5-7 and those three OOC losses were given away. I am not certain the 2012 squad will have more talent. Hopefully, the experience gained will help. M Joined Aug 30, 2011 Dec 18, 2011 Excellent write up. The change in sacks over the two seasons is probably the biggest factor in our failure on offense this year. Zach was outstanding and very underappreciated at sensing pressure and getting rid of the ball when he needed to and Johnny was not so good at it. On defense the redzone failure rate really does stand out. Great job of pinpointing the two most glaring weaknesses of this years team, sacks allowed and redzone defense. If we were just average at those two things we would probably have three more wins Joined Aug 24, 2011 Dec 18, 2011 Excellent write up and analysis. You capture the major weakness on offense and defense that made the difference in wins vs. losses. And your statement about philosophy change from RE to PP regarding a more aggressive vs. conservative play is spot on. I would say the next two years are important, but there is too much impatience for that. I must be a lot younger than most people in that I don't mind waiting. THE GUY who made JJ some guy. Head Happy Hour Coach Joined Aug 27, 2011 44,409 Dec 18, 2011 It's probably too much work, but I think everyone thought Edsall's defenses gave up a lot of conversions on third and longs. This season felt like an never ending string of third and long conversions. Head Happy Hour Coach Joined Aug 27, 2011 44,409 Dec 18, 2011 businesslawyer said: To be clear, yes, it does need to be rectified. My point was that the staff not doing it well, in their first year, was not something that tells me we will have a problem with it going foward. If we mishandle it as badly in year 2, I will think differently. Understood, but it's not something that can be excused away like some of the other issues. Irish Loop Joined Aug 26, 2011 Dec 18, 2011 Another wonderful write-up. Can't believe I'm gonna have to wait until August to read the preview for 2012. Alas. Overall, I get the same feeling. We tried to change schemes and it cost us, but there's no information here which tells us if we can't succeed using new schemes going forward. And we certainly couldn't keep using former Coach's schemes. The past is the past, no sense in worrying about it now. I especially appreciate all of the statistical analysis. What are you using to compile states? ESPN.com? Or some other site? Thanks again for all of your contributions to the board. Boneyard wouldn't be the same without ya. Joined Aug 24, 2011 Dec 18, 2011 B businesslawyer Joined Aug 24, 2011 Dec 18, 2011 Irish Loop said: Another wonderful write-up. Can't believe I'm gonna have to wait until August to read the preview for 2012. Alas. Overall, I get the same feeling. We tried to change schemes and it cost us, but there's no information here which tells us if we can't succeed using new schemes going forward. And we certainly couldn't keep using former Coach's schemes. The past is the past, no sense in worrying about it now. I especially appreciate all of the statistical analysis. What are you using to compile states? ESPN.com? Or some other site? Thanks again for all of your contributions to the board. Boneyard wouldn't be the same without ya. Stats are all available on uconnhuskies.com. The statistics used all came from there. Joined Aug 27, 2011 Dec 18, 2011 #14 Irish Loop said: Thanks again for all of your contributions to the board. Boneyard wouldn't be the same without ya. Great analysis on the sacks allowed and red zone defense. While part of me wants to say we should have been better, part of me thinks we probably were the 5-7 team our record indicated. Aside from a few flashes throughout the season, this team never really passed the eye-test that would have led me to believe we should have been 7-5. Joined Nov 8, 2011 Dec 18, 2011 whaler11 said: It's probably too much work, but I think everyone thought Edsall's defenses gave up a lot of conversions on third and longs. This season felt like an never ending string of third and long conversions. Seriously! Do u remember the West V game? How many 3rd and.... (Well, u fill in the blank) did they torch us on!!!??? I swear to god I almost had an anurism during that game. T TouchdownHusky Joined Sep 3, 2011 Dec 19, 2011 #16 Over Biz, a terrific post. Lot's that most of us would agree with. Can't fault your effort or thoroughness. That's not to say I agree with everything posted. Cases in point. 1. QB play was poor. No getting around it. One reason for the "better stats" was the fact UConn had to play from behind a lot - and therefore throw the ball more. It's why they need to pass more when they are ahead. Can't expect to do something well when things get urgent if you avoid it when you can work at establishing it as a strong part of the overall offensive scheme. Also there were a couple of games Cincy? West Virginia? where the offense (and passing stats) were padded with some "big plays" but only after the game was well out of hand. While these games were close, the offense both running and throwing was in absentia. So analyze away with the stats, the QB play flunked the "eyeball test" 2. The season was a disappointment because UConn really didn't beat "anybody". Come on: Fordham (1-AA), Buffalo (big deal), Syracuse (Huskies beat them everyyear), South Florida (a nice win at the time, but they sucked) and Rutgers (a nice win for rivalry purposes, but they dug a big hole for themselves with turnovers deep in their territory and gave the UConn offense two early Christmas presents). That's it, no real "big wins", the kind we saw in '09 & '10. 3. There was also an "element of good fortune" in the past two seasons that just didn't seem to be there this season. Randy's fourth down gamble against Pitt with Todman was an example of a play that changed the course of the season. Likewise, with West Virginia putting the ball on the carpet 7 times (losing four fumbles including one in OT) UConn had that game gift wrapped. Overall though a nice evaluation and most of it observations I can agree with. J Joined Aug 27, 2011 Dec 19, 2011 #17 TouchdownHusky said: Over Biz, a terrific post. Lot's that most of us would agree with. Can't fault your effort or thoroughness. That's not to say I agree with everything posted. Cases in point. 1. QB play was poor. No getting around it. One reason for the "better stats" was the fact UConn had to play from behind a lot - and therefore throw the ball more. It's why they need to pass more when they are ahead. Can't expect to do something well when things get urgent if you avoid it when you can work at establishing it as a strong part of the overall offensive scheme. Also there were a couple of games Cincy? West Virginia? where the offense (and passing stats) were padded with some "big plays" but only after the game was well out of hand. While these games were close, the offense both running and throwing was in absentia. So analyze away with the stats, the QB play flunked the "eyeball test" 2. The season was a disappointment because UConn really didn't beat "anybody". Come on: Fordham (1-AA), Buffalo (big deal), Syracuse (Huskies beat them everyyear), South Florida (a nice win at the time, but they sucked) and Rutgers (a nice win for rivalry purposes, but they dug a big hole for themselves with turnovers deep in their territory and gave the UConn offense two early Christmas presents). That's it, no real "big wins", the kind we saw in '09 & '10. 3. There was also an "element of good fortune" in the past two seasons that just didn't seem to be there this season. Randy's fourth down gamble against Pitt with Todman was an example of a play that changed the course of the season. Likewise, with West Virginia putting the ball on the carpet 7 times (losing four fumbles including one in OT) UConn had that game gift wrapped. Overall though a nice evaluation and most of it observations I can agree with. I whole heartedly agree with you on point #1. This is one of those examples where stats can be manipulated to prove just about anything you want to prove. The QB play was poor this year. The only other year that was poorer in my opinion was 06. I really believe that Mac had his mind made up who he was throwing to when they broke the huddle. And if that guy wasn't open, he went into the fetal position to prepare for the imaginary rush. Just wasn't adequate for this level of football. In fairness to BL, I'm not sure he stated that the QB play was better this year. Only that it was statistically. Lies, damn lies, and statistics. In honor of the head rat noeynox Joined Aug 26, 2011 Dec 19, 2011 #18 TouchdownHusky said: Over Biz, a terrific post. Lot's that most of us would agree with. Can't fault your effort or thoroughness. That's not to say I agree with everything posted. Cases in point. 1. QB play was poor. No getting around it. One reason for the "better stats" was the fact UConn had to play from behind a lot - and therefore throw the ball more. It's why they need to pass more when they are ahead. Can't expect to do something well when things get urgent if you avoid it when you can work at establishing it as a strong part of the overall offensive scheme. Also there were a couple of games Cincy? West Virginia? where the offense (and passing stats) were padded with some "big plays" but only after the game was well out of hand. While these games were close, the offense both running and throwing was in absentia. So analyze away with the stats, the QB play flunked the "eyeball test" I agree with this point as well. The only thing I'll say in defense of Mac is, when everything in a play went right, meaning the pass protection was excellent, and his first read was open, he showed ability to execute a more accurate pass than we're accustomed to seeing at UConn. I realize that may not be saying much, but I thought he was better than we've had. If we were the running threat we were in previous years I think JMac would have had better numbers. He simply doesn't have the physical gifts to carry a ball club. B businesslawyer Joined Aug 24, 2011 Dec 19, 2011 I whole heartedly agree with you on point #1. This is one of those examples where stats can be manipulated to prove just about anything you want to prove. The QB play was poor this year. The only other year that was poorer in my opinion was 06. I really believe that Mac had his mind made up who he was throwing to when they broke the huddle. And if that guy wasn't open, he went into the fetal position to prepare for the imaginary rush. Just wasn't adequate for this level of football. In fairness to BL, I'm not sure he stated that the QB play was better this year. Only that it was statistically. Lies, damn lies, and statistics. QB play this year was neither good nor good enough. I do believe, however, that the numbers do show that, if you ignore the sacks (which you can't) and focus on from the moment the ball left the QBs hands, JM was somewhat more effective than Zach was and the passing attack this year was better than the passing attack last year. Having said that, it is an incredibly low standard to surpass and not enough to get us to where we want or need to be. J Joined Aug 27, 2011 Dec 19, 2011 businesslawyer said: QB play this year was neither good nor good enough. I do believe, however, that the numbers do show that, if you ignore the sacks (which you can't) and focus on from the moment the ball left the QBs hands, JM was somewhat more effective than Zach was and the passing attack this year was better than the passing attack last year. Having said that, it is an incredibly low standard to surpass and not enough to get us to where we want or need to be. I hear what you're saying. But I'll take Zach Frazer and his inferior productivity over what we had this year. At least Zach was able to read through progressions and occasionally throw the ball away. This offense also produced many more wide open receivers who never saw the ball thrown their way. In this offense, I think Frazer would've done really well. In honor of the head rat Head Happy Hour Coach Joined Aug 27, 2011 44,409 Dec 19, 2011 The amazing this is both Frazer and McEntee have the innate ability to throw balls that defensive players drop. They both could have thrown another half dozen picks very easily (and probably more for JMc). Joined Dec 19, 2011 whaler11 said: The amazing this is both Frazer and McEntee have the innate ability to throw balls that defensive players drop. They both could have thrown another half dozen picks very easily (and probably more for JMc). Crazy, right? McEntee was extremely fortuntate this season. Joined Aug 25, 2011 Dec 19, 2011 This might sound a little unusual but I think a lot of people tend to discount how bad the average college defensive player is a catching the ball. Yeah in the NFL if it hits your hands it should be an interception, but there are countless would be pick 6's that get dropped week in and week out in college, even for top 25 programs. It's taken me a few years of watching a lot of college football to realize that. That's not to say that our QB's haven't been more fortunate than others, but it is something to consider. Joined Aug 26, 2011 Dec 19, 2011 whaler11 said: It's probably too much work, but I think everyone thought Edsall's defenses gave up a lot of conversions on third and longs. This season felt like an never ending string of third and long conversions. It happened ALOT under Edsall, but it felt like it happened more this season. "Bullies don't want to fight you. They don't want to fight at all. They simply want to beat you up." "You are What you do When it counts" Joined Aug 28, 2011 24,322 Dec 19, 2011 Another terrific effort by BizLaw. So the offense was about the same, the defense was a bit worse as were the special teams. That's a fair assessment. My beef this year is with the head coach. And it boils down to a few criticisms that I have not been shy about. 1. Declaring the QB race finished when only one QB was given a fair chance. What makes that worse is that P. broke his word. He said the race would be decided by production and then during the Vandy game he decided "continuity and flow" were more important. Soon after he handed the ball to Mac - who hadn't earned it with production- and doomed the season. 2. Get the ball to Nick Williams. Nick had one tough game where he dropped consecutive slants, however, he was the only Husky capable of turning a five yard pass into a touchdown. He won Buffalo game, almost won the WMU game, his ST plays were huge in the RU game and made a sensation catch against Cinny. Although Nick averaged over 20 yard-per-catch, he only caught 11 balls and in five games caught none at all. According to quotes. Deleone only apparently noticed that Nick should be part of the game plan after 10 games. YIKES! 3. The team seemed often to have trouble getting the correct personnel grouping onto the field. Once on the field we were hit with numerous illegal formations. What's worse is this continued throughout the season. Perhaps it was excusable against Vandy but it's a coach's responsibility to make sure the proper personnel are on the filed and lined up correctly. Yes, it is the coach's fault. In short, this team had the talent to go 5-0 OOC and Cinny, L'vlle were winnable games. The players lost L'ville pretty much by themselves. But I expected much more from P. From now on, he gets judged on his actions not his words, so far, not so good. 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Remember how a few weeks ago the State Department, almost five months late, finally produced the assessment on Bahrain that Congress had mandated last year? Well Congress is also waiting for another from the Department of Defense. So far this is four months overdue. Congress has requested an analysis of how the current security situation in Bahrain affects the safety of U.S. personnel in the kingdom, and for the Pentagon to suggest alternative locations should they have to move. Page 759 of the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Committee Print directs “the Secretary of Defense to provide a report to the Armed Services Committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate, not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act, on threats posed to Department of Defense personnel and operations associated with United States military installations in Bahrain. The report should, at a minimum, include an assessment of the current security situation in Bahrain, the safety and security of Department of Defense personnel and dependents, and appropriate measures to mitigate the threat to U.S. operations and personnel including potential alternative facilities should U.S. personnel require temporary relocation.” President Obama signed the act into law on November 25, 2015, making March 25, 2016 the deadline. Since March, the issue has become even more urgent as the security situation in Bahrain has sharply declined. On Sunday the main opposition group Al Wefaq was dissolved. Leading human rights defender Nabeel Rajab is currently on trial, hauled before a court for tweeting criticism of the repressive government. Leading Shia cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim has had his citizenship stripped and leading members of civil society are prevented from leaving the country. These developments have led a series of expert analysts to predict a worsening security situation. On June 16, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) warned that the latest escalation “could contribute to further unrest and violence.” The Pentagon should immediately send a clear-eyed, detailed assessment of the security situation and its implications for the estimated 8,200 U.S. personnel to the Armed Services Committees of the House and Senate. The State Department disappointingly failed to produce the security assessment Congress had asked for in the report it delivered in June. But the Defense Department shouldn’t shirk its responsibilities as the stakes and danger intensify for the safety of those based in the country. Congress needs an analysis it can use to determine a new course for Washington-Bahrain relations. The Obama Administration policy of muted public criticism of the ruling family’s repression, while arming Bahrain’s military, is clearly not encouraging the kingdom towards reform. A bipartisan group of senators has urged a rethink on policy towards Bahrain; legislation in both houses proposes ending the sale of small arms to Bahrain until real reform has been implemented. The time has come for these and other consequences. A further splintering of society, the continued rise of sectarianism, and the choking of all opposition and civil society voices by the Bahraini government pose a risk to the U.S. Fifth Fleet, its service personnel and their dependents. The cold, meticulous dissection of this crisis and its implication for U.S. personnel that the Pentagon owes Congress is already 115 days overdue. Published on July 19, 2016 Urge Congress to pass the Afghan Adjustment Act Email Address Please leave this field empty. Human Rights First is a nonpartisan, 501(c)(3). We do not favor or oppose any candidate for public office.	3,865
Hey there! My name is Brie Jamieson. I've been a lifestyle + mom blogger since 2014. I'm Kris' wife. I'm Jordyn and Riley's Mom. And I'm Apollo and Chronos' fur-mama. We're a military family currently living in the burbs of Shreveport, LA. I'm a simple lady who loves God, family, food, and travel. If you'd like to learn more about me head on over to the "my story" page. But more importantly: Welcome to Jamieson Diaries! Enter your email address to stay in the loop! Email Address Archives Select Month September 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 October 2018 September 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014	1,527
Reese Orthodontics is excited to serve our patients. Our ultimate goal is to craft you a perfect smile that you are proud to show off. After your first examination and completion of X-rays, we will be happy to discuss all of your options. We are proud to offer several different treatment options for straighter teeth and a beautiful smile. We understand the importance of showing you all of our options and discussing them thoroughly with you. We want you to find the best treatment option for you, no matter what you choose. We are proud to offer the following services to achieve the smile of your dreams: Early Treatment Reese Orthodontics is proud to offer Invisalign®. Invisalign® is a wonderful, modern alternative treatment to braces. You can straighten your teeth without installing metal in your mouth. Instead, we use plastic trays (also known as aligners) to move your teeth back into place. Each aligner is custom made to fit your mouth so you don’t have to worry about mouth irritation or anything else that traditional braces can cause. Since the aligners are removable, they are easier to keep clean. You can also continue to brush and floss your teeth without trying to avoid harming your braces. Invisalign® is also popular because the aligners are clear, so most people don’t even know you are wearing anything unless you tell them. If you have considered straightening your teeth but don’t want to bother with braces, don’t hesitate to contact us today at (763) 544-8745. request an appointment Here at Reese Orthodontics, we are proud to offer Invisalign Teen®. Many teenagers are affected by malocclusions that need to be corrected. However, the thought of going through high school with braces may be your teen’s worst nightmare. Luckily, Invisalign Teen® can be very helpful. Your teenager can get the smile that he or she deserves without bulky wires and brackets. Invisalign Teen® uses clear aligners, so nobody will even know they are wearing them. As long as your teenager wears them for at least twenty-two hours a day, they will get proper treatment without the embarrassment of wires and braces. Even better, your teenager will be able to remove the aligners when it is time to eat, allowing them unlimited food choices. There are no restrictions that usually come with braces, like avoiding corn on the cob. Once they are finished eating, however, it is essential to brush their teeth AND the aligners to ensure fresh breath and a healthy mouth. read more request an appointment Here at Reese Orthodontics, we are proud to offer clear braces for our patients. Most teens and adults are reluctant to get the orthodontic care they need due to the appearance of orthodontic appliances. That’s why we offer clear braces, which are much less noticeable than metal braces, but still give patients a smile they deserve. Clear aligners are not the same as clear braces. Clear aligners are plastic trays that you wear over your teeth, like a shell. Clear braces are just like metal braces, but they are almost invisible. Clear braces have many advantages. They are almost invisible, giving patients who do not want the look of traditional braces another alternative. Despite all of the advantages, there are some disadvantages to consider, too. They are typically more costly than traditional metal braces, though we offer payment plans for all patients. They can also become discolored by tea, coffee, wine, and other foods. Smoking can also cause discoloration. After a thorough examination with X-rays, we will be happy to discuss all of your options for orthodontic care. We will go over the advantages and disadvantages of each so that we can determine the right course of treatment. read more request an appointment Early Treatment The earlier we catch problems with your child’s bite, the simpler they are to fix. The results are often better than if we wait and will require significantly less work. We may not need to keep braces on your child for as long when they are younger, which means less expense for you. The American Association of Orthodontics (AAO) recommends that children visit an orthodontist as soon as their dentist notices that there might be a problem, or before they are seven years old. We may not have to do anything at this age, other than monitor the child’s mouth. However, if we continue to watch your child, we can start treatment right away if something arises. Early intervention can be beneficial. We will watch how your child’s mouth and teeth grow and develop, so if we see something that needs to be done, we can do it as soon as possible. We will also know exactly when to start treatment, if needed. At the age of seven, the first adult molars start to come in to help establish the back bite. We can start to evaluate your child’s permanent bite formation, both front-to-back and side-to-side. Early treatment allows us to do the following: Make room for the permanent teeth when there is overcrowding Reduce trauma when the front teeth are protruding Early treatment also reduces the need to remove teeth and the time patients must wear braces. According to AAO studies, skipping orthodontic treatment can lead to the following: Crossbites can result in unfavorable growth and uneven tooth wear. Open bites can result in tongue-thrusting habits and speech impediments.With proper and timely orthodontic treatment, you may have the following benefits: A healthier mouth since crowded teeth can be hard to brush causing cavities and gum disease. Fewer broken teeth since protruding teeth are more likely to get broken. read more request an appointment Here at Reese Orthodontics, we are proud to offer an iTero 3D scanner. We take pride in providing modern, high quality care so you can have the smile you deserve. We are constantly updating our equipment in order to provide patients with state-of-the-art dental care. One of our newest pieces of equipment is our iTero 3D scanner. It allows us to take images of your smile. We can also use it to show you the results you can get with Invisalign®. The largest benefit of producing images with our scanner is that you won’t have to get impressions made, which can be quite unpleasant. You won’t have to deal with the unpleasant taste of the gooey material, or the discomfort of the molding trays. Instead, the scanning process is quite comfortable, and you can breathe normally during the procedure. The procedure is also completely safe because there is no radiation. Instead, it uses a laser to form the images. Our iTero 3D scanner allows us to ensure that your Invisalign® aligners or retainers fit perfectly in your mouth. After taking the images, we can get you fitted and started with your new aligners faster than if we had to make an impression. Our iTero 3D scanner is instant technology. We can see your digital smile and the results instantly. The fast results allow us to discuss your smile and what results we hope to achieve in just one visit, instead of waiting weeks for results. We can also use this time to talk about recovery and what you should expect through the whole process of fixing your smile. read more request an appointment After you have worn your braces for the appropriate amount of time, we move into the retention stage of your treatment. It is very important not to skip this step or all of your hard work will not pay off as you had hoped. Your teeth may move back instead of staying in place. During retention, you will have to wear retainers as your teeth adjust to staying in their new place without braces. You should wear your retainers as recommended by your dentist. Some can be worn only at night, while others need to be worn almost all of the time. It is really important that you continue to brush your teeth while you are in this stage. All you have to do is remove your retainer, and then you will be able to brush your teeth better than you were able to when you had braces. You should also brush your retainer before placing it back to your mouth. request an appointment Reese Orthodontics is proud to offer surgical treatments for our orthodontic patients. Surgical orthodontics, also called orthognathic surgery, is used for severe cases of bad bites, jaw bone abnormalities, and malocclusions. Oral and maxillofacial surgery is considered a dental specialty and helps complex cases involving the mouth, jaw, face, and skull. If your case requires surgical orthodontics, your orthodontist will work with an oral and maxillofacial surgeon to provide you with the best and most comprehensive care possible. Surgical orthodontics helps patients improve their bites, though it can also help with other aesthetic concerns, such as facial structure and symmetry. Surgery can only be completed after the jaw is finished growing. This typically happens by age sixteen for females and age eighteen for males. Surgery is needed when the jaw does not line up correctly, and no amount of braces can correct the misalignment. We will line up your jaw correctly so that your braces can do the job that they are meant to. Surgery is not always necessary, so it is important to discuss your case with an oral surgeon. They will be able to discuss your treatment options, whether they include surgery or not. If surgery is needed, it will be done by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. The operation will be completed in a hospital and can take up to a few hours, depending on your needs. After surgery, you will need to rest for about two weeks. It is considered a major operation, and you should take some time off of work and school while you heal. After you heal, your orthodontist will work on straightening your teeth. Most people have to wear braces for six months to a year after surgery. Then, you will need a retainer to maintain your beautiful smile and hard work. Like all surgeries, there are risks. However, orthognathic operations have been around for years and are proven to be safe and effective overall. If you have any concerns, don’t hesitate to ask questions before the procedure. Most people can’t wait to have the smile they dream of. Whether you need surgery to correct your bite, a malocclusion, or a jaw abnormality, we can help you have a smile you want to show off. read more request an appointment Braces are not as scary as most teens think. Technology has advanced a lot in recent years, providing us with newer styles of braces. The result is a faster, more comfortable, and more effective treatment. Braces come in different colors, styles, and materials, so your teen can customize their look and express their personality. The first thing most patients wonder when they have to get braces is how long they will have to wear them. There is no easy answer to this question because it depends on several factors. For example, it depends on how early we catch the problem, what needs to be fixed, how your teeth respond to treatment, and how willing you are to follow directions. It is typically recommended that children begin seeing an orthodontist at the age of seven. The earlier you catch a problem, the easier the problem can be to treat. There are also times when we find a problem, but may have put off treatment until they are older. You are a key factor in how well your braces work. You need to take care of your braces and other appliances, as well as follow all directions to ensure a smooth and speedy treatment. How long you need to wear braces depends on what needs to be fixed. Some problems are minor and just need small adjustments, while other malocclusions (bad bites) are more complicated and take longer to fix. Every patient responds to treatment differently. Some teeth move quicker than others, so a treatment that takes one person only a few months may take another person longer. There are also several types of braces including traditional metal, ceramic, lingual, and invisible. Another common question that teens have is regarding food. Essentially, you’ll need to avoid chewy, crunchy, sticky, and hard foods. Corn on the cob, apples, carrots, and other hard foods that you need to bite into should be avoided or should be cut into small pieces before consuming. Braces are quite common in teenagers. We offer several different styles and design choices to make the experience as fun as possible. It’s always important to remember that braces are only temporary, and will leave you with a dazzling, life-long smile!	12,652
Woody Allen has a new film titled You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger which will hit theaters this Wednesday, September 22. The film revolves around two couples who essentially give up on their current relationships for the wrong reasons and explore new relationships. Unfortunately for everyone involved, the couples learn that working through their difficult problems is sometimes easier than running away from them. A few of the cast members – Anthony Hopkins, Gemma Jones and Lucy Punch – explained to Working Author how they got involved in the film and what it was like to work with Woody Allen. Whenever Woody Allen directs a new movie it always seems to be a hot commodity among actors. Everyone wants to work with this enigmatic director. Gemma Jones – soft spoken and reserved – was in disbelief that she got the opportunity. “I never imagined such a thing would be possible. I certainly hadn’t anticipated it in any way.” Jones screen tested for Allen and then read two scenes with the casting director before hearing that she got the role. “I was just thrilled when I read it – such a lovely part.” Lucy Punch had a similar experience. “I went on tape. [Woody Allen] didn’t know who I was,” she says. Allen liked her audition and Punch was ready to fly out to meet him and then she found out that the part had been given away. “I was completely devastated,” she confesses, but the she found out it was given to Nicole Kidman and she was more understanding. “But she dropped out,” Punch explains, “And I did end up doing a number of scenes from the script in the end to get the part…. [It feels] insane [to replace Nicole Kidman] and a bit intimidating. If I ever meet her I’ll have to present her with a bouquet or something.” Anthony Hopkins – wearing a very flattering grey suit and sipping on tea – had only positive things to say about Woody Allen. He even offered a brief impression of Allen, complete with nervous stutters, gesticulations and trademark hunch. “I’ve now watched him for forty years,” Hopkins says after he comes out of the impression. He lists a handful of his favorite Allen movies, like Hannah and Her Sisters and Play It Again, Sam before continuing. “I think he’s genius, so it was a great pleasure working with him. I don’t know he would appreciate my impersonation.” On working with Woody Allen the consistent opinion is that he’s a minimalist that knows exactly what he wants. “That took some getting used to,” Jones admits. “He’s just wonderfully honest, really. He’s not really interested in discussing backstory or motivation. He just presumes that he’s working with professional actors that would have done their homework.” For Jones, who’s used to working with directors that communicate more, it was disconcerting at first. Punch echoed those sentiments, relating how she had done a lot of preparation and kept pestering Allen with her ideas. “He was like, ‘Just don’t tell me! Just do it! I don’t need to hear about it!’” she recounts. “But it actually gave me a huge amount of confidence that he put the trust in me and…he really did let me say what I wanted to say.” Of course not everything was about Woody Allen. The actors did spare a few moments to share their thoughts on working with each other. On Lucy Punch, Hopkins says, “She’s very nice to work with – a lot of fun…. I went on the set and they were doing…wardrobe fitting for the film test.” Punch was getting into a tiny skirt and Hopkins asked who she was. When he was told that she would be playing his girlfriend, Hopkins asked himself, “I wonder what my wife would think of that.” Punch found working with Hopkins “fabulous” though she was scared to work with him. “He’s absolutely charming and a really lovely guy and working with someone like that I had hoped I would learn some secrets…but when an actor is like him and he’s been doing it for so long and he’s so fantastic…it’s completely effortless…. You don’t see the strings. You don’t see what he’s doing.” Before the interview ended, Hopkins attempted to explain the allure of Woody Allen and his films, stating that Allen is a very big part of American culture, just as Clint Eastwood is an iconic figure. When people talk about favorite Woody Allen films they always speak of them with a deeply personal inflection in their voice. “Annie Hall I absolutely loved,” Jones says. For Lucy Punch it’s Broadway Danny Rose. When You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger opens tomorrow it will face stiff competition for that coveted title among Woody Allen’s impressive breadth of work. Editor-in-Chief/Publisher René Garcia founded WorkingAuthor.com. He is a professional writer living and working in Southern California. He covers most aspects of the entertainment industry, including film, television, celebrity interviews and more. Related This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. WorkingAuthor.com is a leading source for entertainment news, interviews, reviews and opinion. This publication has been operating since 2009. Located in Southern California, WorkingAuthor.com is read the world over. Working Author is owned and operated by René S. Garcia, Jr. He is also the Editor-in-Chief and Publisher.	5,587
€1.2 million in scholarships awarded since 2001 24 new scholarships granted in 2022 Dublin Port Company (DPC) is celebrating 21 years of its [...] more Barry O’Connell appointed new Chief Executive at Dublin Port Company 7 November 2022 The Board of Dublin Port Company is pleased to announce the appointment of Barry O’Connell as its new Chief Executive Officer from 14th November 2022 [...] more 1 November 2022 The second annual Port Safety Week drew to a close at Dublin Port on Friday, bringing the curtain down on five days of well-attended safety events. [...] more Local Schools Participate in Dublin Port Colouring Competition 26 October 2022 Students from five local primary schools around Dublin Port took part in a colouring competition promoting water safety this week, with the winners [...]	842
Our church is in a period of discernment on whether or not to disaffiliate from the UMC. There are many resources available online and we have provided a few below that communicate the basics of why churches are both remaining and leaving the UMC. Every member of FUMC Harlingen will have a voice and vote to determine the outcome of this decision. We will have several informational meetings that we will publicize and we expect the vote to be in March 2023. "Words from Pastor Phillip" - Click here to view the August 7, 2022 sermon that addresses this topic. conference resources This page from the Rio Texas Conference provides a variety of resources on why churches are remaining in the United Methodist Church Rio Texas Page - Gatherings with Bishop Schnase Here is a comparison list between current United Methodist Church and the Global Methodist Church. Watch our 1st Listening Session with Rev. Brewster 11/9/22 (the sound is there, just fast forward a minute) Additional resources These videos made by Rob Renfroe explain why churches are leaving the United Methodist Church Article, "On Separation, Schism, and Seasons." On September 10th, Rev. Dr. Leah Hidde Gregory presented information at our church about the Global Methodist Church. Click here for the video. A book by Jeff Greenway & Mike Lowry, "Multiplying Methodism" - available on Amazon Kindle & Paperback.	1,416
There's something so very satisfying and primal about going back to the basics, getting in tune with nature and building your own shelter. Pam Daniele, who with husband Chris, is co-creator of thecabinpedia.com and the de facto authority on all things cabin and adventure. So when they began constructing their own DIY cabin in Vermont back in 2019, we knew we'd have to check in with her to see how it was going. Turns out, even as novice carpenters, with a little help and a lot of grit, building your own dream cabin is a very realistic goal. Ready to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty, or just want to admire some killer handiwork? Read on to learn more about Pam's Do's and Don'ts (but mostly Do's!) of building your own sustainable, off-the-grid, tiny cabin... If you had told me ten years ago that I would be the proud owner and builder of a tiny cabin in Vermont, I suppose I might have believed you. I didn’t choose the cabin life, the cabin life really chose me. From an early age I had an intrigue in all things small, private and in the woods. It started with the tiniest treehouse that has ever existed, a noble effort on my fathers part. It stood about five feet off the ground and barely had enough room for two small children. A few years down the road with a some roadside pieces of plywood and the gusto of being 10, my sister, me, and a few neighborhood kids built our first fort. One room, a bench, and endless imagination. Since those early days and into adulthood I have always lusted after cabins. A cabin has been a constant companion of mine throughout my life. When my husband, Chris, and I began dating it was only about a month in when we were booking our first trip to a tiny cabin in the woods. It quickly became our passion, and that passion became a full blown career. When someone sets out to build a cabin the usual first step is to purchase the land. We did not have to do that. We were lucky enough to find someone with a passion like ours to help us build on shared land. Derek “Deek” Diedricksen was that someone and I do not think we could have joined forces with a better person. He just happens to be an expert in the field of Tiny Homes. He wrote the book(s!) on microshelters. The property is in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, so while most people choose their land, ours chose us! On top of being an incredible source of reading material, Deek also hosts (in a non-covid life) Tiny Home Building seminars. Our first designs were ambitious to say the least. We had great plans of a step down bed and massive wrap around porch, a treehouse with drawbridges, two wood stoves, floor to ceiling windows, and absolutely no reality of our capabilities whatsoever. It wasn’t until we stayed at our Vermont neighbors, Stonecity Treehouse that we had an epiphany about the base structure. The single pitched roof design with a loft bed was very appealing to us. As well as the shape of the cabin, the amount of windows was a dream. We wanted lots of windows! Our first sketches always had ample natural lighting. Shortly into the design phase our landlord was replacing all the windows in our 1920’s apartment. With dozens of old drafty windows and nowhere to put them, he was elated to unload a few on us. With our big and beautiful windows in front of us, the design really took off. Our design is set on a 12x8ft platform. The front of the cabin is 12ft tall with a pitch down to 7ft in the back. This makes for a very comfortable loft with plenty of headspace. It made for a compact space but still with ample room with the addition of our loft. The living space of the cabin is 192sqft. We knew that space would work perfectly. The layout has become the perfect flow for such a small space that we are constantly making changes to in order to maximize our space. Andiamo A large aspect of designing this small cabin was the woodstove. As with the initial designs we had very lofty dreams of what wood stove we could have in this cabin. The first thing that comes to mind is that image of a huge, castiron, potbelly woodstove. Huge and heavy! I should mention now, but will touch back on it later but our cabin is set 1/4 mile away from where we park. This means that a gigantic stove wasn’t making its way out. With a bit of internet research we settled on the Winnerwell Nomad, a stove that is meant for large canvas tents. We were able to haul in the stove and parts and put it together up there. It is efficient, easy to clean and does a terrific job of keeping the cabin toasty. During our last stay it dipped down into the negatives at night and we would not have known! We broke ground in May of 2019. Our first task was to clear some brush and dig holes for the foundation. We went with a platform foundation per the advice of Deek. This makes for a sturdier base especially because the land up in that area is very soft and settles. It utilized field stones for support in the holes to hold the posts in place. This also set us up with a level start. Due to our schedule we were only able to get small pockets of work done at a time. From there on out our summer was focused on getting our base prepared for a big build at the end of September of 2019. When we planned our trip that corresponded with Deeks big cabin build seminar, we had no idea what help we would receive and we also had no idea of how big it was. We had dropped off all of our building supplies prior to the week so when we arrived everything had been hauled over for us and the cabin already had four walls framed out and ready to go. It was the greatest help in the entire world. Our cabin had become a community project, it felt very special. After that week we left with four walls and a roof! We learned so much about building during that experience. Since that week every project has been the two of us working together and troubleshooting, and constantly learning. A lot of our wood for the cabin has been sourced from a local lumber yard in our area of the Northeast Kingdom, supplemented with lumber from the larger chains when we have to. Most of our additional wood needs is upcycled. We are constantly striving to reuse and reduce especially in this day and age. There are so many places to find good and usable wood, community forums, classified free pages, free on the side of the road, dumpsters, etc. Get creative! Most recently we built amazingly comfortable chairs out of decking material that our landlord tossed out. Unless you have a very specific design that requires very specific material I would recommend trying to source recycled materials. Without a doubt a huge obstacle of building is acknowledging what you are capable of. More often than not when we set out to accomplish large projects, especially multiple projects at once, it is important to realize that you may not be able to do it all. Up until recently we would set out to conquer multiple projects every time and we usually aren’t there for more than three nights at a time. Without fail, every trip we would get one thing done and because of setbacks, lack of planning/materials, or weather, we would have to drop a few tasks. As long as you are ok with waiting this isn’t the biggest issue to have. However due to a global pandemic many of our big projects were put on the back burner. As I mentioned earlier our load in for materials and supplies is 1/4 mile hike through a very hilly area. It is not a huge distance, however, when you have to carry in large amounts of lumber, tools, etc. it is the actual length of a marathon. This experience has been the most physically strenuous one. Even on non-build trips we are hauling in firewood, food, water, and basic necessities. It can be a lot, but we have figured out some ways to lighten the load. In the winter an ice fishing sled simplifies transporting a lot of small items that are awkward to carry or don't fit in a bag. Similarly, in the summer we use a sturdy cart to help us make less trips and carry more. The last obstacle is the acceptance that we can’t be up there all the time always and forever. A few quiet days with great food, books, games and tunes is therapeutic. We are working on building a shower and potentially a wood burning sauna so I suppose I can anticipate that desire to grow! Building our cabin has been one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had. No amount of obstacles or setbacks will ever be greater than the feeling of building this cabin. I have met and made so many new friends through working with Deek, people reaching out online to chat about it, and making videos about it for YouTube. This little slice of paradise will always be evolving and will always be worked on. As soon as this summer we hope to have a wrap around deck and if that does happen you can be sure that I’ll be talking about it online! If you’d like to become an ambassador for us, fill in the form and we’ll be in touch! By signing up, you accept the terms of Tivoli Audio Privacy Policy. You May Also Like: Nov/17/2020 Our Company Where to Buy Hospitality Products Customer Support If you'd like to signup to our newsletter and all latest offers, please add your email below! By signing up, you accept the terms of Tivoli Audio Privacy Policy. © 2022 Tivoli Audio Inc. All rights reserved. Site by Propeller This website is using cookies We use them to give you the best experience. If you continue using our website, we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on this website.	10,128
Happy 2015!! My blogging break was great, but I missed talking with you all! How was your Christmas + New Years? Ours was pretty awesome. Aaron and I drove to Abilene to spend the holidays with my family. We had an amazing time sitting in front of the fire playing board games, eating cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning, and going for a Christmas light scavenger hunt. On the drive back home to Austin, Aaron and I started listening to the audio book Essentialism by Greg McKeown. Pick up this book as fast as you can. It’s all about saying no to the non-essentials in life/work so we can say yes to the things that are truly essential. It’s super challenging + refreshing + motivating + totally appropriate for New Years. And this quote from the book blew my mind: When the word “priority” came into the English language in the 1400s, it only existed in the singular form. It meant the very first or prior thing. It stayed singular for the next five hundred years. Only in the 1900s did we pluralize the term and start talking about “priorities.” Illogically, we reasoned that by changing the word we could bend reality. Somehow we thought that by pluralizing the word we would now be able to have multiple “first” things. This idea has stuck in my brain and it won’t get out. Just one priority. It makes me ask myself: If I had to pick one priority — one thing to focus on this year — what would I pick? To be honest, I’m still working on it. My tendency would be to pick one thing for each area of my life. You know — relationships, health, work etc. But I’m trying to get myself to answer with just one thing for now. What do you think you would pick? In the meantime, remember my awesome reversible tote that has always been brown and has never been reversed? I loved the brown side so much I never thought I’d reverse it. But due to all the overwhelming excitement of the new year, I went wild and reversed it. Take that new year. Oh, and the three ingredient recipe for your outfit today? Start with black jeans, add a graphic tee, and finish with a leather jacket. Shirt: J.Crew (different but equally cool) Related Comments Lisa \| Happy By says January 5, 2015 at 7:12 am Happy New Year Caroline! Glad you had fun. I really liked that quote and had never thought about it so straightforward. Thanks for sharing that and the 3 step outfit :) DanishGirlInNorway says January 5, 2015 at 7:18 am I’m as challenged as you, Caroline, about the priority thing. Haven’t heard of the book before, but it is my every year challenge – not to spread my self over too many areas. But…. now I’m planning to take baby steps and focus on 1 thing per month! :-) maybe it’s cheating but as I said.. baby steps. And for me it will be more than challenging enoug to focus on one area at a time in stead of juggle it all at once. ;) Caroline says January 5, 2015 at 9:36 am Totally agree with you + love the baby steps approach, Jana. I may end up going that route too — one focus point per month. :) xo Caroline lucinda says January 6, 2015 at 11:41 am oh, i do like that: one focus per month. to pick just one priority for the entire year seems a little too restrictive (hopefully we are learning and growing on a daily basis!) i’d like to give this baby steps approach a try too. and i’m adding “essentialism” to my reading list, stat! i just love the conversation and community that goes on over here, we are all learning so much from each other. it’s awesome. Alyssa says January 5, 2015 at 9:52 am Have you read The Happiness Project? The writer spent a year trying to become “happier”, and focused on one aspect of her life per month for the year… she has a lot of worksheets/organizer materials to help people with their own Happiness Projects, you might want to check it out and see if it’s something that would help you with your baby steps! JuliaBW, Brighton, UK says January 5, 2015 at 7:19 am Happy New Year! You look very French today and it’s strange how those flat always make you look slimmer with longer legs – it’s quite inspiring. The quote you added about priorities is so interesting – I think I may share it. A lot of my Facebook friends are sniffy about fashion blogs, but yours seems to be so much more. Eva says January 5, 2015 at 7:24 am Great comment for the new year. Thank you very much. Good luck in choosing your priority. allison says January 5, 2015 at 7:49 am love this outfit, definitely the cool without trying too hard look Carol says January 5, 2015 at 7:51 am Happy New Year, Caroline! It’s good to have you back. I was wondering what you did with your red plaid shirts and burgundy sweaters. Did you store them for a future capsule or donate them? Caroline says January 5, 2015 at 9:35 am Hi Carol! They are in storage, waiting to be pulled out for next fall. :) xo Caroline Marta says January 5, 2015 at 8:37 am January 5, 2015 at 8:54 am Welcome back. So glad you had a great time with your family. I had a magical Christmas too and an even better new year. My boyfriend proposed to me on New Year’s eve as he wished me insert happy dance. I love this outfit as always, but the real reason for this post is to share in the joy of reading/ listening to Essentionalism. I started reading it at the same time that I found your blog and the two work so well together. My favourite quote from the book is, “If you do not make a choice, someone will make it for you.” That I found to be so powerful. Have a lovely day, January 5, 2015 at 9:24 am Caroline intrigued me with her snippet quote, but your additional quote sold me on that book. GAH, can’t wait to read it so I can contribute! January 8, 2015 at 6:40 am You won’t be disappointed. Would love to hear what your favourite quote is from the book. Have a lovely day. Caroline says January 5, 2015 at 9:34 am January 8, 2015 at 7:10 am Thank you, Caroline. Oh and my capsule wardrobe is slowly starting to come together and I am loving it. I will be combining Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter as Cape Town weather can be unpredictable. I am so excited to see my first capsule wardrobe come together. Caroline says January 8, 2015 at 10:12 am Nina says January 7, 2015 at 6:26 am January 8, 2015 at 7:15 am Emily says January 5, 2015 at 8:57 am Glad to have you back :-) Tiffany says January 5, 2015 at 9:02 am Hey Caroline, I see you curled your hair! Does that mean you got the oval shaped curling iron?? Or did you figure out a different way? Caroline says January 5, 2015 at 9:33 am Hi Tiffany! I actually ended up just using my tapered curling wand that I already had. Took some practice (still learning) but I’m getting more comfortable with it + the results. :) xo Caroline blueallicat says January 5, 2015 at 12:16 pm I have a beauty question or request as well! I love everything about this look! I have started experimenting with my makeup more and would love to know how your accomplished your eye look. I also wanted to thank you so much for inspiring me to purge my closets/whole house. Over my Christmas break I have drastically reduced the amount of clothing I own but have discovered “new” outfits along the way. In fact I am wearing one today!! Will be checking out the book as well. Thank you. Stacia says January 5, 2015 at 9:08 am This year I chose “intentional” as how I want to approach my year. I want to be intentional in the way I love my husband, in the friendships I build, in the clients I work with, in the ways I take care of our home, etc. Sometimes being intentional in one area may take precedence to another, but I want to be more conscious when that happens versus turning around and suddenly seeing the things I neglected. Shan says January 7, 2015 at 2:40 pm HA!! I choose a word every year to focus on and this year it is “intentional” ! January 5, 2015 at 9:23 am I did not expect to be intrigued this early in the day! You are right. My natural inclination is to pick one priority in each category – so now I am just as stumped trying to pick my number one in life. Also, this is my fave hair-makeup look on you yet. The wavy-hair-don’t-care look is awesome with the eyeliner :) It’s nice to see you back and refreshed! Caroline says January 5, 2015 at 9:39 am Thanks Tania! You’ll love the book. I’m thinking several posts in January will reference back to Essentialism. It’s rocking my world. :) xo Caroline Kms says January 5, 2015 at 9:34 am Happy new year! Glad you enjoyed your break and excited to have you back! :) I love your outfits featuring a graphic tee, but I can never seem to find “cool/cute” ones like yours! Any tips? I usually only come across cheesey ones (could be my price point, I suppose? Ha). Looking forward to your blog in 2015!! Caroline says January 5, 2015 at 9:44 am I usually go to either Madewell, J.Crew, or Piperlime for graphic tees. I found this one on massive clearance at J.Crew + I had a reward certificate to put towards it, so I actually got it for free — crazy! xo Caroline sonja says January 5, 2015 at 9:47 am My priority (singular) is to be ever-mindful as I set the tone for my family each day. (After all, I do this anyway whether its intentional or not.) And the tone will be a happy one – safe and peaceful, and even on the worst days, content. Caroline says January 5, 2015 at 10:34 am christina says January 5, 2015 at 9:57 am Your musings about Priority make me think of the one word method of New Year’s Resolutioning. This is my third year, and I love it! This year my word is “quiet.” http://oneword365.com/ Alyssa says January 5, 2015 at 10:00 am Yay, I’m so glad you’re back! Last week was a struggle for me with all the post-Christmas sales, and I’ve come to find solace in this little UnFancy community. So glad you had a great vacation! I’ll definitely be checking out the book, it sounds like so many ideas I’ve had running through my head lately. I used a post from Into Mind to discover that what I really want in my life this year is BALANCE — I work full-time at a mental health facility, am a full-time graduate student, and am trying to create a solid friend/support base for myself in the town I live in. For me, balance means knowing my own boundaries with school and work, and really prioritizing myself, my life, and the people around me I care about — it will challenge my perfectionism A LOT, but I’m ready to challenge that and make some changes :) Magdalena says January 5, 2015 at 10:13 am Awesome jacket! Love to have you back and blogging, and excited to see what 2015 will bring. Natacha says January 5, 2015 at 10:19 am I love the outfit but more important, I absolutely love the quote. It’s so true and I had never thought of it that way. If I had to choose one priority now, I couldn’t. Good luck on finding your focus ahah. Happy new year x Audrey says January 5, 2015 at 10:28 am Glad to have you back, Caroline! :) I picked a word for me to focus on this year. It is one simple word for me to remember and reflect in ALL areas of my life. I like this concept because I only have one thing to focus on, but it applies to everything that I do. Possibly this approach will work for you as well? Oh, and my word is “calm” Caroline says January 5, 2015 at 10:35 am Stef says January 5, 2015 at 10:41 am So glad you are back, we never know what your post will include and this one certainly has some food for thought! I will be looking into the book and ideas. I, like others, were tempted with the sales but with my new found conviction and plan I just got 2 much needed cardigans. Joy says January 5, 2015 at 10:48 am First-time commenter but long-time follower of your blog. I’m really digging your approach to fashion, the capsule wardrobe, and your awesome looks of course. Yours and Anuschka’s blog (into-mind.com) are my faves! :) Also what drove me to comment was your bit about Greg McKeown’s “Essentialism”. I’m reading that book right now (got it for Christmas), and you’re right, it’s totally appropriate for the New Year. I like that bit about priorities — honestly I’m still stumped on what my one priority is — but another concept from the book that stood out to me is about trade-offs. How we can avoid the reality of trade-offs but we can’t really avoid them. I think this goes hand in hand with picking a priority. It’s going to be so difficult to drop other things that are seemingly important, but like Greg McKeown posited, “instead of doing it all, what can I go big on?” I hope I didn’t ramble much — I just really loved this book and I’m glad you recommended it to your readers! And of course, I wish you another great year for Unfancy! :) Caroline says January 5, 2015 at 11:03 am Hi Joy! That part really stood out to me too! I’m so glad he was real about trade-offs. I feel like I now have permission to let go of “good” things to make room for even better things. It’s tough, but awesome. So glad you love the book too, and thanks for sharing your thoughts! :) xo Caroline Esther says January 5, 2015 at 10:55 am Thank you so much for the book recommendation! Last night I was sharing some of my resolutions for the new year with our home group from church. The word for me is Intention. I love that Priority plays in to intentional living. I need to get on that book right away. I think the two are linked. Love the look today – super cute and comfy yet totally street chic! Ashley says January 5, 2015 at 11:00 am Wow, what a powerful thought – what ONE goal would I work on? It’s not an easy answer, but I think my life pretty much revolves around finding gratitude in any and all situations – not sure this is a goal, per se, but it’s the overarching theme of my life and makes getting through the tough times easier. This reminds me a lot of the 365 One Word games I play, each year my friends and I (and probably a million other people…) choose ONE single word to define our year. It’s interesting to see what people choose and how those choices shape their year – this year mine is focus and so that, I guess, is my goal. To focus on each moment and give each person, activity, thing, etc. my singular focus to fully absorb the goodness in the moment. It’s akin to mindfulness and presence, but I like the idea of a laser focus and giving my all to only one thing at a time. I’m throwing multi-tasking right out the window! heather says January 5, 2015 at 11:06 am hello! essentialism sounds like a good read and i am looking forward to getting it from our library. it sounds like a different approach to minimalism, and i love that topic! :) like some of your other readers, the one priority reminds me of the one word approach to the new year. i’ve chosen health- which may be somewhat cheating in that it will be all encompassing of those many categories i want to work on…my relationship with God (which would be my one priority, bc it effects all others), eating, exercise, relationships, waste and material possessions. Jess Latour says January 5, 2015 at 12:34 pm I’m loving your blog and am so inspired by your minimalism. I have always been someone who has SO many things in her closet but never has anything to wear and I am tired of it, so I feel very inspired by the capsule wardrobe. I’m going to try it out! :) I’m about to spend 4 days in Paris/Venice. Could you do a travel/packing guide for a Chilly euro-trip? Lana Lou says January 5, 2015 at 12:40 pm Whoa. Priority. That is such an interesting bit of information. It’s got me thinking as well. For me my priority would have to be my health. Last year was a bit of trainwreck. It was one of those where the universe beats you up, then backs over you with their car. I wallowed a lot and because of that my health has fallen apart as in, if ANY person within a 50 mile radius has germs, I will have them by the end of the day. So for me, this year, my health is numero uno. The only priority. Everything else can take a backseat. kimithy says January 5, 2015 at 12:41 pm Rockin’ the new haircut! I have a photo of it pinned to take to Bird’s, and this was a great reminder to actually go for it :) January 5, 2015 at 12:44 pm Isn’t it interesting that when we limit ourselves to choosing just one priority in our lives, that it’s likely to be a “being” priority? What we do, or what comes from doing isn’t as important. I had such a fun time reading through everyone else’s priorities: happy, intentional, mindful, balance, calm…mine is brave. Enjoy the process of setting your priority, and happy new year! Laina Turner says January 5, 2015 at 1:05 pm My goal in doing goals this year was not to have a million of them and instead have realistic ones. I too thought if I just made a couple goals in each area of my life it would be easier. But that’s STILL a LOT of goals. If I had to pick just one…..yeah…have to get back to you on that:) Line says January 5, 2015 at 1:14 pm Oh, LOVE the singular form! That is food for thought and it hit home for me! My target this year is my overall health. 2014 was filled with sickness, stress and I forgot myself in the whole mess. So this year, I will focus on doing things that are good for me. Food, running, say no (!!) to stuff, spend quality time with my family, do what I love and make the choices that I actually want and not what is expected of me. danielle says January 5, 2015 at 1:21 pm That sounds like a great book! If I had to choose one priority, it would always be “to glorify Christ.” This article explains it much better than I ever could! Tara says January 5, 2015 at 1:35 pm Oh man, I love that quote. Along those lines, I made a bunch of resolutions spanning finances, spirituality, health, time, etc., but then I ended up adding one “big kahuna” resolution that is really important to me this year: NO MORE GUILT. Ever since I got married, I’ve had this weird guilt problem, where I’m constantly feeling guilty for doing/not doing things, whether they’re for work, friends, family, or even for myself! I am so sick of feeling guilty; what a waste of time and energy! So, this year, I’m resolving to kick the guilt. I will either do it, or not do it, but then I’m going to stand by my decision and just let go of the worry and second-guessing. Those emotions aren’t doing anyone any favors. I’m okay with being a bit flexible on the other resolutions, but I’m going to be a total hardass on this one! Wish me luck :) P.S. I’m so excited to see that you’re working with Camille Styles! I’m an editor over there, and was so psyched to see you in their newsletter today :D Welcome to the CS fam! Caroline says January 5, 2015 at 4:19 pm Hi Tara! Wow I love this, because I do that too. I remember reading an article that named it “a colossal waste of emotional energy” and that tough love really stuck in my head. I want to use my energy for good + not waste it — I know you feel the same way. Good luck, girl! And SO excited to hear you work with Camille — I’m crazy excited + honored to get to collaborate! xo Caroline Jessica says January 5, 2015 at 2:00 pm Bangs are so much fun! I’m loving the european look today, especially your hair. Love the soft waves. Beth says January 5, 2015 at 2:40 pm missed you! so glad you are back in action. question: what are you going to do when those black jeans WEAR OUT from wearing them so much?!?! I noticed you wore them A LOT in fall & don’t seem to be slowing down in winter. just curious ;) my target for 2015 is SIMPLIFY. too much clutter, too much stuff, too much too much too much & it’s making me crazy. it’s all going out the door in my quest for minimalism. now how can i get my husband on board?!?! Caroline says January 5, 2015 at 4:14 pm So far, they’ve held up great even though I wear them constantly. If I wash them I just wash them inside out … but I pretty much avoid washing them at all costs. I spot clean if I need to, but for the most part, I just don’t wash them unless it’s necessary. Embarrassing? Maybe. :) Also! My husband started working on his first ever capsule this year, so I’m thinking some husband posts are in order soon. :) Kathy Mader says January 5, 2015 at 9:31 pm I know, we can only manage so much well, right? Too much drives me crazy, too, and I’m really finally ready to do something drastic about it…you just get to that breaking point. brittany says January 5, 2015 at 2:50 pm Yay!! Youre back! happy sigh Christmas and New Years were awesome!! I have finally gotten my FIRST capsule underway and I believe there is no exaggeration involved in saying it has CHANGED MY LIFE. I love every single bit of it and it was well worth the process! But, I too, have eagerly ventured into the idea of minimalism in other areas of my life and am excited to add your book suggestion to my library! I found Joshua Becker’s blog http://www.becomingminimalist.com/becoming-minimalist-start-here/ and have already read his book…I love the idea of realistic minimalism and my new husband <3 and I have totally decided to take this approach as we join our lives together! Your suggestions in this area are more than welcomed! Thanks! Caroline says January 5, 2015 at 4:08 pm So happy for you Brittany! I totally relate to that feeling. :) I haven’t read Josh’s book yet — I’ll have to check it out! xo Caroline Nika says January 5, 2015 at 2:52 pm My word for this year is “consistent”. I know exactly what I need to do, but I can have a haphazard approach – this year’s challenge is to stick with things that work and be consistent. Pomeline says January 5, 2015 at 2:52 pm My priority: Getting to heaven and bringing as many folks along with me as I can. I’m set on doing this by being the best version of myself I can possibly be. Victoria says January 5, 2015 at 3:32 pm Very interesting about the word “priority” … will give that some more thought! Whitney says January 5, 2015 at 3:41 pm My word would be “creativity” for sure! I think that could work in all areas of life as well. :) Thank you so much for the book referral, I’m definitely going to pick it up after reading that quote! Tory says January 5, 2015 at 3:55 pm I’m looking for a great pair of black jeans that will last a long time without fading in the wash. Do you find that your Gap jeans hold up well (are they as dark as when you purchased them?) Caroline says January 5, 2015 at 4:07 pm Hi Tory! So far, my Gap jeans have held up great. They had fading when I bought them, and I think they’re a little bit lighter now, but not much. It’s kind of embarrassing how little I wash these though. Maybe 6 times since I bought them. And I always wash them inside out. Hopefully this helps! :) xo Caroline Megan says January 5, 2015 at 5:02 pm Denim is good to go a while between washes. CNN (this article: http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/29/living/how-often-should-i-wash-everything/) says you should wash inside out every 3 to 4 times, spot cleaning if needed any between. I’ve also seen research article (couldn’t find it) where they tested how much bacteria actually sticks to denim (i.e. how long can you really go between washes) and surprisingly very little sticks – so you can go longer! Cheers to less laundry! ;) January 5, 2015 at 4:20 pm Its so great to have you back… I have been counting down till this day. I look forward to my nights and seeing your uploads! Love this outfit however weren’t you cold ? In the UK we are reaching minus temperatures at night so I couldn’t even dream of wearing something like this probably till March/April but am guessing its not that cold in Texas?. By the way I love the reversible tote, very handy!! Happy new year and look forward to more posts Caroline says January 5, 2015 at 4:25 pm Thanks Laura! :) It’s definitely not as cold here in Texas. We’ve been hovering in the 30s – 40s lately. xo Caroline Ashley H says January 5, 2015 at 5:16 pm Welcome back Caroline! I missed your posts so much, and kept checking back before today just in case you couldn’t stay away. :) I also got inspired to do a capsule wardrobe and blog about it, and it was so rewarding. I love it so far (even though it’s early). Thanks for this ingenious idea and the gorgeous outfits and for being an awesome blogger! January 5, 2015 at 5:37 pm Wow! That’s got me! At first I was thinking positive thinking or fitness but my prioritY is going to be to enjoy nature. That could mean snowshoeing or walking, photographing or sitting at a window…and it will prob make me happy and fitter as a byproduct. You rock. January 5, 2015 at 5:47 pm Oooh or painting or writing about nature. This is wisdom dynamite. Carina says January 5, 2015 at 7:02 pm I never knew that about priorities. It is truly difficult to choose one though. Yet it makes so much sense to have just one as oppose to many. I tend to compartmentalise my life, so choosing one overarching priority may be hard. But if I’m able to look on my life as a whole, i think it would be “happiness”. Doing what makes me smile. Amy says January 5, 2015 at 8:15 pm I suppose I choose one priority instead of a resolution every year. 2015 is the year of inputs: I’ve been stalled creatively for a while so I’m removing pressure to create (output) and focusing on taking in all life has for me this year (input) reflecting on it, and noticing what keeps coming up and where that is taking me (you could phrase this idea twenty other ways but this way works for me). It’s a pretty sweeping and broad “priority” on its face but I have a pretty clear vision of what it looks like in my mind, and it keeps me focused on activities and projects that support that picture. Ellen Faith says January 5, 2015 at 8:27 pm Oh, wow. What a tough question! I think maybe it might be my wellbeing, which can encompass my health both mentally and physically. Since there are a lot of factors that go into that I think it’d cover a lot of bases so you don’t need priorities. But whoa, what a loaded question for my morning, haha! Mun says January 5, 2015 at 9:25 pm I’m not sure what I would pick… My priority is to love if I have to choose one thing… Mary says January 5, 2015 at 9:26 pm Thank for sharing your journey with us all. I spent the time between Christmas and New Year decluttering my room and wardrobe, lots of stuff out the door to new homes! I can’t manage a single capsule because my summer (I’m in Aussie) work (very corporate) and casual (beach, kids, downtime) requirements are so different. So, thanks to you, I have two summer capsules with very different colour palettes and all my winter stuff is tucked under the bed. Thanks for your inspiration and all the best for the journey. Kaileen Elise says January 5, 2015 at 10:46 pm Love the look! Checking out the book recommendation. And I never thought I would reverse my tote, but maybe I will go for it. You inspired me!! Rachel says January 6, 2015 at 12:28 am A friend of mine told me she picks one word for the year. I thought that might be too broad at first, but I actually really liked it! Last year I picked “adventure” …I’ve always been a worrier and I wanted to step out of my comfort zone. It was amazing how many areas of my life I could apply that too, and it really gave me a good focus for the year. I think the simplicity really helped. Kryptos says January 6, 2015 at 2:54 am Yay! You’re back. What a great birthday present for me, thanks! Haha Yasha says January 6, 2015 at 9:44 am Thank you for this post! After reading it, I spent some time thinking about my priority for the year. It’s definitely responsibility. While this one word is very broad, I love how it can be applied to every area of my life! Mary says January 6, 2015 at 12:20 pm So glad to see you back! Hope your holidays were great! I absolutely love the book quote, don’t think I saw the book on Kindle though :( I’m still thinking about my one thing, since I feel I have many, but I sent an email to myself back in 2012 with a quote by Ellen Goodman I found that gets me every time I read it, such an eye-opener, maybe you’ll like it : “NORMAL is getting dressed in CLOTHES that you buy for work, and driving through traffic in a CAR that you are still paying for… in order to get to the JOB you need, to pay for the CLOTHES and the CAR …. And the HOUSE you leave vacant all day, so you can afford to live in it.” I knew I had to pursue a minimalist approach to life after this and it’s been a journey so I’m very glad to have found you on IG. My winter capsule didn’t work very well (Florida weather is moody) but maybe spring and summer will be awesome! :) Happy New Year! sarah says January 6, 2015 at 2:28 pm Love your style! Would you share your hair routine? Like how you curl it, for starters. It always looks fab! Thanks for your great blog! Annie says January 7, 2015 at 1:28 am Thanks for the book recommendation! I just got the Art of Possibility and am excited about it. My husband was surprised when I said I heard about it on a fashion blog :) Something I’ve done for two years in a row was choose a guiding word for the year. Last year was “renew.” This year will be “focus.” Time to stop trying to be and do everything and focus on what’s most important. Sounds like Essentialism is right up my ally. :) Caroline says January 7, 2015 at 8:43 am Hi Annie! I’m so excited that you got The Art of Possibility! Let me know how you like it. :) xo Caroline Nina says January 7, 2015 at 6:44 am I think the shift from priority to priorities has something to do with us always wanting more… But at least as much with with our change in lifestyle. 200 years ago going to a nearby city was still considered traveling, you had maybe two nice dresses, probably only intended as church-wear, access to schools or career options were limited, etc. There wasn’t even any internet! We started making priorities because suddenly our lives knew so many different aspects! We had jobs, homes, free time + the means to spend that time however we want it,… So in that sense I am very grateful I get to set a couple of priorities, instead of only one. Even in the comments, -the priority- people have mentioned is usually a word or an idea that spans all areas of their life, instead of one concrete priority (mine would be something like “focus on things that will make you happy in the long run / live with more intention = quite vague). I’m not even sure if the priority concept is applicable in our lives the way it used to be. Caroline says January 7, 2015 at 8:46 am Signe says January 8, 2015 at 11:24 pm Interesting idea, it made me realize that I’ve actually done the one priority-thing for the last two years and reflecting back it did absolutely not work for me. What I did was to chose a word to live by in stead of a new years resolution (or multiple resolutions). Just a couple of days ago did I realize that I chose a word each year that would improve myself at my job. In a way that is a fine idea, but it also made my single priority -even the whole year- about my job!! I’m overworked, always tired and have lost the passion for what I do and my hobbies. So, trying to find my way back I have divided my priority into multiple and chosen 3 words, one for work, one for my relationship with other people and one for my relationship with myself. I’m all for the simpler/minimalist lifestyle, but I don’t think we can have one priority in life, I think we need more Mady says January 9, 2015 at 7:08 am Happy New Year! I love your posts and you really helped me to see my wardrobe in a different perspective. That’s something I want to deepen more in the coming year. I think, if I had to pick a priority for this year, it would be happiness. Health is essential and an overall necessity, but I’d like to feel happy with myself, with the people around me and with life in general this coming year! So I’ll try and work towards this in every aspect of my life. Anita says January 9, 2015 at 6:24 pm Thanks for the book recommendation Caroline. I have just started reading ‘The Art of Possibility’ which you mentioned previously, and am finding it very inspiring. In relation to the idea of the one priority, i thought of the book ‘the three marriages’ by David Whyte, which talks about the three core relationships/areas of our life as being the relationship with work, with our self, and with others. He talks about how they all influence each other and how we can’t really ever ‘balance’ them but need to be open about recognising how they influence each other and how focusing on one affects the others… Lovelle Budiman says January 20, 2015 at 10:16 pm You got me hooked on the “Essentialism” book! Enjoying it so far! Have you heard of the book “Do Over” by Jon Acuff? It’s a really interesting read as well and ties into this minimalist lifestyle. My Blog says June 21, 2016 at 2:58 am This blog was… how do I say it? Relevant!! Finally I have found something that helped me. Thank you! 5.5 how I deal with that “should I buy another one?” feeling \| Un-Fancy says: January 8, 2015 at 7:01 am […] still working on my single priority this year, but I’m thinking it may be along the lines of how I spend my mental energy. […] 5.8 want to try white pants? start here \| Un-Fancy says: January 13, 2015 at 7:00 am […] this idea seems totally contrary to what we chatted about last week — the idea of choosing only one priority. But I think, upon closer look, they can compliment each other […] January 15, 2015 at 8:00 am […] to me at the perfect time at the recommendation of my fashion blogger crush, Caroline of Un-Fancy. If you’re into minimalist fashion, you need to go to […]	35,435
FILE – Author Julie Powell attends the premiere of “Julie & Julia” at The Ziegfeld Theatre, in New York, on July 30, 2009. Powell, who… FILE – Author Julie Powell attends the premiere of “Julie & Julia” at The Ziegfeld Theatre, in New York, on July 30, 2009. Powell, who became an internet darling after blogging for a year about making every recipe in Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” leading to a book deal and a film adaptation, died of cardiac arrest on Oct. 26, 2022, at her home in upstate New York. She was 49. (AP Photo/Peter Kramer, File) Julie Powell, food writer of ‘Julie & Julia,’ dies at 49 by: The Associated Press via Nexstar Media Wire Updated: Nov 1, 2022 / 07:59 PM CDT FILE – Author Julie Powell attends the premiere of “Julie & Julia” at The Ziegfeld Theatre, in New York, on July 30, 2009. Powell, who… FILE – Author Julie Powell attends the premiere of “Julie & Julia” at The Ziegfeld Theatre, in New York, on July 30, 2009. Powell, who became an internet darling after blogging for a year about making every recipe in Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” leading to a book deal and a film adaptation, died of cardiac arrest on Oct. 26, 2022, at her home in upstate New York. She was 49. (AP Photo/Peter Kramer, File) by: The Associated Press via Nexstar Media Wire Updated: Nov 1, 2022 / 07:59 PM CDT NEW YORK (AP) — Food writer Julie Powell, who became an internet darling after blogging for a year about making every recipe in Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” leading to a book deal and a film adaptation, has died. She was 49. Powell died of cardiac arrest Oct. 26 at her home in upstate New York, The New York Times reported. Her death was confirmed by Judy Clain, Powell’s email and editor in chief of Little, Brown. “She was a brilliant writer and a daring, original person and she will not be forgotten,” Clain said in a statement. ”We are sending our deepest condolences to all who knew and loved Julie, whether personally or through the deep connections she forged with readers of her memoirs.” Powell’s 2005 book “Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen” became the hit, Nora Ephron-directed film “Julie & Julia,” with the author portrayed in the movie by Amy Adams and Meryl Streep as Child. Her sophomore and last effort — titled “Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat and Obsession” — was a bit jarring in its honesty. Powell revealed she had an affair, the pain of loving two men at once, of her fondness for sadomasochism and even a bout of self-punishing sex with a stranger. “People coming from the movie ‘Julie & Julia’ and picking up ‘Cleaving’ are going to be in for some emotional whiplash,” she told The Associated Press in 2009. “I don’t believe it’s going to be a Nora Ephron movie.” Powell began her affair in 2004 as she was putting the finishing touches on her first book, a time she writes when she was “starry-eyed and vaguely discontented and had too much time on my hands.” By 2006, she had landed an apprenticeship at a butcher shop two hours north of New York City, which offered an escape from her crumbling marriage and a place to explore her childhood curiosity with butchers. “The way they held a knife in their hand was like an extension of themselves,” she said. “I’m a very clumsy person. I don’t play sports. That kind of physical skill is really foreign to me, and I’m really envious of that.” The book explores the link between butchering and her own tortured romantic life. At one point, while cutting the connective tissue on a pig’s leg, she writes: “It’s sad, but a relief as well, to know that two things so closely bound together can separate with so little violence, leaving smooth surfaces instead of bloody shreds.” Her book tapped into the growing interest in old school butchery and her experience slicing meat actually resulted in her eating less of it. She was an advocate for humanely raised and slaughtered animals. “People want to get their hands dirty. People want to participate in the process. People want to know where their food is coming from,” Powell said. “People don’t want the mystery anymore.” She is survived by her husband, Eric. Copyright 2022 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.	4,458
In Rio next month, Jessica Ennis-Hill aims to make history as the first British woman to successfully defend a track and field title at the Olympics. She won the gold medal at the London Olympics on a night that was known as ‚ÄòSuper... Strong Girls in Art May 25, 2016 \| 1 comment My relationship with strong women is perhaps an unconventional one. Since the age of about ten years old, I attended a handful of body-building competitions every year. From the audience, I watched the tanned, well-oiled figure of my mother flex her muscles on the... Appearance before ability? Dec 9, 2013 Type ‚Äúwomen in sport‚Äù into Google and third in the list of related searches is for ‚Äúhottest women in sport.‚Äù Too often, women in sport are judged not by their abilities and achievements,... Aug 8, 2012 Dani King, Laura Trott, and Joanna Rowsell won gold and set multiple world records in the cycling Women’s Team Pursuit. http://www.insidethegames.biz/sports/summer/cycling/18068-womens-team-pursuit-gold-pushes-team-gb-up-to-third-in-medal-table The women in Team...	1,091
For the first time we will have a Reunion to see former Air Cadets from all around the world again. Sascha and Lukas organized an awesome programm for you with activities like hiking, historical tours and a visit at Airbus. You have qustions about the tour or just want to join us for a few days? You would like to participate but you have issues to afford flight tickets or to travel? Ask Sascha or Lukas for further information :) Support us The IACE is an international non-profit organisation aiming to support and foster young aviation talents from all over the globe. We are extremly thankfull to all our supporters who enable such an awesome programm for our Air Cadets. Most of us are still relatively young and are students or candidates in the selection or formation phase in the aviation industry. Even though we are lucky to have the official support of the German Air Force Forces Command, some of us crucially depend on additional financial support to attend the reunion. If you would like to support us, klick on the button below:	1,080
Whether you have an in-person or virtual interview, you’ll want to come prepared and give your best shot to get the role you’re aiming for. While it’s good to prepare for common questions that interviewers will likely ask you, the interview process doesn’t end there. There’s usually a time during the interview when the hiring associate will open the floor for any questions you may have. Asking meaningful questions during this period gives you an edge over other applicants and reaffirms your interest in the role and the company. Below, we’re sharing the 50 best questions to ask in a job interview and some tips to help increase your chances of getting hired, so keep scrolling. Asking the Right Questions During a Job Interview When an interviewer encourages you to ask questions, you should have two goals. The first one is to evaluate the company itself and if the job is really for you. Working in a company is a commitment, so you’ll want to make sure that you, the company, and your role are all compatible. Another goal is to prove to the interviewer that you are the best candidate for the position. Coming prepared is always a good sign, and interviewers will notice if you approach this segment of the interview with confidence and preparedness. You can also achieve your goal of getting hired by asking insightful questions. Refrain from questions that are answerable by a simple yes or no. Instead, raise questions that require detailed answers. Ask about the company’s goals, struggles, future opportunities, developments, and more. It’s also important to personalize your questions. Avoid generic language and make it applicable to your role. For example, do not just ask the interviewer what a usual day in the office looks like. Instead, ask how a usual day for you in this position looks. Apart from showing genuine interest in the role you’re applying for; you’re also helping the interviewer visualize you performing the job. Don’t be too robotic. Ask questions that make this part of the interview a continuation of your conversation. For example, if earlier in the interview the hiring manager mentioned a project that you would potentially work on in this role, you can follow up with a question that brings up more detail about that project or ones like it. By letting the conversation flow smoothly and naturally, you’re also building rapport with the hiring manager. Top Questions Focused on the Job By asking questions specific to the job you’re applying for, you’re showing your interest and commitment to the role. Moreover, you should have a clear grasp of what your day-to-day responsibilities would be to set your expectations and avoid any surprises and frustrations. What does a typical day or week look like for this position? What are the most crucial things I must accomplish during my first 30, 60, or 90 days in the position? What are the most immediate tasks or projects that I should fulfill? Can you give me some examples of the projects I’d need to accomplish? May I know if this is a new role or if I’ll be replacing an employee who’s about to leave? How does your performance review process work? When and how often would I receive the evaluation? What metrics does the team use to assess performance for this role? What are some of the biggest hurdles that an employee taking this role would face? What are the skills and attributes needed to be successful in this position? Is there a chance for the major responsibilities for this role to change over the next six months? How? How does this role contribute to the overall success and growth of the company? Best Questions Focused on the Company Learning more about the company you may be working with will help you see if you share the same values and if you’re going in the same direction. Working with others who share your values will give you a greater sense of fulfillment and happiness in the long run. Moreover, asking the following questions can give you an idea regarding job security. At the same time, you’re highlighting your commitment to the company. What goals are the company focusing on right now? How does the team help ensure these goals are met? What direction do you think the company will be moving in several years from now? I’ve learned about how the company started, but can you share with me how the company has changed over the years? What makes you excited about the future of the company? What can you share with me about new products, services, or development plans? How would you describe the most important values of the company? What steps does the company take to make sure its values are practiced and maintained? Practical Questions Focused on the Interviewer Raising questions related to the interviewer is one way to establish rapport with a potential colleague. It also means that you’re interested in them as a person and not just a tool to help you get the job. In addition, you’ll get an insider’s view of the working environment. You might also just learn how the interviewer started and progressed in the company. How long have you been working with this company? How has your role changed since you started working here? What is your favorite thing about being part of this company? May I know why you chose to work for this company? What is it about your job that gets you most excited in the next several months? What challenge(s) do you often or occasionally encounter with this job? Are there some future projects or initiatives that you’re particularly passionate about? Smart Questions Focused on the Team To help you find out what type of team you’ll be working with and determine if it’s the right team for you, try asking some of the following questions. These might give you a chance to mention some experiences you’ve had working with similar teams, thus reinforcing how you’re suitable for the role. Can you tell me more about the team I’ll be part of? To whom would I report directly? Who would I be working with most closely? What other units or departments will my team work closely with and how? Are you planning to hire more people for this team in the next six months? What are the strengths and challenges of the team? What kinds of skills do the current team lack that you think a new hire could offer? Interesting Questions Focused on the Culture Knowing about the company culture can help you determine if it’s the right company for you and if you’ll enjoy working there long term. You’ll also get a glimpse of how the company values employee happiness and work-life balance. Ask questions related to what matters to you in a company’s culture. Here are some ideas: What office tradition do you like the most? Can you tell me more about the work environment? Is the work generally more independent or more collaborative? What’s something different about working in this company from other organizations you’ve worked for? Does the company hold events with other departments or organizations? How do you usually onboard your employees? How does the organization ensure the same standards and opportunities for both remote and in-office employees? How has the company developed since you joined here? Is there anything that I should study or read before starting that can help me develop a shared understanding and stronger relationship with my colleagues? What does the team often do for lunch? Do team members spend time with each other outside of the office? How does the team create and maintain a strong, healthy relationship with each other? While you’re still trying to get the job, it’s best to see what opportunities await you should you become part of the company. You’ll want to grow both professionally and personally. Moreover, asking questions about future opportunities will let the hiring manager see how dedicated you are to excelling in the job and not just simply showing up and completing tasks every day. How does your onboarding process work? Does the company offer professional development opportunities? How do these work? How are employees rewarded who excel in their roles? Will there be stretch assignments that can help me acquire new skills? Do you think the role will expand in the future? Does the company provide on-the-job training? Will there be an opportunity to represent the team or company at conferences and other events? Common Questions Regarding the Next Steps Before the whole interview ends, you’ll want to make sure the interview has all the necessary information they need to consider you for the job. At the same time, you want to know what to expect afterward, so ask these questions. May I know the next steps in the interview process? Are there any other questions that I can answer for you? Is there anything else that I have to provide that may be helpful? By asking if they have final questions for you, you’ll have a chance to address any possible objections they may have. Moreover, you can clarify any questions they have regarding your qualifications for the role. Apart from learning the 50 best questions to ask in a job interview, you should also know what questions to avoid, so you won’t lose your chance of getting the role. Examples include the following: What will be my starting salary? Can you tell me about your leave policies? How soon do you promote or give a raise to your employees? How often do you give bonuses? Will I have my own office? Who are the top competitors of the company? Are there any other roles open? When will you make an offer to someone for this position? How soon can I file for vacation leave after getting hired? What is the worst part about working here? Asking about the salary might create an impression that you’re only after the compensation. Besides, companies often indicate in their job ads the salary. Thus, avoid questions related to salary, promotions, vacation and sick leaves, and other benefits. You don’t want to sound arrogant or impatient with questions like if you’ll have your own office or if you got the job. Instead, show that you respect their hiring process, and let them approach you first regarding their decision. Moreover, avoid asking questions that can be answered with quick research. You’re expected to search about the company and the role, so keep your questions relevant and personalized. A job interview is a two-way process. The company needs to see if you’re the right person for the job and you need to determine if the role, the company, and its culture are what you’re looking for. When the interviewer asks you if you have any questions for them, use these 50 best questions to ask in a job interview. Want to make sure you’ll ace your job interview? Our interview experts are here to help you prepare for your interview. From creating impressive resumes to working with a professional coach, ResumeSpice is equipped to help you realize your career goals.	10,942
Over the past couple of months, I have been working through The Gospels – the first four books of the New Testament. Specifically, I’ve been examining the responses of Jesus toward any situation or circumstance He faced. Although there are so many things to glean from those four books, I’ve been most fascinated with the story of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Because I want to capture the full account of this story, I’ve taken the liberty of combining Scripture from Matthew and Luke so we can see a more complete picture of what occurred after the Last Supper with His disciples in the Garden. Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and His disciples followed Him. And He said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray”. He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee (James and John) with Him, and He began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then He said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.” Going a little farther, He fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.” An angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him. And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. When He rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, He found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. “Why are you sleeping?” He asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may Your will be done.” When He came back, He again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So He left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. Then He returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! Here comes My betrayer!” Before we can look at Jesus’ responses, I’d like to take some time to really zoom in on His current circumstances – what He was going through, what He was experiencing in each moment, the emotions He must have felt. Keep in mind as we examine this passage that Jesus was, at this time, 100% God and 100% human. He went through many of the same things that we go through. 1 Peter 4:1 states that “Christ suffered while He was in the body” and Hebrews 4:15 states, “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses since He had the same temptations we do, though He never once gave way to them and sinned.” So what WAS going on? Matthew 26:37-38 – Jesus “began to be sorrowful and troubled”. His soul was “overwhelmed with sorrow”. The word “sorrow” here refers to both physical and mental pain. We see a couple of things here – inner turmoil and dread is one, and second, the grief from bearing the weight of other’s sins…the sins of the whole world. Think for a moment about a time when you felt the most burdened about a sin you’d committed, or maybe it was just a sinful thought. Or try and remember a time of immense grief where you couldn’t eat and you couldn’t sleep. You just felt ill. The emotional agony of the situation was just too much to bear. Now imagine the weight of your one situation multiplied by the burden of the sins of the whole world! Can you see it in your mind’s eye? I don’t know if we can ever begin to comprehend the weight of the burden that Christ was feeling that night, but we’re going to try. His burden – His cup of wrath He was to drink – was so huge that we see in Matthew 26:39, the severity of the stress he was under. He prays, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.” He was under so much stress of knowing what was to come that He actually pleads with His Dad to not make Him have to go through with it, to please take this horrific life sentence away from Him. Jesus, in this very moment, shows His full humanity. He knows what it’s like to go before the Father and beg for His situation to be removed from Him. We can only imagine how He must have wept privately here. He was under so much pressure and so much grief that when you skip to Luke 22:43-44, it says, “An angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him. And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” He was in so much physical and emotional anguish over what He had to do, that an angel had to come and strengthen Him. Scientists say that when a person is under that much emotional turmoil or grief, the capillaries in the human head can actually pop, causing a blood-like sweat as we see here. Can you imagine a grief so great? Looking back to the text in Matthew 26:40, 43, and again in verse 45, they state “Then He returned to His disciples and found them sleeping. ‘Could you men not keep watch with Me for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation’.” “When He came back, He again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy.” “Then He returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting?” Here Jesus is on arguably the most difficult night of His entire life. We know He is already in severe distress and anguish – physical and emotional agony – and His closest friends, who He asked to stay with Him in Matthew 26:39 – “Stay here and keep watch with Me”, fell asleep on Him…repeatedly! Try to envision for a moment the extreme loneliness and abandonment He must have felt. He was beyond overwhelmed with sorrow and grief. This was the time He should have been surrounded by His closest friends, comforted by them, having them be an alert, wakeful, and sympathetic presence, knowing they would be praying for Him, consoling Him, but they let Him down…big time. They completely ignored His request. Have you ever been let down by somebody who was your closest friend? The abandonment and loneliness He experienced here would have been so much worse of a blow because it provided a glimpse, a foretaste, of what was to come – from the imminent abandonment from His friends when they deserted Him after His arrest – to the cross, where even His Father would turn His face away from Him. Looking back at Matthew 26:42, Jesus prays the second time stating, “My Father, IF IT IS NOT POSSIBLE for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it…” He prayed the first time in Matthew 26:39 asking His Father to take the cup away from Him. We can deduce from here that the reason He was in great anguish and needed to be comforted by the angels was because He received an answer to His prayer that He was not wanting. He knew by verse 42 that God was not going to take this cup of wrath away from Him. He was going to have to endure it. Have you ever received an answer to prayer that you weren’t hoping for? Maybe you just assumed God didn’t answer your prayer because what you asked for wasn’t allowed. In Matthew 26:46 which states, “Rise, let us go!”, we see that Jesus faced his own, imminent death – literally. Many of us haven’t had to go through that just yet, but I can’t help but think of numerous friends and family members we know who have had to do exactly that…possibly through a terminal illness diagnosis or failing health. There is not one thing that we will go through that Jesus has not already experienced. And finally, this whole story of the Garden of Gethsemane has Jesus surrounded by betrayal from one of His closest friends. Jesus called it in Matthew 26:25 at the Last Supper: “Then Judas, the one who would betray Him, said, ‘Surely not I, Rabbi?’. Jesus answered, ‘Yes, it is you.’” and immediately following the garden’s story, we see Judas do exactly what Jesus said he would in Matthew 26:48&49 – “Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: ‘The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.’ Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi!’ and kissed Him.” There’s nothing quite like betrayal – but it’s so much worse when it comes from a close friend. So how DID Jesus respond to all of these things? First of all – look back at the very first verse of the bolded passage. “Jesus went out AS USUAL to the Mount of Olives…” When Jesus was in the area, this is where He went to meet with God. He had a special place set aside just for prayer. That’s actually how Judas knew where they were going to be that night…because Jesus made it a regular habit to meet with His Father there in prayer. When His sorrow and anguish was too great to bear, when He felt the most alone and abandoned by His closest friends – leaving Him to deal with His burden by Himself, Jesus chose to pray…and he kept returning to His only source of comfort – His Father. Notice that at His loneliest time, God was still present through prayer. Jesus’s prayer life was well-established long before a difficult situation ever arose in His life. What are your prayer habits like? Do you wait until a hard time comes up before going to meet with the Lord in prayer or do you have a regular prayer life already established so that prayer is your first response to everything and anything? One other item I want to point out here is Jesus’s posture in Matthew 26:39 – he laid, face flat, on the ground. It’s worshipful. But it’s also a position of a servant’s cry to His King. Jesus chose to receive help from the angels. He chose to not get angry with His friends even though they completely ignored His request to stay awake with Him. He chose to trust His Father totally, in full surrender. You see this through the way He ends each of His prayers: “not what I will, but what You will”. Just think about that for a moment! What is the biggest thing you have ever prayed for, cried out to God for? Did you ask Him just for what you wanted or were you ready and willing to embrace His will? If not, what was it that held you back? He also chose to face His death with courage and obedience – with total surrender and acceptance. When faced with these kinds of situations or difficulties in life, how do YOU respond? Is your response self-seeking? Self-loathing? Clothed in self-pity and self-servitude? Or is your response more like Christ’s? With humility. With grace. With obedience. With trust. With total surrender to the Father’s will. As we prepare for this Easter season, may each one of us surrender ourselves totally to the authority of our God. May we do as the Psalmist says in Psalm 139:23-24 and truthfully ask, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” May we daily choose to humbly and gracefully surrender our will to His, to fully obey, and to fully trust Him. Main points to remember along our journey toward Home: Step 1 – Ensure that you have a consistent and meaningful prayer life established before dark or difficult times arise. Step 2 – Don’t blame God – even though He may be allowing the pain you’re experiencing. Choose not to blame. Choose to trust. Step 3 – Go to Him in prayer and humility even though that might be the last thing you want to do – when everyone else is distracted and sleeping – go to Him…repeatedly.	11,578
As the team leader, Jill brings exactly that to the table… leadership, knowledge, and passion for real estate... As the team leader, Jill brings exactly that to the table… leadership, knowledge, and passion for real estate... Nov 10 6 minutes read Have you been browsing real estate listings, driving by homes for sale, or even visiting open houses with the dream of becoming a homeowner? If you’ve been putting off buying a home in the uncertain economic landscape, now may be the time you’ve been waiting for. After years of a seller’s market where it was difficult and sometimes impossible for buyers to find their dream home, the trend is shifting in the buyers’ favor. A local real estate agent can help you navigate these trends and find the right home. Why Now is the Time to Buy Home buyers may be aware that the Fed keeps increasing interest rates, which reduces affordability. What they may not realize is that some changes in the housing market are beneficial to them. After a couple of years where homes went off the market just days after being listed, they are now sitting on the market longer. Instead of selling in days or a couple of weeks, you see homes in some areas listed for more than a month. With it taking longer for the properties to sell, it leads to the seller lowering the price. Price reductions help out buyers who may have a tight budget. Rising prices have made everyone’s budgets tighter, which may mean that homeowners decide to sell if they have more homes than they can comfortably afford. More homes on the market also lowers the price, benefiting buyers. Mortgage rates have reached the 6% mark for the first time since 2008. With higher rates, buying a home today is often less appealing and more expensive than a couple of years ago. This leads to fewer buyers feeling confident in making a significant investment now, knowing that a recession could lead to job loss and even tighter finances. If you’re one of the home buyers looking for a property amid economic uncertainty, you’ll be happy to know that options exist to help you get into a new home you can afford. More buyers are turning to adjustable-rate mortgages to lower their monthly payments and qualify for more homes. An adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) allows you to get into a home at a lower interest rate than a fixed interest rate mortgage. Adjustable-rate mortgages charge a lower interest rate now than fixed loans with the ability to change the rate in a specific time period. For instance, a 5/1 ARM means that in five years, the interest rate will adjust to whatever is current at that time. Buyers can benefit from an ARM in today’s market because it increases their buying power. If the interest rates go down in five years or whenever the rates on an ARM adjust, the buyer will lower their payments. Another option for home buyers in today’s economy is the 2-1 Buy Down. This type of loan allows you to pay a lower interest rate now than current mortgage rates, raising it some in the next year and getting to the final rate in the third and future years. Sellers and developers will often pay for a buy-down to entice buyers to make an offer. Ways to Reduce the Cost of Buying a Home You don’t have to let the rising interest rates keep you from buying a home now if you’re ready. You can take steps to make it easier to get an affordable loan. For example, make sure you have excellent credit to get the best interest rates. Come up with a larger down payment to reduce the interest rate on your mortgage. Because you’re assuming more risk, lenders are often willing to negotiate. Fewer buyers are willing to waive real estate contingencies, such as not having a home inspection. Sellers also set up contingencies, such as having financing in place before putting in an offer. All these real estate contingencies limited the pool of buyers competing for the same property. With the loss of these contract contingencies, it has leveled the field for all buyers. You also still have the option of paying mortgage points to lower the rate. Lenders often offer the option of paying these mortgage points to make loans more affordable. For each point you pay to the lender, the interest rate goes down by one percent. If you plan to live in the home for a long time, this extra cost may pay off in the long run. If you’re a first-time buyer, you have access to various first-time buyer programs. These programs provide you with assistance for your down payment. Your real estate agent can point you toward local, state, and federal programs that will help make your home more affordable. Home buyers can take advantage of the changes in the market if they are willing to adjust their expectations. You may need to consider living in another area or a smaller home if you want to buy now. Your real estate agent can help you find an affordable home that will suit your needs. We're Here to Help The key to buying is to be prepared and know which tools you want to utilize to make your home more affordable. We'd love to help you decide if now is the time to begin the home buying process. Let's Chat Let's Keep in Touch We respect your inbox. We only send interesting and relevant emails. We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience and deliver our services. By continuing to visit this site, you agree to our use of cookies. More info	5,489
Before launching into the motivations, the technical aspects, and the artistic intentions behind “Dreamscapes and the Subconscious,” an exhibit opening at IPFW’s Visual Arts Gallery on Monday, February 21, it’s important to make one thing very clear — the “wow” factor is very high with this show. The exhibit is subtitled “an interactive experience,” and in this case, it really is interactive; viewers can affect and somewhat control the video sequences, time lapse journeys, and surreal landscapes that make up the multimedia show. Basically, you can touch the art. In fact, Allen Etter and Andres Montenegro, the two professors in IPFW’s Department of Visual Communication and Design who created “Dreamscapes…,” want you to touch the art. That’s the whole point of the show. “Most viewers are very shy, very hesitant, to interact with pieces in a typical art show,” says Andres Montenegro, assistant professor of 3D computer animation, 3D modeling, and advanced rendering. “The idea here, is we want them to feel confident enough to interact with the pieces, to cross that boundary. It’s not a passive show. We want them to engage and be part of the show.” “Besides, all they have to do is clap, or snap their fingers, or breath into a microphone,” adds Allen Etter. “We’re not asking them to break into a dance.” Clap? Snap your fingers? Breath into a microphone? Well, yes, that’s all it takes. And the reaction — the change you see happening in real-time on the screen you’re looking at — is as dramatic as the action is simple. An example: one of the pieces Etter and Montenegro show me is called “Sleepwalking,” a sequence of a woman somnambulating down a dark, indistinct hallway. Etter claps once, and just as quickly, the woman appears to react in some way to the sound. In one instance, she abruptly turns her head around, as if startled by the noise. In another, the lighting dramatically changes from a soothing blue to a fiery red-orange. In another, her hair appears to suddenly “frizz out…” The transitions are seamless and striking; like the title of the show says, the overall feel of this particular piece recalls a strange and even disturbing dream. “I haven’t had very many sleepwalking experiences, but in one I can recall, I knew what was happening but couldn’t control it,” Etter says. “I felt like someone was in control, and it wasn’t me, and it was very frightening.” Another animated piece, this one by Montenegro, is a series of different animals moving across a surreal landscape. “These are computer-generated idea of graphics, not the classic renderings,” Montenegro explains. “It creates this illusion of the flesh moving on the animal.” Montenegro explains that the viewer will manipulate the camera angle, pan across the landscape or move closer to various objects by using a similar “trigger” as in “Sleepwalking” — making a particular sound, or just breathing into a microphone. “The camera will be in a certain position, and it will be up to the viewer to manipulate this camera,” Montenegro says. “You’re the director, you experience this world and navigate inside it.” “It’s almost like daydreaming, controlling the direction it’s going,” adds Etter. “With the sleepwalker, something else, is controlling her. In this, it’s almost like you’re controlling the direction.” Yet another piece shows two people moving towards each other for a kiss, except Etter stretches what in the real world would be a matter of a few seconds into a 20-minute sequence. As the viewer moves closer to the screen, the action speeds up. “In this show, we’re touching on everything from sleepwalking to recurring dreams to time-lapse in dreams, how some dreams tend to go by really fast and others are painfully slow,” Etter says. “Sometimes you feel you don’t have control in those dreams. With this, we’re allowing viewers to have control of the dreams.” “Dreamscapes…” came about when Etter was working on some short films exploring dreams and started talking to Montengro about his project. Montenegro happened to be working on the animated dreamscapes with landscapes and animals. “We started discussing artists like (Giorgio) de Chirico and different surrealists, and we both realized we had this sort of ‘connection,’ Etter says. “We realized we could put together a show that could be interactive so that people could interact with the videos and some of the animation and explore the dream realm.” On an artistic level, Etter and Montenegro say they would like viewers of “Dreamscapes…” to consider the fact that though we speak different languages and have different cultures, everybody in the world dreams. “It’s a way of kind of opening up and sharing, because there’s a certain lack of control that you have when you’re dreaming, and everybody tends to experience that, whether you’re falling or flying or being chased down a hallway by a giant cat,” Etter says. “It’s something you can share with each other and bridge gaps. But they also just want people to have fun with the pieces in “Dreamscapes…”. Etter and Montenegro achieve the effects — the “real world” trigger and the immediate reaction in the piece — using various software, but frankly, neither of them seem all that interested in going into detail about it. That might be because these tools, or things like them, have been around for several years now; Montenegro, for one, has used programs in various animation projects before (and anyone wanting to know a little more about what goes on behind the curtain can attend a symposium on the exhibit on Thursday, February 24). In fact, these effects are becoming more common in, for example, music and dance performance, where sound or movement can be meshed seamlessly with video images. But, as teachers as well as artists, Montenegro and Etter say that with the “Dreamscapes…” exhibit, they hope to show how artists can use these tools in their own work. Even among the visual arts community, where working with computers is pretty much the norm, Etter and Montenegro encounter people who don’t really “get it” or don’t see the potential. One student who saw a bit of the “Sleepwalking” piece insisted that Etter was just clapping along with the video… until she tried it herself. And according to Etter, another person who saw part of the project said “wow, neat… but so what?” Allowing people — especially students and artists — to actually get their hands on this stuff opens up a whole new range of storytelling and communication possibilities, and lets them answer the “so what” question for themselves. “When you’re able to show someone, ‘look, here’s how it applies…’ it becomes much more exciting, much more than just neat software,” Etter says. “It’s something we’d like to eventually incorporate into the classroom, so students can say ‘I want to do something interactive, I want to do some storytelling where if somebody makes one kind of noise, the story goes off in one direction; if they make a different noise, it goes off in another direction’. A student’s project might never be the same twice.” The show runs through March 20; Etter and Montenegro will discuss techniques and answer questions at a symposium on Thursday, February 24 at 6 PM in VA room 204. Opens Monday, February 21 Symposium Thursday, Feb. 24 at 6 p.m. VA 204, with a reception in the gallery immediately following The free exhibition can be viewed daily in the Visual Arts Gallery from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.	7,731
“It’s discouraging to think how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit.” — Charles in Noel Coward’s “Blithe Spirit” Three’s a crowd in the Codomine home. There’s the novelist Charles and his wife, Ruth, and then along comes Elvira, the ghost of Charles’ first wife. Theatrical hauntings have rarely been more wickedly funny. Noel Coward could twist a situation with the turn of a phrase, and with “Blithe Spirit,” the opening production of the Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre season, his take on the battle of the sexes is even more twisted than usual. Charles and Ruth are a contented couple when they invite a kooky clairvoyant to perform a seance. He’s fully expecting a fraud but instead is visited by the ghost of his ex. He’s spooked, of course, but Ruth can’t see or hear the apparition and thinks madness has overtaken him. “I think Noel Coward is brilliant in that he does most of the work for us,” says Vera Varlamov, who plays the ghostly Elvira. “The writing is crisp and intelligent and funny, and for me it gives me a nice structure in which to play and have fun and fly. I just did another Noel Coward in Orlando; people are delighted by it and I’m delighted to play with this playwright.” By fly, she may not be talking metaphorically. “To not look at this one when she’s floating around?” she says, looking squarely at her co-star. “You’re like, something pretty’s floating by, but I don’t see her. She’s saying something, but I don’t hear her. There are times when we are right beside each other or behind each other but I’m looking at the man [she turns to Dan Rodden, who plays Charles]. It’s brilliant, but it has to play so well from the audience.” Mr. Rodden, new to Pittsburgh, has played Charles before, 13 years ago for the New American Theatre in Rockford, Md. He’s serene for now, seated alongside set pieces in the Stephen Foster Memorial in Oakland, but just wait until the curtain goes up. Despite his previous encounter with the role, he says this feels like the first time, a haunting in a new setting with a new director, Alan Stanford. “Plus I’ve got two other wives, so of course their interpretation is going to be different than the first time,” he says, chuckling. Rehearsals have been a fun fest of activities, including observing Mary Rawson as Madame Arcati. A recent production in London saw Dame Angela Lansbury reprise her 2009 Tony-winning role as the madcap medium and inspired London Telegraph critic Charles Spencer to write of “Blithe Spirit”: “It is a comedy that still startles and delights. Coward wrote it in the darkest days of the Second World War and in the circumstances its determinedly frivolous attitude to morality seems downright heroic. Yet it is also a comedy that makes you shiver. …” The rest of that paragraph is a bit of a spoiler, even if the play has been around since 1940. “A lot of the comedy comes from the fact that we’re all playing these high-brow, stiff-upper-lip British characters from the ’40s who find themselves thrust into this ridiculous situation. It’s playing the type of people they are against the situation that makes the funny happen.” The three actors were working on the tongue twisters that Coward has set forth for the cast. For one thing, “There are so many words!” Mr. Rodden notes. Ms. Griffith says it would be difficult to pick just one line that was giving her fits as rehearsals barrelled toward opening night, then it came to her. “The one I was hung up on — When was that? The end of last week? — was, ‘As far as WASPish [she flubs it a bit] female psychology goes, there’s a strong vain of it in you.’ … ‘WASPish.’ My mouth is just like, ‘What are you doing to me?’ ” The actress who began in musical theater is thrilled to be challenging her skills in ways she never expected. “I remember seeing ‘Three Sisters,’ and that’s all I wanted to do in my life, but there was no way anyone was going to take me seriously because I was a belting dancer,” she says. “And now to be able to say that I finally get to do a Noel Coward … It also makes sense. I wouldn’t have had the skill set at 24-26, I would have been too scared to even approach it. And now it’s the right time.” “My favorite line is, ‘Oh, Charles,’ ” Ms. Varlamov says with emphasis and a giggle. It’s fraught with possibilities — think Mary Tyler Moore’s “Oh, Rob,” on “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” “I say it a few times but across the board, it’s my favorite line so far.” Her onstage husband asks if she’s “had a talk” about her character’s makeup yet. “No, but I’ve had a talk with me about it,” she answers to laughter. “I love all that stuff.” Ms. Varlamov appeared last season in PICT’s “Our Class,” a searing drama about neighbor turning on neighbor during World War II. “Blithe Spirit” is 180 degrees in another direction. She admits it can be freeing for an actress when laughter is the main goal. “The point here is to entertain, to delight,” Ms. Varlamov says. “I do find myself making choices that aren’t necessarily to tell the grander truth of humanity but to shed light on what is funny.”	5,400
I don't see much to be positive about in this screenshot from this morning. Welcome to Fairbanks. We still don't have much snow yet. Actual snow depth on the ground may be 5" - 6" or so. We could really use a bit more to avoid frozen sewer and water pipes. It looks like it's going to be cold for a while. We just arrived back home last night from our quick trip to PA. Since we wanted to arrive home before midnight, we had to return through Los Angeles. This made for more time in the air (more airline miles!). Maybe it'll be enough to bump me up to the next tier in Alaska Airlines loyalty program. I stopped at College Coffeehouse this morning and was greeted with "Where's the bike?". It may be in the garage for a while as it probably won't be warm enough to ride (maybe +10°F) for a couple of months. Time to dig into some of those maintenance items... Posted by RichardM at 1:51 PM 23 comments: VStar Lady November 29, 2016 at 2:56 PM That's way to far into the minuses ... Gotta have the snow for sure. ReplyDelete Replies RichardM November 29, 2016 at 4:40 PM Way too many negative signs in that photo... Delete Replies Saw the title....thought with dread: "Oh no, a political post". Glad to see it was instead about the brisk temperatures you're having up there. Hopefully you'll get the snow you need soon. BTW, are you not riding it because of the wear/tear of starting the engine once it's gotten so cold outside? ReplyDelete Replies RichardM November 29, 2016 at 4:47 PM A political post!? Not me... I don't think that the Ural lubrication system circulates well enough when it's cold. Especially the rod bearings and maybe even the cam bearing and lobes. Those needed to be replaced. The main bearings were replaced "just because" but weren't worn like the rod bearings, cam lobes and cam bearings. There was also some scoring on the cylinder walls. Delete Replies redlegsrides November 29, 2016 at 4:57 PM I see, so if I'm reading the above right, even when warmed up, just not enough oil circulating around (as much as a Ural engine "circulates" oil anyways) and excessive wear occurs? Delete Replies RichardM November 29, 2016 at 5:35 PM My current thought is that even when the heads are nice and warm, the engine housing is still somewhat cold and the oil may not return as quick into the sump. That was one of the reasons that I picked up the deep sump pan last year. Delete Replies Bluekat November 29, 2016 at 5:54 PM Just keep all that negativity up there! ReplyDelete Replies RichardM November 29, 2016 at 6:16 PM So sharing would be bad? Delete Replies Bluekat November 29, 2016 at 7:04 PM You can share some of that midnight sun next summer. :) Delete Replies Learning to Golf November 30, 2016 at 3:00 AM That type of negativity is awful! At the temperatures you ride in I would guess the motor would never reach operating temperatures. I'm reading on the Guzzi forums folks are covering their oil coolers to encourage warmer oil in locals where it is dropping only into the 50s. ReplyDelete Replies RichardM November 30, 2016 at 1:00 PM Even at those temperatures, the heads and cylinders easily reach operating temperature. E.g. CHT > 380°F (temperature corrected). The crankcase is another story. The oil cooler should have a thermostat. On the BMW, the oil rarely gets warm enough to even get routed through the cooler. Delete Replies Learning to Golf November 30, 2016 at 1:59 PM The Guzzi doesn't have a thermostat as it is straight through design. Delete Replies Canajun November 30, 2016 at 5:13 AM Yow! We'll probably see -29 here at some point but probably not until late January by which time we may have adapted a bit. ReplyDelete Replies RichardM November 30, 2016 at 1:01 PM It's possible to get adapted to it? No matter what, it feels cold. Delete Replies SonjaM November 30, 2016 at 11:10 AM I'm getting cold just by looking at this temperature. Hand me the hot water bottle, and get me some steaming tea please. ReplyDelete Replies RichardM November 30, 2016 at 1:04 PM Steaming tea does sound nice about now... Some locations have already seen -50°F (-46°C). We rarely see really cold temperatures. (Sounds like famous last words)	4,404
A colorful painting of a hand hewn wooden lobster buoy. These large buoys used to be hung off the side of lobster boats, it's colors corresponded to the boat's buoys in the water, and was a way for the harbor master to make sure a boat didn't steal someone else's catch. I painted this in a fairly loose style with plenty of spatter and texture to capture the charming imperfections of a hand painted buoy. - Hand signed and dated - Printed on museum quality etching rag paper - Optional Mat is white, acid-free, and mounted with archival tape - Frame not included Size and framing notes - 11x14" and larger prints are shipped in a tube and may be shipped separately from other items in your order. - Prints have an additional white border (size refers to image size). The prints fit into a standard mat window for that size. If you are buying an unmatted print and would like it cut to exact size (to go in a frame with no mat) let me know in the checkout notes and I can trim it for you.	1,006
Fundamental to a well-managed pest control programme is detecting what predators you have and monitoring the changes in abundance as your trapping regime progresses. Leg hold traps are a traditional way to achieve this, but may not be sensitive to possum presence when possum levels are at very low abundance. Recently published research puts two New Zealand-invented devices to the test. Chew-track-cards (CTCs) were developed by Connovation (Auckland) and WaxTags (WTs) were developed by Pest Control Research Limited (Christchurch). Initial results indicate they may offer better performance in low density pest situations. They’re also very easy to use. Scientists from Lincoln University compared not only the performance of CTCs and WTs in detecting possums – but also looked at what effect audio lures had. The audio lure consisted of a black box emitting 10 beeps every 15 minutes during the hours of darkness and was intended to increase the chance of a possum encountering the detection device (CTC or WT) and interacting with it. In the absence of an audio lure, possums must use sight to locate a device. In the case of chew-track-cards, peanut butter incorporated into the CTC also acts as an olfactory lure once the possum is nearby. The trial was carried out in a mixed beech forest near Lake Rotoiti in Nelson Lakes National Park where possum numbers had previously been assessed as low-medium density. A total of 48 monitoring sites were established on a grid – 24 CTCs (with peanut butter lures) and 24 WTs (unlured). Twelve each of the CTCs and WTs also had an audio lure emitting beeps. Results showed that, over the time-frame of this experiment, possums were more likely to encounter and interact with silent (no audio lure) chew-track-cards than with silent WaxTags – probably because of the attraction of the peanut butter lure. When an audio lure was used in conjunction with the detection devices, both showed increased sensitivity to possum presence. With the addition of the audio lure, CTCs and WTs performed equally well with 75% of ‘noisy’ sites detecting possum presence. The researchers conclude: “As possum populations are reduced to increasingly lower densities in an attempt to locally eradicate bovine tuberculosis, the use of audio lures may become a greater part of possum surveillance monitoring in New Zealand.” This research was published in New Zealand Natural Sciences. The full report is freely available: Sensitivity of audio-lured versus silent chew-track-cards and WaxTags to the presence of brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) (2013) The next research project looked at chew track cards from a different perspective. Does the fact that they are highly sensitive at detecting predators limit their use to situations where there are low pest densities? In this project, scientists looked at how well chew-track-cards worked at indicating rat and possum numbers across widely varying pest densities. Chew card sample Because CTCs are a highly sensitive detection method, the research was carried out over a short time period of two nights at 11 forest remnant sites that varied widely in rat and possum numbers. CTC indices of rat and possum abundance were compared with results obtained with a footprint tracking rate index (rat abundance) and wax tag bite rate index (possum abundance). A strong correlation was found between CTC results and the other indices. CTC results were “no more sensitive than these measures, and they showed little indication of saturation at high pest abundances.” There was also no evidence of rat interference altering CTC possum bite rates over the two-night timeframe – a problem that had previously been reported over longer surveillance periods. The researchers conclude that: “CTCs, deployed for two nights, are a promising tool for use over a wide range of pest abundances. Further research is required to examine whether rat interference is ever sufficiently high to obscure possum sign, and to confirm that the index can reflect meaningful variation in population density.” The full report is published in the New Zealand Journal of Ecology and is freely available: Efficacy of chew-track-card indices of rat and possum abundance across widely varying pest densities (2015) RELATED River tested as reinvasion obstacle to possums What is predator free 2050? How to choose the right trap Chew cards Get involved Our events To connect and energise all New Zealanders towards a predator free New Zealand to enable our native species to thrive.	4,794
New Orleans Pelicans’ Zion Williamson, left, drives past Brooklyn Nets’ Nic Claxton, top right, and Ben Simmons during the first half of an NBA basketball… New Orleans Pelicans’ Zion Williamson, left, drives past Brooklyn Nets’ Nic Claxton, top right, and Ben Simmons during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022 in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) Posted: Oct 19, 2022 / 08:11 PM MDT Updated: Oct 19, 2022 / 09:13 PM MDT New Orleans Pelicans’ Zion Williamson, left, drives past Brooklyn Nets’ Nic Claxton, top right, and Ben Simmons during the first half of an NBA basketball… New Orleans Pelicans’ Zion Williamson, left, drives past Brooklyn Nets’ Nic Claxton, top right, and Ben Simmons during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022 in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) Posted: Oct 19, 2022 / 08:11 PM MDT Updated: Oct 19, 2022 / 09:13 PM MDT NEW YORK (AP) — Zion Williamson resumed his assault on backboards and basketball players, leaving both at the mercy of his skills and strength. “It’s like he didn’t miss a beat,” New Orleans coach Willie Green said. “You just throw the ball to him and watch what he does.” Williamson returned from a one-year absence with 25 points and nine rebounds, powering the Pelicans to a season-opening 130-108 rout of the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night. The No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft looked fully recovered and explosive after being sidelined with a broken right foot, and his addition to a roster that made the playoffs without him could make the Pelicans a rising team in the Western Conference. “Simply playing the game I love that I didn’t get to play for a long time just was a breath of fresh air,” Williamson said. Ben Simmons also returned to action after a missed season but had the misfortune of having to cover Williamson for much of the brief time he was in the game. He fouled out early in the fourth quarter with four points, five rebounds and five assists, taking three shots. “It takes time,” Simmons said. “Having back surgery and being away from the game for a year there are little things that your mind might tell you to do something, but your body’s not wanting to do that.” Brandon Ingram scored 28 points and CJ McCollum had 21 for the Pelicans, who finished strong last season and opened impressively in this one. Jonas Valanciunas had 15 points and 13 rebounds and New Orleans outrebounded Brooklyn 61-39. “This is a grown man’s league and the most physical team wins and New Orleans came into this with an intent to show why they’re going to be in the hunt for championships over the next few years,” Brooklyn’s Kyrie Irving said. Kevin Durant scored 32 points but was largely a one-man show, with no other Nets player in double figures until the final two minutes of the third quarter. Patty Mills had 16 points and Irving managed 15 on 6-for-19 shooting, going 0 for 6 from 3-point range. The 6-foot-6, 285-pound Williamson was quick off his feet for rebounds and forceful with his moves into the paint, displaying his level of athleticism that’s rare even in the NBA. His basket-shaking dunk with about 8 1/2 minutes remaining brought some of the few cheers from a dejected crowd who watched the home team never lead and trail by as many as 26. It was already 7-0 before Simmons made the first basket of Brooklyn’s season. The Pelicans raced to a 20-4 lead and Williamson’s layup made it 32-14 after one. It was 58-50 at the half before Ingram scored 12 points and Williamson added 11 on 5-for-6 shooting in a 40-point third as the lead grew to 26 before the Pelicans took a 98-78 lead to the fourth. It was a bad way to start the season for a Nets team that desperately wants to forget the last one. A first-round exit — when Simmons never played because of back problems after being acquired for James Harden — gave way to a tumultuous offseason in which Durant asked to be traded and the Nets refused to give Irving a contract extension, forcing him to pick up his option for this one and making it possible it’s his last in Brooklyn. TIP-INS Pelicans: Green said he could tell during the Pelicans’ playoff run last season that Williamson had moved beyond the disappointment of injury rehab to excitement for playing again. “It’s very difficult going through injuries, especially when you’re really young and you’ve been working your tail off to try and be prepared to come in and help your team and you suffer a setback,” Green said. “So he had to navigate through all of those things. Now coming back this offseason, he’s been in the gym all season and that smile is real.” … C Jaxson Hayes (torn elbow ligament) is “very close” to returning,” Green said. Nets: Brooklyn was missing its two best outside shooters, with Joe Harris (sore left foot) and Seth Curry (left ankle) not ready for the start of the season. … Irving addressed the crowd before the start of the game and made a plea for the return of WNBA star Brittney Griner from a Russian prison. “Everybody do your job. Please bring our sister home,” Irving said. Pelicans: At Charlotte on Friday night. Nets: Host Toronto on Friday night. More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.	5,547
Amby Burfoot's tips on building running habits that last; What should I ask 'Running Home' author Katie Arnold? Apr 5, 2020 Share this post There's never been a better time to become a more consistent runner “Progress is not achieved by luck or accident, but by working on yourself daily.” — Epictetus “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” — Will Durant “I pray to be like the ocean, with soft currents, maybe waves at times. More and more, I want the consistency rather than the highs and the lows.” — Drew Barrymore For those of us who were training for races this spring, the coronavirus has (obviously!) thrown everything into limbo. But that doesn’t mean this isn’t a time you can make progress toward your goals, and still improve as a runner. One of the things I’ve found most interesting during this time is that I’ve been able to achieve more consistency as a runner than I have been in a long, long time. And, as it turns out, my own past inconsistency has probably hindered me more than I realized. Sometime later today, I’ll notch my 18th day in a row of running at least a 5K a day — just over 55 miles (and more than 500 minutes) of running in less than three weeks. Previously, my running was very streaky, but in a different way — I’d do great for three to four weeks, then hit a snag with my schedule and lay off for a couple of weeks, and then try to get back to where I was. It was a constant process of two steps forward, one step back (and sometimes two or three steps back). Now, on the other hand, I feel like I’m finally able to think about getting to the place former Runner’s World editor-in-chief Amby Burfoot describes in his 2018 book Run Forever: Veteran runners don’t have to think about their next run, or plan very much for it. They just do it. Running has become a habit for them, much like brushing their teeth, eating three meals a day, and going to work Monday through Friday. Irregular runners, on the other hand, spend more time thinking and plotting than doing. They conjure up a half-dozen questions that must be answered before a run. Am I hydrated enough? Should I buy the new shoes first? Where’s my GPS watch? Do I have any dry shorts? Members of the latter type find that every run seems to disrupt their day. They haven’t yet learned to make running into a habit — something that is second nature, like buying milk for the kids every time you go to the grocery store. I must confess, in recent years I’ve been the person Burfoot describes in the second paragraph above. A lot. But these past few weeks, however, I’ve found myself able more able to think like the veteran runners he mentions in the first graph. Perhaps it’s the freedom I now have in a daily schedule that no longer includes time in traffic commuting to work, and no more weekly calendars filled with obligations for things going on outside our home, that we no longer rush back and forth to do. With those obstacles removed, now I find myself able to put into practice the things Burfoot identifies as essential to building a healthy habit: Deciding on a goal Choosing a simple, daily action that will help you achieve you goal (in my case, running) Planning a consistent time and place when you will complete your daily action Every time you find yourself at the chosen time and place, doing the action I realize, of course, how ridiculously simple this sounds. But what I think Burfoot is getting at is that building a consistent running habit is just like brushing our teeth before we go to bed and when we wake up. When we associate a time and place in our minds with a specific action, we feel the pull of the habit to do it — and no longer must push ourselves to do it. Once you have decided on what you want to make your daily habit, Burfoot says these three steps are key to maintaining it: Running at the same time every day. I didn’t set out to run at the same time every day during the past three weeks or so that we’ve been in quarantine, but for some reason I am finding myself going out for my runs at nearly the same time every day. Our bodies like a familiar rhythm, a consistent pattern (I believe), and so associating the same time every day for your run can work wonders in creating a habit. Establishing a “ready-set-go” routine. Some people need a cup of coffee about 10-15 minutes before they run (I remember Jeff Galloway telling me that once, when I attended a talk of his years ago). For others, a warmup routine works, or a few minutes of yoga or meditation. The specifics of what works for you are less important than they work — so pick something you like to do that helps you make the transition to being in motion. Rewarding yourself. Now, this doesn’t mean a huge chocolate chip muffin when you’re done (however appealing that is!). But, it does mean a way to reward yourself that is meaningful to you, such as saving a dollar or $5 or $10 for every run, and then using what you save at the end of a month or a year to buy something special, or contribute to a cause that’s meaningful for you. Of course, you may have routines and tips that work for you that are entirely different from these — if so, what are they? What are you finding that helps you run better right now? I’d love to know. What should I ask Katie Arnold? What questions do you have for her about running/training/anything else? What would you like to know? Great running reads Is It Really Safe to Exercise Outside? Useful, concrete, science-based tips you can follow if you’re trying to decide whether or not to run regularly outside where you live as we all wait out our various coronavirus-related stay-at-home orders. The post’s author interviews a biology professor, who shares what’s actually likely — and unlikely — to happen when you exercise outdoors, from whether it’s okay to pass within less than six feet of other runners, if just for brief moments. Really worth a read. “There is a risk of your mental health deteriorating during this period. I think it’s important that people do get outside and enjoy the weather and exercise.” Why Running Is a Lifeline During the Coronavirus Crisis. It turns out it’s not just the people who read this newsletter who are “pounding the pavement to stave off pandemic panic” — people all around the world are doing exactly the same thing, as many shared in this live discussion hosted by the Financial Times last week. What’s really interesting to me is how much more strict several European and African nations are about exercising outdoors; in many places, it’s banned (for now). “Without word or gesture, we have formed our own tribe. We are the ones who have chosen putting one foot in front of the other as our way of keeping some semblance of normal in this most abnormal of worlds.” This Is What It’s Like to Live Under a Running Ban. Speaking of running bans, here’s a look at what it’s like to try to get some training in when you’re Italian, Spanish or South African, all places where exercising outdoors now can earn you a stiff fine. As the deadline for the beginning of lockdown approached in some places, they saw runners getting as much outdoor time in as they could, and people buying treadmills like there was no tomorrow. “If recent events have taught us anything, it’s that we shouldn’t take even our most basic freedoms for granted. Runners in other parts of the world have already had to learn this lesson the hard way.” Running Marathons Under Lockdown. Would you want to run 26.2 miles on a balcony? Or around your bed inside a hotel room? People who found themselves in lockdown thanks to the coronavirus are doing exactly that — the man who clocked a marathon in his hotel room circled his bed more than 5,600 times. “When you stay in a room for two weeks, there is no way to do anything more crazy than this,” he told the reporter who covered the story. Just amazing. “With races all over the world being canceled, and outdoor spaces becoming dangerously overcrowded, the backyard (or living room) marathon is definitely becoming a thing.” Stuck Inside? Keep Walking. With so many people around the world under shelter-in-place orders, and especially people in many places who can’t venture outside to exercise, finding ways to keep exercising is proving challenging, to say the least. This study shows the frequency and amount, rather than the intensity, of the exercise you get matters most — especially now. “The researchers had expected both the number and intensity of steps to be linked to longevity... [but] only step counts were linked to mortality risk. Step intensity was not.” [Italics added] Listen: Mario Fraioli interviews Ali Feller. Probably my two favorite running podcast hosts get to talk to one another. Feller, the host of the (very!) popular Ali on the Run Show podcast, shares how she got into running after an upbringing in dance, what it’s like to live with Crohn’s disease since the age of seven, and how her journey with running has changed and evolved over the years. (Approx. 1 hour, 12 minutes) A song to run to today “Rumbleseat” from the album Scarecrow by John Mellencamp. Want to hear all the songs we include in our newsletter? Listen to our full playlist on Spotify here. Share this post There's never been a better time to become a more consistent runner Apr 5, 2020 I am old as shit and have arthritis, mostly in my ankles and a little in my hip. Used to run everywhere 8-9 min. miles without a thought. tI is the best to see the world. I have done prolo and PRP with some success over the past 2 years but have not run like I used to. How can folks like me train to get back to where they were Take me 13 plus mins to run a mile now,....sucks. Any ideas Amby	10,286
Posted on August 9, 2019 Author Recreation and SportsPosted in Diva laser, Pedicures, Sports physical therapyLeave a Reply Going to fitness clubs and finding a luxury spa Health and wellness are essential factors today. There are many ways a person can improve both their mental and physical well being, including attending that of a luxury spa. However, it is important to state that just because there are over more than 180,000 fitness clubs around the world, and not just the United States, that a person needs the well to determine whether or not they do wish to demonstrate a great deal of improvement towards their health. Now, there is nothing wrong with essentially going to that of a luxury spa. Attending a luxury spa can be a fun and exciting experience for any particular person who needs to get a sense of relaxation after what was surely a very challenging and difficult work out. However, just about an estimate of over 36% of all regular exercisers in the United States actively participate in some kind of fitness class, doesn’t change the fact that too many of them attend a luxury spa over a work out. As great as comfort can essentially be for any person who likes to be healthy and equally relaxed, it can still be a detrimentally destructive force. When it comes to exercise and statistics, it is a very serious matter to look into when a 2018 study made by CDC statistics showed that only 23% of adults in the U.S. had received sufficient amounts of exercise. With children, these statistics pertained more around the numbers that dictated how less than one-third of kids reached the Sports and Fitness Industry Association’s classification of “active to a healthy level.” This type of estimate alone is merely that of just 25 minutes of high-calorie-burning physical activity for three times a week. As optimistic as it sounds to know that The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has suggested that the number of jobs in the fitness industry will be expected to go through an increase of more than 23% over the next 10 year period, it doesn’t change the fact that this is somewhat of a waste. As many fitness clubs, fitness classes, or personal trainers as there are, the reality all boils down to the alarm fact that many people in the United States, and possibly even the world are simply not taking the time to go out and get the work out they needed in order to maintain a physical well being that allows for them not only live a longer and healthier life. At the same time, they are essentially hurting themselves on a mental level, given that it has been scientifically proven that exercise can yield immensely positive psychological affects on the human brain, while giving it more focus than what most people who do engage in some form of physical activity can account for. In Conclusion The health crises in the United States is certainly and without question something to worry about, given that a lot of people simply don’t exercise to the degree of a few times a week, or even at all for that matter. Knowing that less than 5% of the adults in the United States get only 30 minutes of physical exercise every day is a sad reality to accept and fully embrace given how technologically sufficient our society has become. In the focus of the man fitness clubs set up across the United States, as well as the rest of the world alone fully encapsulates this concept and how it shows that such facilities have great equipment that should be able to work and aid people who either don’t work out or are simply out of shape to get back in shape. Now, everybody has the right to decide how they take care of themselves. However, as the same time, it is just as important that they have the will power as well as a sense of self-consciousness in regards to their health, that way they can better apply how they approach exercise and nutrition into their daily routine. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. We are a recreation and sports online magazine. Upside Living provides you with the best sports and recreation information, and our goal is to teach you all about recreation activities and sports. We created this online magazine because we wanted to share our passion for sports and recreation with you. Recent Posts Where to Take a Cooking Class to Sharpen Your Skills Common Mistakes People Make Playing Bridge How to Prepare a Beautiful Property for Sale Archives Select Month November 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 April 2017 March 2017 January 2017 November 2016 October 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 January 2012	6,047
I was amusing myself on Twitter before turning off the light and going to sleep last Friday night, and had occasion to post this deliberately curmudgeonly sentiment: “For the gazillionth time: ‘No problem’ is NOT the correct reply to ‘Thank you very much.’” I had no reason to suppose that more than a handful of people would bother to respond to my trivial little exercise in inter-generational trolling, and I assumed that most of those who did so would react pretty much as Mrs. T did when she saw it: “Prig.” (For the record, she was kidding, but on the square.) To my astonishment, it went viral, albeit in a modest way. I received some two thousand direct replies, far too many for me to easily break down along pro-con lines, though my impression—possibly mistaken—is that they split more or less evenly. I don’t think I need to say much about those who agreed with me. They felt, as I do, that there is something tin-eared and unresponsive about “No problem,” even when, as is often the case, it’s sincerely meant. As for those who begged to differ, I received a couple of hundred replies that said, “Hey, no problem!” That got old after about ten minutes, though five other “funny” replies did make me laugh: • You’re right. The correct response is, “Kiss my ass, boomer scum.” What surprised me far more than the sheer number of replies was the fact that so many people were made angry—really, really angry—by a total stranger’s expression of tepid distaste for a now-commonplace conversational mannerism. This inspired me to cull the most noteworthy negative replies and sort them into four illustrative categories. The tweets posted below are representative of dozens of others just like them. (All replies are unedited.) The vast majority of my angriest respondents were millennials, among whom the use of “No problem” is widely thought to be second nature. It is, I’m led to understand, their way of being polite, though you couldn’t prove it by the ones who wrote to me in a die-soon-old-man vein: • we get it, you’re old as fuck, calm down • I’m gonna put you in a home old man. This world doesn’t belong to you anymore. • Nobody cares old man. Pour yourself another prune juice and lighten the fuck up. • The folks most upset on this thread are the ones denying the objection. Your intolerance is intolerable. You are old-minded. • Bookmarking for the next time I see a thinkpiece about easily-outraged young people with their microaggressions • delete your account and never log back in. sincerely. this is not the place for you. you’re a relic & nobody cares what you think. Many other responses were specifically class- and politics-driven: • Hey Terry, did you know the arctic is melting? • Imagine having so few problems in your life that this bothers you. • Prescriptivist policing of casual phrasing is the refuge of ableist cowards who wish to feel superior to others. • [minimum wage worker tries to get through the day] [haughty theater critic rages internally] • Guarantee you this guy is a shitty tipper. Several respondents, presumably in the name of intersectionality, played the race card: • When will old white men get over themselves lmao • ah, when a weird guys rant about modern colloquialisms devolves into literal racism • Yup, the peasants are getting uppity and the servants need a beating and more training. They should be grateful always to their white lord. • No surprise coming from someone who’s got a giant stick parked up their ass over informal conversation. Love to hear you rant on ebonics. • You had a hard time when it wasn’t okay to call African-Americans “colored” anymore, didn’t you Most of the harshest responses, however, amounted to little more than reflexive how-dare-you-disagree-with-meism: • At work, when a customer says thank you to me, I say “of course”, “no problem”, and “sure!” Literally eat my ass • Hi, Terry. Kindly go jump up your own ass and pull your linguistic prescriptivism up there after you. No problem! • Okay lemme try: “bite me fuckwit” did I do this good who cares • “Shut the fuck up, you feckless abortion” is the correct response to a Terry Teachout tweet. Does any of this really matter? I didn’t get any death threats, after all. Come Saturday morning the outrage robots had found juicier bones on which to gnaw, and by Sunday we were all preoccupied with the latest terrorist assault on London. But writers, being writers, are compelled by their nature to seek significance in unexpected events (writers gonna writers!). So I couldn’t help but put on my thinking cap as my “notifications” box bulged with the irate replies of people to whom my passing grump did matter—enough, at any rate, for them to tell me off in startlingly large numbers. It goes without saying that a great many of these latter replies betoken the diminishment of civility enabled by the social media, and in particular by Twitter, which facilitates anonymous hit-and-run sideswiping. I was struck by the high percentage of my respondents who tweet under pseudonyms, especially those whose tweets contained the word “fuck.” I was also struck by their humorless touchiness. These respondents clearly aren’t accustomed to being criticized, however mildly, and just as clearly don’t know how to deal with it, civilly or otherwise. Indeed, my impression is that they actually feel threatened by criticism, and think themselves entitled to respond to it in a way whose tone speaks for itself. We’re seeing a lot of that kind of thing nowadays, especially on campus. Above all, though, I was struck by the furious resentment that came boiling into my Twitter feed as a result of my casual observation, as well as by the assumptions implicit in this resentment. It was, lest we forget, a one-sentence tweet devoid of context. Nevertheless, many respondents seem to have taken it for granted that I was portraying a real-life encounter between a haughty middle-aged man of means (i.e., me) and a poorly paid millennial convenience-store clerk (i.e., them). And while hundreds of people earnestly assured me, some pleasantly and others less so, that there is no definitional difference between “No problem” and “You’re welcome,” I soon lost count of the responses which made it crystal-clear that there is, at least for these particular respondents, a huge and purposeful difference. These two tweets were characteristic: • This may come as a shock, but it might have been. I’m sorry old folks like to assume everyone should be grateful to serve them. • They’re telling you that you’re not welcome, that they’re simply being forced into helping you as part of their crappy job. It happens that I know something about crappy jobs. When I was in my twenties, I spent several years working as a teller in an inner-city bank. It was, in fact, a perfectly decent job as jobs go, but I still hated it, in part because I feared that I’d hit a dead end that I might never be able to steer around. As I later wrote of this painful part of my life: At night I was a writer, on weekends a jazz musician. During the day, though, I was a servant. My nameplate was displayed for the world to see, and strangers, seeing it, called me by my first name….Once I had been a young man of unlimited promise. My teachers had predicted great things for me. Now I spent my days making change. My promise was running dry, my great expectations turning sour. I was sure I had gone as far as I could go. I expected to spend the rest of my life punching a clock. Yet it never occurred to me to resent the customers who, as most did, went out of their way to treat me nicely. I responded in kind to their kindness. The only customers I resented were the ones who treated me like a servant, and there weren’t all that many of them. I can’t help but wonder exactly who’s treating my angrier respondents like servants and who, like me, is treating them with genuine, agenda-free politeness. I often get the feeling that young people are startled by my politeness—that it is something experience has taught them not to expect as a matter of course. I wonder, too, whether what my Twitter feed told me over the weekend was that many millennials are touchy and resentful precisely because they fear that service is their destiny and that they’ll never know any other way of life. True or not, that’s a terribly sad thought. Just in case you’re wondering, I always behave with perfect courtesy whenever people say “No problem” in response to my thanking them for doing me a service. I wouldn’t dream of doing anything else, much less being anything other than gratified by a well-meant response, regardless of whether or not it happens to suit my linguistic tastes. Somehow I doubt that my more outraged respondents could make the same claim under different circumstances. The Who perform “My Generation” in concert in 1967: A scene from Ghost World, written by Daniel Clowes and Terry Zwigoff, directed by Terry Zwigoff, and starring Thora Birch: Filed Under: main Terry Teachout, who writes this blog, is the drama critic of The Wall Street Journal and the critic-at-large of Commentary. In addition to his Wall Street Journal drama column and his monthly essays … [Read More...] This is a blog about the arts in New York City and the rest of America, written by Terry Teachout. Terry is a critic, biographer, playwright, director, librettist, recovering musician, and inveterate blogger. In addition to theater, he writes here and elsewhere about all of the other arts--books, … [Read More...] Billy and Me, my second play, received its world premiere on December 8, 2017, at Palm Beach Dramaworks in West Palm Beach, Fla. Satchmo at the Waldorf, my first play, closed off Broadway at the Westside Theatre on June 29, 2014, after 18 previews and 136 performances. That production was directed … [Read More...] Peter Marks, Elisabeth Vincentelli, and I are the panelists on “Three on the Aisle,” a bimonthly podcast from New York about theater in America. … [Read More...] My latest book is Duke: A Life of Duke Ellington, published in 2013 by Gotham Books in the U.S. and the Robson Press in England and now available in paperback. I have also written biographies of Louis Armstrong, George Balanchine, and H.L. Mencken, as well as a volume of my collected essays called A … [Read More...] To read all three installments of "The Long Goodbye," a multi-part posting about the experience of watching a parent die, go here. … [Read More...] Tweets by TerryTeachout1 Archives Select Month January 2022 (6) December 2021 (43) November 2021 (19) October 2021 (30) September 2021 (19) August 2021 (21) July 2021 (26) June 2021 (45) May 2021 (44) April 2021 (46) March 2021 (41) February 2021 (42) January 2021 (45) December 2020 (54) November 2020 (51) October 2020 (51) September 2020 (44) August 2020 (48) July 2020 (49) June 2020 (52) May 2020 (49) April 2020 (52) March 2020 (72) February 2020 (47) January 2020 (52) December 2019 (57) November 2019 (63) October 2019 (69) September 2019 (48) August 2019 (48) July 2019 (57) June 2019 (51) May 2019 (53) April 2019 (56) March 2019 (52) February 2019 (49) January 2019 (52) December 2018 (36) November 2018 (57) October 2018 (61) September 2018 (51) August 2018 (63) July 2018 (57) June 2018 (54) May 2018 (65) April 2018 (53) March 2018 (54) February 2018 (56) January 2018 (58) December 2017 (60) November 2017 (58) October 2017 (60) September 2017 (52) August 2017 (59) July 2017 (52) June 2017 (67) May 2017 (60) April 2017 (53) March 2017 (64) February 2017 (56) January 2017 (55) December 2016 (56) November 2016 (57) October 2016 (57) September 2016 (56) August 2016 (54) July 2016 (55) June 2016 (59) May 2016 (61) April 2016 (58) March 2016 (57) February 2016 (59) January 2016 (60) December 2015 (69) November 2015 (58) October 2015 (62) September 2015 (59) August 2015 (53) July 2015 (63) June 2015 (66) May 2015 (58) April 2015 (64) March 2015 (62) February 2015 (57) January 2015 (57) December 2014 (64) November 2014 (56) October 2014 (61) September 2014 (63) August 2014 (57) July 2014 (61) June 2014 (63) May 2014 (59) April 2014 (66) March 2014 (61) February 2014 (73) January 2014 (86) December 2013 (65) November 2013 (69) October 2013 (85) September 2013 (61) August 2013 (62) July 2013 (77) June 2013 (49) May 2013 (70) April 2013 (68) March 2013 (58) February 2013 (68) January 2013 (59) December 2012 (58) November 2012 (63) October 2012 (90) September 2012 (55) August 2012 (66) July 2012 (66) June 2012 (62) May 2012 (83) April 2012 (64) March 2012 (69) February 2012 (66) January 2012 (67) December 2011 (59) November 2011 (58) October 2011 (55) September 2011 (68) August 2011 (58) July 2011 (65) June 2011 (61) May 2011 (62) April 2011 (71) March 2011 (69) February 2011 (50) January 2011 (58) December 2010 (76) November 2010 (58) October 2010 (57) September 2010 (63) August 2010 (61) July 2010 (57) June 2010 (56) May 2010 (63) April 2010 (62) March 2010 (67) February 2010 (51) January 2010 (73) December 2009 (84) November 2009 (72) October 2009 (74) September 2009 (62) August 2009 (69) July 2009 (80) June 2009 (73) May 2009 (68) April 2009 (79) March 2009 (68) February 2009 (64) January 2009 (77) December 2008 (68) November 2008 (72) October 2008 (75) September 2008 (61) August 2008 (63) July 2008 (64) June 2008 (66) May 2008 (75) April 2008 (67) March 2008 (67) February 2008 (64) January 2008 (69) December 2007 (75) November 2007 (78) October 2007 (85) September 2007 (72) August 2007 (87) July 2007 (85) June 2007 (58) May 2007 (83) April 2007 (69) March 2007 (58) February 2007 (72) January 2007 (72) December 2006 (76) November 2006 (57) October 2006 (69) September 2006 (61) August 2006 (69) July 2006 (71) June 2006 (71) May 2006 (82) April 2006 (63) March 2006 (63) February 2006 (74) January 2006 (64) December 2005 (75) November 2005 (112) October 2005 (197) September 2005 (188) August 2005 (206) July 2005 (105) June 2005 (92) May 2005 (100) April 2005 (87) March 2005 (85) February 2005 (74) January 2005 (98) December 2004 (83) November 2004 (81) October 2004 (99) September 2004 (94) August 2004 (81) July 2004 (90) June 2004 (71) May 2004 (75) April 2004 (122) March 2004 (144) February 2004 (174) January 2004 (146) December 2003 (140) November 2003 (147) October 2003 (139) September 2003 (104) August 2003 (49) July 2003 (52)	15,118
Posted on August 11, 2022 August 11, 2022 Author Ronald D. Ortega Comments Off on Bri Baker shares her thoughts on returning to the MasterChef kitchen In the second mystery box challenge of the season MasterChef: Back to Win, it was all about creating Vietnamese dishes. And for some chefs, that was a real challenge, especially when combined with everyone having to use all 11 ingredients in the box. Unfortunately, one of those leaders was Bri Baker, who had previously struggled in the Southern Fusion Challenge when she pulled the flag of Vietnam. Unfortunately for Bri, this time around, she couldn’t save herself with her dish or plate, and in the end, she was the eliminated chef from the competition. While we’re sad to see Bri go, we were also thrilled to have the chance to chat with her about her return to the MasterChef kitchen and what’s next. Of course, it was also an opportunity to reflect a little on this last challenge. So if you’re as much a fan of Bri as we are, find out what she had to say in our post-elimination interview. MasterChef’s Bri Baker shares thoughts on returning for Back to Win season MASTERCHEF: LR: Contestants with Joe Bastianich in the MASTERCHEF episode airing Wednesday. June 1 (8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET/PT) on FOX Guilty Eats: What was your favorite part of your return to MasterChef? Bri Baker“I think one of my favorite parts of being back was reconnecting with the other contestants, especially Fred. Fans of the show know we’re close friends, thanks to our original season together. , season 10. So that was one of my favorite parts. And then I would say my other favorite part was really showing off the growth I’ve achieved in such a short time. Because season 10 wasn’t that long. GE: What do you think was the hardest thing about being back? BB“The hardest part of being back was the pressure of knowing that no one wants to hear that you’re on the same level, or even worse, that you’re worse than your original season. So there was a lot of pressure to demonstrate growth, especially in apron bottles, because they judge you based on that dish. So I would say the apron battles were probably the biggest pressure I felt all season. GE: With last night’s mystery box challenge, what did you think when you saw what your ingredients were, and that you had to make another Vietnamese dish? BB“Well, that’s really funny. I mean, I don’t think I’m someone who hides his emotions on his face very well. And knowing me, I think if you look at him, you can kind of to see the disappointment and sheer terror that was on my face when I saw the Vietnamese ingredients because I had just been down for Vietnamese fusion. This is the flag that I drew. So it was really bit of PTSD when I saw the ingredients. GE: Do you wish you had made a different dish or is there anything you wish you had done a little bit differently last night (or whenever the actual challenge took place)? BB: “I try not to think that way. Because he should have, should have, could have, but I mean, it’s impossible not to rectify. So, of course, I say to myself, if only I had done this or that or XYZ. And what a lot of people don’t realize is that not only is it difficult to use the ingredients in the Mystery Box, but also that we don’t know what there will be in the pantry. So even if you immediately think, like oh, this would go great with scallops or sea bass or whatever, they might not have this in the pantry. And that’s kind of what happened to me. I was originally thinking of doing a steamed white fish, which really would have been more Vietnamese, but they didn’t have white fish. So the sequence the closer was either catfish, which I didn’t really want to work with, or salmon, so I went with salmon. GE: Moving away from last night’s challenge, what was your favorite challenge this season? BB: “Without a doubt the Horse Town USA challenge where we cooked at the rodeo. Obviously, we won with me as captain, but that’s not even the reason why it was my favorite. It made me feel like I was back home in Texas. We’re filming in California, we’ve been there for a while so of course everyone is a little homesick. So that was really, really nice. And also, as stressful as they are, I love team challenges because it’s a truer environment to how you would really cook in a kitchen. So I loved that day. GE: What do you hope viewers take away from watching your return to MasterChef? BB“I hope viewers have noticed not only my culinary growth, but also my personal growth. I was really ridiculed my first season for not being able to handle the criticism the best I could. It always really upset me and i cried many episodes really it was just because it meant so much to me not that it didn’t mean so much this time around but i really worked to handle the criticism with a smile and to see the positive in everything. GE: Would you do this again? BB“I would absolutely do it again. It was so much fun. And I mean, who wouldn’t want to cook with Gordon Ramsay, Joe and Aaron and be a part of all these amazing experiences? » GE: There are so many cooking competitions, are there any others you would like to participate in? BB“You know, if they did it again, I would definitely want to be the Next Food Network Star. I think that would be so much fun because I love the aesthetics of food. And that translates really well into Currently, I do a lot with social media, but having my own cooking show would be like the ultimate dream, so it’s a show I would really love to do if they ever bring it back. GE: Is there anything you would like to do next, like some kind of challenge for yourself that you have? BB“I really want to learn more about Vietnamese cuisine. It’s such a beautiful kitchen, and I don’t feel like I’ve done it justice in either of the show’s apps. So I’m definitely planning to maybe eat at a few local Vietnamese restaurants, get some inspiration there, and maybe try to recreate some of these dishes just for my own sake. GE: What is your favorite dish to prepare and eat? BB“It’s tough. I like a good modern French style when it comes to specific food. My favorite dish to cook is scallops because I feel like they’re an amazing blank canvas. You can really do a lot with them. So whenever I have people over and want to make them a nice dinner, I tend to do scallops and then with some sort of modern French application. GE: And a question we have to ask ourselves: what is your favorite favourite? BB“Well, being a Texan, I love my fried chicken. So I would say fried chicken is definitely one of my culprit dishes or really something really southern like sweet tea, fried okra, something like that. To follow Bri beyond her MasterChef journey and maybe catch a glimpse of some of her friends from the show (like Fred), check her out. instagram. You may even find some veneer inspiration while you’re at it. Posted on July 11, 2022 July 11, 2022 Author Ronald D. Ortega Photos: AMC, ABC. This is the final push for You better call Saul. After a brief hiatus, the acclaimed drama returns tonight on AMC for its final six episodes. The remaining episodes bring the story of Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) into the breaking Bad era and reveal the fate of Kim Wexler, who, according to […] Posted on May 27, 2022 May 27, 2022 Author Ronald D. Ortega Placeholder while loading article actions Charm (CW at 8) The Invisibles advance by taking over the Magic Realm and destroying the Charmed. come dance with me (CBS at 8) The remaining seven pairs face off. couple therapy (Showtime at 8) Two new episodes air in which Josh connects his childhood to his relationship with Molly, […] ‘Big Brother 24’: Meet the 16 guests competing this season Posted on July 6, 2022 July 6, 2022 Author Ronald D. Ortega Season 24 of Big brother announced the 16 new Houseguests who will enter the Big brother house and compete for $750,000. The new season will air with a special 90-minute event on July 6 at 8/7c. Just after Big brotherfirst episode of, CBS will air the 90-minute premiere of The Challenge: United States at 9/8c. […] Better For You Media’s trademark battle intensifies with 17-year-old CEO, driving sales and engagement as competitors vie for spot on Marc Summers-Led Behind the Wrapper Show	8,638
Want to know how you can give back in the most effective way without having to figure it out on your own? The Giving Back Guidebook will guide you through starting a lifestyle of generosity that fulfills your purpose, maximizes your influence, and transforms lives. Order here now. Inside you'll discover: Why you need to address your desire to give back to the world; How the practice of giving back can massively enhance your performance, credibility, and relationships, both at work and in your personal life; Order Here Now. What life-transforming giving back looks like, and how different this is from the popular charity model; How you can begin your effective giving back journey through a tried and tested, step-by-step roadmap; and How you can positively transform your own life through the impact that you have on others. Order Here Now. This book is for you if: • You’ve experienced feeling “stuck” after hearing news about communities needing help because of a natural disaster, epidemic, sickness, disabilities, or poverty. You want to help, but you either don’t know how to, feel you don’t have enough to give, or aren’t sure if your help will really matter; • You’ve been wanting to start giving back regularly, but you don’t know where and how to start; • You desire to impact the world positively and to put that dream into action; • You felt overwhelmed, disappointed, or frustrated before when you tried giving back, so you've stopped. You ask if there's a better way of doing it; or • You want to support a high-impact nonprofit group and are wondering how to go about looking for one. Order Here Now. Message from the Author I'm so glad that you are taking this journey towards life-transforming generosity! You have so much talent, skills, resources, and personality that you can use to be a world changer. I believe in you! And only through the proper knowledge, tools, and wisdom can you pursue the path of high-impact giving. You will not regret the decision you'll make to live a lifestyle of life-transforming generosity. Why do I say this? Because I've experienced it in my own life. And I've documented the stories of many others who've been on this path. Let me share a bit about myself: I was once that person looking for ways to give back to the world. And... Order Here Now. I founded Giving is Social in 2013, a social enterprise raising funds and equipping and connecting volunteers and donors with high-impact nonprofits. I was a President of U! Happy Events, a nonprofit group in the Philippines, from 2009 to 2011. I've had the great opportunity to drive the growth of the organization from 500 to 10,000 volunteers. I was a pioneering member of the Ateneo-World Bank Youth Leaders Knowledge and Development Program 2010. As one of the 100 young community leaders in the Philippines to be selected, I was able to participate in discussions with the country's leaders to propose solutions for development. Order Here Now. I was shortlisted for the Women of the Future Awards in South East Asia in 2019 under the community spirit and public service category. I run The Asian Blandings Collective, a multi-brand company developing purpose-driven content and services for creators. I am a wife to Michael, and mother to two boys, my most important roles in life. "As a professional for close to 18 years now, I have seen my industry and those adjacent to it evolve into having organizations within it integrate corporate social responsibility into its objectives and advocacies. Yet, what is deemed insufficient is the introspection that an individual needs to come into terms to understand why he/she wants to give and what its significance is to him/her. The Giving Back Guidebook starts off with that making it a voluntary in every way possible. Once you find the WHY, you are led to understand the HOW which is approached creatively in this book. One will not realize right away that there are various tangibles and intangibles that one can offer. I encourage you - whether you are starting as young professional or you are more than halfway through already into your career path - to invest time in exploring "the road to life-transforming generosity." — DBJ "Book summarises giving back concepts, challenges, purpose and how it will transform ones life. Life generosity concept , specific action plan and reflections are articulated very well." — Kindle Customer " I never thought giving back can give such a big impact on our life. If you want to start something with your life, this book is for you. It covers all the information that you need to know about giving back in this modern time. Amazing book, Joanna!" — Kristina J. " The book uses various stories to transfer the key messages to the reader and give us a follow-up on why, what, and how to give back in the community. Giving back to the community can take a variety of forms (donations, volunteering, offering your skill, and so on). Depending on your skillset and the unique nature of your community, you will find many opportunities to help those around you. It gives me some new ideas after reading this book." — David " I appreciate what this author has done to put together a book about giving that comes from her deep experience. Make me rethink how I can focus my efforts with more purpose now — I particularly like the roadmap and the advice about looking critically at my time, relationships, and money as I look to serve and give more meaningfully!" — MC Tan "Wonderful book for busy professionals seeking to make a positive impact on the world today! Great insights and tips on making a positive impact while juggling family, career, etc. We need more books (and people) like this in the world!” — Alexander Liu "Great! Most of us would like to make a difference and do meaningful things but just don’t know where to start. This is the perfect book to help you get started/continue your giving journey. I find this book really helpful in coming up with a concrete giving plan that is more impactful to the lives others." — Irene Catiter-Gutierrez "Thoughtfully written book on the why, what, and how of giving back (especially the how!) This is a thoughtful and holistic book on giving back. There are plenty of practical tips written with the busy professional in mind and also bears in mind the other compartments of the reader's life. I wish I had known some of these tips 10 years ago! For people of the Christian faith, this book helps reconcile your faith and your motivations for giving. But even if you're not a person of faith, this book still is packed with useful tips. Highly recommended!" — Christopher Tang "A book that inspires you to give. This book is quite a rare find, as it talks about a topic we don't normally read about ---giving back. It's easy and inspiring to read, especially as you encounter stories of young professionals who have found ways to serve and give back to society in creative ways. If you've been wanting to give back purposefully and effectively, but don't know how, this book is definitely for you! The 'Giving Back Guidebook' fills your heart, inspires you, and helps you find meaning and purpose." —Amazon Customer "WOKE! The title says it all! W-orkable, O-verarching, K-indling, E-nlightening & Excellently written." — Em Tupaz "Nice inspiring story that sends an important message of giving back. I like the author's personal story and her inspiration to get more people to give back. She also provides step-by-step guidance on how to contribute to the community. Thanks for writing this book to remind us the importance of giving back and not just focusing on earning money." —William W. "A unique book with powerful content! Giving back is something that we as a society always fail to talk about. Naturally, we are usually at the receiving end, always taking and taking. This book is unique as it really discusses about giving back and it is what other books rarely talk about. Chapter 6 lays out the 8 methods that we should do and they really are doable! Also, what I love about this book is the fact that it has a summary after every chapter. On top of that, it also provides questions for us to think back and also make us understand better before going to the next chapter. This really helps!" —Tim Hall "This gives me new perspective on giving back. I like this quote in Chapter 3: 'We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give -- Winston Churchill.' This quote best summarizes what this book by Joanna is really about. It gives a refreshing take on what the purpose in life is and how we can transform not only the life of the receiver but also that of a giver. I enjoyed the various stories that highlights the key messages in each of the 6 chapters in this book. It is relatable and I am able to identify in some of those cases. I like the 8 steps shared in Chapter 6 the most. It gives a practical 8-step roadmap to starting this journey of giving back. For example, step 4 and 5 gives tips of how to choose the group that you want to support and how to validate that it is a valid organisation. All in, this book inspires and bring warmth. I enjoyed reading it." —Keith Choy "A Fantastic, Interesting Guide On Giving Back To The Community. A fantastic inspiring book that guides us through the art of giving back to communities. This book is well-written. What's unique about it is that it is the real life experience of the author and it is tested—a complete way of changing your life to be more meaningful. What is more is that this books give us an action plan to follow—on why, what and how to do charitable deeds for the community. It was really a fun and enjoyable read that teaches us how to have a balance in our life." — Rajasingam Sathasivam "A relevant guide to transformational giving! Most people have the desire to do good and give back to the world, but most tend to fall short on where to start. One key takeaway revealed throughout the wonderful insights shared in this book is how good intentions aren't always enough to truly make an impact. This book pushed me to confront my own misconceptions about what real generosity looks like and to analyze whether my methods of contribution thus far are really making the impact I hope it does. The final chapter is the winner, as it is a practical dictionary of tools and information that'll help me to in my giving journey. If you're someone who's always wanted to give back in a meaningful and lasting way, this book is your easy to follow guide!" — Tasha Kolonas "This book is an absolute gem! Here are some reasons why; 1) The tone is very conversational and light. You’ll feel like the author is just talking to you over a cup of coffee. 2) The stories shared are very personal from the author’s experiences and expertise – which makes it really credible and authentic. 3) Every content written is absolutely well-researched. 4) It’s an eye-opener to the realities of giving back. I also love how the author incorporated biblical truths. 5) There’s a summary page at the end of every chapter to refresh your memory as well as reflection questions to ponder 6) It’s not just purely informational, but also inspirational! 7) The last chapter gives you simple and practical steps to start your own roadmap of your giving journey. From information and inspiration - to driving you to action! I’m giving it 11 stars out of 10! Joanna is such an excellent, passionate and profound writer. My key takeaways – we are indeed hardwired to be generous and we should let our purpose drive our giving. Highly recommended book!" "Personal, thoughtful and impactful. There’s a saying “A journey of a thousand miles begin with a single step” If you are looking to make sustainable giving as part of your lifestyle, let this book be your launching pad. I enjoyed this book because it’s crafted from the author's' personal experiences. Something that everybody can relate to. The book helped me understand that everybody has an innate desire to give back, and you can grow that desire to impact your community in a very efficient way. By following the practical guide, the author helps you navigate away from bumps and heartaches that may result from unproductive giving efforts… something that a lot of people have experienced today. This book is definitely a must read and do! Love it." Order Here Now. Order Here Now. Want a paperback copy? We ship worldwide! ORder here now. Buy the eBook now & download the kindle app here. Want to give this book as gifts? Email us for a volume discount. Give The Giving Back Guidebook as a gift to your family, friends, staff, clients, life/cell group members, volunteers, etc. It's a gift that keeps on giving. How? All of our products (books, courses, coaching program) give to the International Justice Mission through this campaign. Order here now. Have read the book? Give it a review here. Want to be a stockist? Email us here. It's a 2-hour+ online video course packed with engaging storytelling, calls-to-action, exercises, and much more.	13,401
A lot has changed in the NBA landscape since the conclusion of the 2019 NBA Finals. Anthony Davis has been traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Kyrie Irving are all exploring their options in free agency. With so much changing in the league, players like Kemba Walker can often get overlooked. But Kemba is a free agent as well, and he unsurprisingly has a ton of suitors. With that in mind, here are the three most likely destinations for Kemba in free agency. While things are constantly changing in the NBA, Kemba said he would take less money to stay in Charlotte earlier this offseason. However, he may not have to take less, as Charlotte can actually offer Kemba the most money. If he stays, Kemba could sign a five-year deal worth $221 million in Charlotte (all other suitors could only offer up to a four-year deal worth $141 million). A Bronx native, returning to the Knicks would be somewhat of a homecoming for the three-time All-Star. With Irving rumored to be interested in signing with the Brooklyn Nets, the Knicks may need to explore other options with the cap space they cleared when they traded Kristaps Porzingis to the Dallas Mavericks. While he may not be quite as efficient as Irving, Kemba would still be a tremendous asset to pair with first-round pick, RJ Barrett. Despite seemingly not being in the running to sign Kemba as recently as a couple weeks ago, there are more than a few rumors linking him to Boston. With Al Horford and Irving likely leaving this summer, the Celtics have enough cap space to sign Kemba if they don't retain Terry Rozier and Marcus Morris. Assuming Irving leaves, the Celtics will likely be in need of a point guard. Kemba could be the perfect veteran fit alongside Gordon Hayward and the rest of Boston's young, talented roster. Join FanDuel Sportsbook Today. New users get a risk-free bet up to $500. Join Now. Leo Abbe-Schneider is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Leo Abbe-Schneider also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username leoabbe2. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.	2,543
Our presenters are world class leaders in SE who have had senior roles in aerospace, defense, automotive, railway projects and more. OUR COURSES CTI offers courses promoting certification based on the INCOSE SEH and ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288. Our most popular course is our INCOSE SEP Course which has been delivered to over 2701 participants worldwide. CTI was established in 2008 with the aim to see an improved world by contributing to the increasing in the number of certified SE practitioners throughout the world.	548
In this and upcoming parts of the series, we will look in a little more detail at the ‘income-expenditure model’. The foundations of the model have been introduced in the previous two parts (here and here). We have seen that, within the model, equilibrium output is determined by two main factors: the level of autonomous expenditure (denoted A); the marginal propensity to leak (denoted α). The expenditure multiplier k is 1/α. Equilibrium output is a multiple of autonomous spending, kA. By delving a little more deeply into the components of both A and α, the model can help us to explore various connections between government policy, private spending behavior, income distribution and other factors. To keep things relatively simple, for now a closed economy is considered. A closed economy is one that does not interact with any sector external to itself. The most important example is the global economy as a whole. In contrast, an open economy, such as an individual trading nation, does interact with an external sector. We will return to an open economy later in the series. In a closed economy, we can distinguish between three main categories of spending: private consumption (C), private investment (I) and government spending (G). By accounting identity, total output and income (Y) equal total spending: We can also distinguish three main uses of income. As we saw in part 5, some income goes to taxes (T), some is consumed (C) and some is saved (S): If we set the right-hand sides of these two identities equal to each other (since they both equal Y), we find that: I + G = S + T Private investment and government spending are known as injections. An injection is an expenditure that is not made by (domestic) households and is autonomous of income. We have already seen in earlier parts that saving and taxes are leakages. So the last identity says that: Total Injections = Total Leakages Now, the expressions considered above are simply identities. In themselves, they do not say anything about behavior. The income-expenditure model combines identities with particular behavioral assumptions. In the determination of equilibrium output, the focus is on planned spending, not actual spending (this distinction was discussed in part 17). The model makes certain assumptions about planned spending behavior. Private consumption is considered to be largely induced by income, but there is also a role for autonomous private consumption. These assumptions are embodied in the following consumption function: This says that planned private consumption (CP) is positively related to disposable income (income Y minus taxes T). A ‘P’ subscript is used to represent planned variables. C0 is autonomous consumption. A ‘0’ subscript indicates an autonomous variable. Autonomous consumption is unrelated to income. Induced consumption is represented by the term c(Y – T). In this term, c is the marginal propensity to consume. It is the fraction of an additional dollar of disposable income that goes to consumption. The fraction is always between 0 and 1. Private consumption increases with disposable income because of the extra consumption this induces, represented by c(Y – T). If we suppose that taxes T are simply a constant fraction t of income (that is, T = tY), the consumption function can be written: The fraction t is known as the marginal propensity to tax. All other categories of spending (the injections) are assumed to be autonomous of income: IP = I0 and GP = G0. Equilibrium output is equal to the sum of planned expenditures (Y = CP + IP + GP). Substituting the expressions for each category of spending, we have: We can group together on the left-hand side all terms that involve Y, then factorize: The ‘e’ subscript says that the level of income is consistent with equilibrium. The result accords with what we have observed in previous posts. In particular, equilibrium income is a multiple of the sum of autonomous expenditures C0, I0 and G0. The expenditure multiplier k is: In the formulas for output and the multiplier, 1 – c + ct (= α) is the marginal propensity to leak. It is the fraction of an additional dollar of income that leaks to saving and taxes. This is perhaps made clearer if we rewrite the expression, making use of the fact that the marginal propensity to save s = 1 – c. The expression can then be written s + (1 – s)t, which if expanded and re-factorized with s now taken as a common factor, can be written s(1 – t) + t. Since s is the fraction saved out of extra disposable income, s(1 – t) is the fraction saved out of extra income. So we have the fraction of extra income going to saving, s(1 – t), plus the fraction of extra income going to taxes, t. This hopefully makes clear that s(1 – t) + t, which is equivalent to 1 – c + ct, is the marginal propensity to leak out of income (α). Another way of seeing this is to rewrite 1 – c + ct as 1 – c(1 – t). Since c is the fraction consumed out of an extra dollar of disposable income, c(1 – t) is the fraction consumed out of an extra dollar of income. Therefore, 1 – c(1 – t) is the fraction of an extra dollar of income that does not go to consumption. Any income that does not go to consumption goes to taxes and saving, which again makes clear that the term 1 – c + ct represents the marginal propensity to leak out of income. As expected, we have reached the same basic conclusion that output depends upon autonomous expenditure and the marginal propensity to leak. However, we can now notice things that were not so obvious in our simpler version of the model. One observation concerns distribution. The expenditure multiplier (k) is bigger when the marginal propensity to save (s = 1 – c) and the marginal propensity to tax (t) are small. Because high-income households tend to save a higher proportion of their income than low and middle-income households, the marginal propensity to save will tend to be smaller when the distribution of income is more equal. Accordingly, a more equal distribution of income implies a bigger expenditure multiplier (k). A given level of autonomous spending (A = C0 + I0 + G0) will result in a higher level of equilibrium income when there is greater equality of income.	6,405
I had two different ladies in their 70s comment on my “orthopedic” sandals within the first 24 hours of having them. Yes, they both used that word to describe them. In the past, this would have absolutely crushed my confidence, and prevented me from ever wearing these again (it would have been a fight for me to even maybe wear them out to get the mail). So it was fun for me to have the revelation that their (meant-to-be-sweet, but clumsily delivered) comments didn’t phase me at all. In fact, I was charmed by them, and figured they helped me connect with a different generation in a new way These sandals are not only comfortable, and cute (at least to me), but now they hold a sweet reminder of what I’ve overcome. My past was riddled with letting other people ruin my day – giving everyone else complete control over MY attitude, MY perspective, and MY mood. You may have even heard me relate my years of depression to people pleasing. In my frustrating attempts at pleasing others, and living up to what I thought their perception of me was, or who I thought they wanted me to be, I completely lost the identity that God gave me. This led to an endless cycle of trying (and failing) to live up to the false expectations that I had put on myself, based on never-actually-expressed “expectations” from others. Amazing the corners we can back ourselves into, with literally zero help from anyone else. All of the heaviness was brought on by me – my decisions, my thoughts, and my actions. One big thing that helped me live in freedom was realizing that I was the one who controlled my own attitude, regardless of what others did or said about me, to me, or around me. And learning that came through setting boundaries, and no longer allowing other people’s actions or words to influence my mood, and ultimately my life. Of course, this took practice, and I’m certainly not perfect at it, but it’s so much easier for me to let things roll off my back than it used to be, and I want that for you, too!! If you need help with boundaries (we all typically do in at least one area), then you’ll hugely benefit from the replay of my Boundaries workshop on that exact thing: https://abundantwife.gumroad.com/l/boundaries-bundle You’ll walk away with practical tips to start setting boundaries across your life, and that’s going to bring a breath of freedom to you! Enjoy! Previous Post She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future Next Post There have been 13,311 sunsets in my lifetime so far You may also enjoy Leadership 7th grade Leadership Anyone can count the seeds in a lemon Leadership © Copyright 2022 Growth and Grace. All Rights Reserved. Sarada Lite \| Developed By Blossom Themes. Powered by WordPress. Privacy Policy	2,923
Do you secretly worry that others will find out that you’re not as bright and capable as they think you are? Do you sometimes shy away from challenges because of nagging self-doubt? Do you tend to chalk your accomplishments up to being a “fluke,” “no big deal”? If you answered yes to any of those questions, you might be suffering from Imposter Syndrome or impostorism. And you are not alone. Believe it or not, Imposter Syndrome is very common and research suggests that around 70 percent of adults’ experience it at least once in their lifetime. What is Imposter Syndrome? According to Harvard Busines Review, Imposter syndrome can be defined as a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist despite evident success. People who suffer from it (‘Imposters) usually experience severe feelings of self-doubt or a sense of being a fraud that outweighs any feelings of success or evidence of their accomplishments. And as they struggle with doubt about their competence, skills and talents, imposters find it difficult to accept that they are worthy of the admiration and regard of others. Maya Angelou (Nobel Laureate and World-Renowned Writer) is an excellent example of highly talented people who suffered from imposter syndrome. Throughout her career, she expressed feeling underserving of her many achievements and having great difficulty celebrating her successes. Many other brilliant people (Including Albert Einstein), famous celebrities, world class athletes, successful entrepreneurs also admit to feelings of doubt about whether they are worthy of the high esteem and value people attach to them. The same is true for the ordinary people you encounter in everyday life who discount their value and abilities and modestly attribute their contributions or achievements to luck or chance. Although imposters doubt themselves and do not feel deserving of the accolades they receive; this does not mean that they lack self-confidence or have low self-esteem. On the contrary, people who suffer from imposter syndrome tend to perfectionists. And because they do not see themselves and their efforts as perfect, they believe that others will see their imperfections and realize that they are frauds or not as good as they seem. So, what does Imposter Syndrome look like in everyday life? According to Harvard Business Review, some of the common things that imposter think and say usually include: “I must not fail”: Here imposters put a huge amount of pressure on themselves to not fail or to avoid being “found out. This causes them to work harder and longer and therefore leads to an inability to enjoy their success. “I feel like a fake”: Imposters believe they do not deserve success or professional accolades and feel that somehow others have been deceived into thinking otherwise. They believe they give the impression that they are more competent than they are and have deep feelings that they lack knowledge or expertise. “It’s all down to luck”: The tendency to attribute success to luck or to other external reasons and not their abilities is a clear indicator of imposter syndrome. Imposters may typically say or think: “I just got lucky” or “it was a fluke”. Often this masks the fear that they will not be able to succeed the next time. “Success is no big deal”: This is the tendency to downplay success and discount it. They might attribute their success to it being an easy task or having support and often have a hard time accepting compliments. Additionally, when people see themselves as imposters, they avoid speaking up and sharing their ideas because they do not think they are valuable. They might even question whether they “fit” or belong in the rooms in which they find themselves. People who suffer from imposter syndrome might also miss out on opportunities for promotion and advancement because they do not believe that they are qualified for positions that are within their scope or area of expertise. The same is true for dating relationships where a man or woman might not ‘shoot their shot” with the the person they are interested in, because they believe the person is way out of their league. Regardless of the scenario, the self-limiting thoughts and doubts associated with impostorism, have led many to procrastinate in moving towards the direction of their goals and dreams – be it starting that business, writing that book, making a career decision or better yet a personal one. How to Deal with Imposter Syndrome? Imposter Syndrome is not about having low self-esteem, being depressed, suffering from anxiety or lacking self-confidence. It mostly about the never-ending pressure that some people put on themselves to get better and the self-perpetuated feeling of incompetence and self-doubt that persist despite their efforts and achievements. As such, the biggest difference between imposters and non-imposters is how they think and what they say to themselves. So, what can you do to deal with Imposter Syndrome? Here are 10 tips from a leading expert on imposter syndrome that might help you overcome it: Break the silence: Shame keeps a lot of people from “fessing up” about their fraudulent feelings. Knowing there’s a name for these feelings and that you are not alone can be tremendously freeing. Separate feelings from fact: There are times you’ll feel stupid. It happens to everyone from time to time. Realize that just because you may feel stupid, doesn’t mean you are. Recognize when you should feel fraudulent: If you’re one of the first or the few women or minorities in your field or workplace it’s only natural you’d sometimes feel like you don’t totally fit in. Instead of taking your self-doubt as a sign of your ineptness, recognize that it might be a normal response to being an outsider. Accentuate the positive: Perfectionism can indicate a healthy drive to excel. The trick is to not obsess over everything being just so. Do a great job when it matters most. Forgive yourself when the inevitable mistake happens. Develop a new response to failure and mistake making: Henry Ford once said, “Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.” Instead of beating yourself up for being human for blowing the big project, do what professional athletes do and glean the learning value from the mistake and move on. Right the rules: If you’ve been operating under misguided rules like, “I should always know the answer,” -stop. Recognize that you have just as much right as the next person to be wrong, have an off-day, or ask for assistance. Develop a new script: Your script is that automatic mental tapes that starts playing in situations that trigger your Impostor feelings. When you start a new job or project for example, instead of thinking for example, “Wait till they find out I have no idea what I’m doing,” try thinking, “Everyone who starts something new feels off-base in the beginning. I may not know all the answers but I’m smart enough to find them out.” Visualize success: Do what professional athletes do. Spend time beforehand picturing yourself making a successful presentation or calmly posing your question in class. It sure beats picturing impending disaster and will help with performance-related stress. Reward yourself: Break the cycle of continually seeking and then dismissing validation outside of yourself by learning to pat yourself on the back. Fake it ‘til you make it: Now and then we all have to fly by the seat of our pants. Instead of considering “winging it” as proof of your ineptness learn to do what many high achievers do and view it as a skill. Don’t wait until you feel confident to start putting yourself out there. Courage comes from taking risks. Change your behavior first and allow your confidence to build. Imposter syndrome can help keep you humble and honest as you work towards becoming a better version of yourself. But don’t let it cripple you. You might never be able to eliminate it, but you can certainly manage it. Practice telling yourself a different set of messages- you are smart enough, your experiences are just as important, your ideas and insights are relevant. As Michelle Obama once said, stop questioning if you belong at the table and recognize that you are needed at that table. By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time. Success! You're on the list. Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again. This entry was posted in Personal Development and tagged Feeling like an Impostor, Imposter Syndrome, personal development, Self on October 12, 2021 by Tameca N..	9,058
As an undergraduate, I had the enlightening experience of living off-campus, living among the indigenes of a small town. The most fascinating thing about this town was the type of animals the locals kept. They had them in all varieties—chickens, pigs, cows, and goats. The goats, however, were unique—black, stocky, stubborn goats! They drove me nuts. I remember spending a great deal of my waking hours, hot afternoons, and chilly nights chasing after these impossible animals. They thrived on feasting on almost anything in sight. They would eat the flowers, eat the fruits from our gardens, eat the yam in the store, enter the rooms and eat the beans in the cupboards! These goats were impossible. They would scale low borders between houses, squeeze through the spaces between security-bars placed around the house. They would pass underneath the gate, often through unbelievable holes just to get into the house. At first, my flatmates and I were appalled at their presence. Our repulsion gradually grew into anger at their destruction; our fury finally grew into hatred for their existence. We tried just about everything to keep these pests out of the house. With every “Anti-Goat” initiative we concocted, they found a way to counter our schemes. Finally, one day, we grew tired of spending valuable time chasing these goats. We eventually refrained from chasing them and got used to having them around. When I was leaving school, I heard one of the freshmen complaining about the animals. Her grievance reminded me of my early days in school—precious days that were dedicated to chasing goats, they never left, and they just kept coming back. I had to eventually admire their courage and persistence, their doggedness and butt-breaking behavior. In the end, they got what they wanted—unlimited access into our precious apartment. Imagine what would happen if you applied the “Akuya Mentality” and never gave up. Imagine the door that would eventually fling open to you if you kept knocking. Picture the business deals you’d make if you kept proposing. Envision the magnitude of success you’d achieve if you just kept at it. If those ordinary local goats could circumvent the plans of highly intelligent ladies, I’m very certain nothing can ever thwart your plans. Go the distance, do whatever it takes, adopt the “Akuya Mentality” and make it happen. Other Apps Comments Salt 15 October 2012 at 08:47 Love this. My faith in God has the Akuya mentality. It is stubborn. Very. ReplyDelete Replies Unknown 15 October 2012 at 09:15 ReplyDelete Replies Anonymous 15 October 2012 at 09:45 Interesting. ReplyDelete Replies Anthony Ekene Onyeahialam 15 October 2012 at 13:14 I have learnt something.Thanks for this one,Ma'am. ReplyDelete Replies Anonymous 20 October 2012 at 00:52 Very nice article and straight to the point. I am not sure if this is actually the best place to ask but do you people have any thoughts on where to hire some professional writers? Thx :) ReplyDelete Replies Seye Oke 20 October 2012 at 01:36 Hi, you can place ads on blogs and websites for writers... Delete Replies Popular posts from this blog February 04, 2013 A Story of Trial and Triumph (2) Do you know how it feels when you lose a baby? You have this bad insatiable urge to want to get pregnant as soon as possible, like the next day. So we started to try again. We couldn’t even bear to wait till my stitches were sealed before we started to try. Of course that was very uncomfortable to do, so we managed to wait till I could handle sex again. And we were at it like rabbits in the house. Every day, not even a single day went by without us doing it. And each day I walked into the Nursery and I saw the Barbie wallpapers and Winnie the Pooh stickers, a little piece of my heart broke off. There were baby things everywhere in the nursery. Ola tried to hide everything before I could see them but he couldn’t get them all. All I had to do was open the wardrobe in the nursery and there they were. Diapers, Wipes, baby baths, swing, highchair, box of clothes and I would just break down and cry all over again. We were going to name her Oluwatobi Read more January 14, 2014 "It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments." Psalm 133:2 There is something about leadership and authority, if used well, that inspires the souls of men. It’s the quality that makes a man command the respect of another like him—the very essence of a heralded leader that helps him build a formidable team. Not everyone has it, and not everyone in the place of authority exemplifies it. But a few very lucky ones are not leaders by title but by character. What separates a king from his followers is the spirit he bears and extrudes. And like the oil poured on Aaron’s head that flowed down to his beards and the rest of his garments, true leadership starts at the top and flows down to the rest of the team. Over the years, I have had the privilege of working with exceptional leaders, and one of the most striking characteristics about all of them is the ability t Read more January 03, 2022 God has placed in each of us abilities and gifts that he expects us to use impact humanity. True living comes from embracing our gifts' uniqueness and walk in our calling. Every human has a rhythm – the unique combination of inner desires and outer abilities that separates us from others. When dancing to your rhythm, others see your life's glow. In the rush of life, it is easy to tune your song out and dance to the beats of others. If you do, you wouldn't stand out; you'd blend in, and we’ll miss out of enjoying your song. So instead, focus on your inner rhythm, this is what makes you uniquely you. The story of Esther in the Bible is one that sums up well what happens when we align our ability to opportunities – purpose is fulfilled, not just for you but for the rest of the world. Esther’s beauty and graceful nature allowed her to move into a place of prominence as a Queen. Her position as Queen put her in a unique place to stop the extermin Read more Follow on Social Powered by Blogger Copyrights and Disclosure This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License. Above license means you may re-use my content. However, ensure that it is linked back to this blog, and correctly attributed to Seye Oke, or the author. Please do not edit, rewrite or commercialize my work without direct and written permission. Some of the links on this blog site are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase Seye Oke is a Christian Writer and Published Author. She writes inspiring stories of God’s love in a contemporary way that provokes faith and sustains hope in a dynamic world. Her book 'A Time to Heal' was nominated for the International Book Awards - Religious Fiction Category.	7,406
By entering this site you agree to the terms of business stated here. The placement of an online order indicates your acceptance of these terms and conditions. Browse through each of our collections and select the items you wish to purchase by adding them to your shopping basket. Once you have completed your selection click on “Proceed to Checkout” and you will be asked for a few details that are required to process your order. We will contact you by telephone or email regarding any delivery delays or security issues. We accept the following major credit and debit cards: Visa, Mastercard, Switch, Solo, Delta, Visa Electron, Maestro. Pricing All prices shown are in pounds sterling and are inclusive of any VAT payable in UK. If a product is advertised at an incorrect price due to a typographical error or a supplier error we reserve the right to refuse or cancel an order whether or not the order has been confirmed. In such a case we will make you aware of this and a full refund will be given, if required. Prices quoted on this web store are for Internet sales only. If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, you can return it within 14 days of purchase in its original condition and packaging (e.g. with the original box). The box including any labels should not be defaced or damaged in anyway. We will refund the product price but unfortunately we are unable to refund any postage cost. Returns can also be taken back to our store. Please take proof of purchase with you when returning items. Please ensure your name and addresses are clearly visible on the return form. If you require an exchange please give us full details of your requirements. We recommend that you obtain proof of delivery for your return as we are not liable for goods lost in transit. All shoe and foot care products are non returnable. Please be advised that due to the nature of the highly beaded / sequined / jewelled decoration of some products, some small beads and trims will become loose during normal wear and tear and are not a manufacturing fault. If you wish to exchange your purchase as it is unsuitable please complete the returns form which has been provided to you within the shoe box or please contact us through phone or email. Faulty Products You must notify us of any product that you deem to be defective or not of satisfactory quality within 7 days from the date of delivery. We shall be under no liability in respect of any defect arising from wear and tear, willful damage, negligence, abnormal usage conditions, failure to follow our instruction, misuse or alteration or repair of the ordered goods without our approval We reserve the right to vary these terms and conditions at any time but, in respect of any ordered goods, the terms and conditions which apply shall be those which you accepted when you placed your order. Once the payment for your goods has been cleared we will then dispatch your goods for delivery. If the goods happen to be out of stock we will advise you through email and issues a refund right away. We endeavour to deliver in timeframes outlined in the Delivery section, however are reliant upon third party carriers such as Royal Mail and DPD and so cannot be held liable for any delays and or loss caused by delays. Security and Payments All transactions which take place on our website are processed securely through Sagepay payments. All your payment details are held on Sagepay secure servers and so we have no access to any of your card or payment details. We may contact your bank if we suspect the transaction is fraudulent in anyway, this may cause a delay in processing and dispatching but is in the best interest of the customer. Information which is held at Houstons Footwear is the name of customer, address to delivery, email and telephone to get in contact. Houstons Footwear will not release any of the customers information to third parties unless it is given that we are providing you with a service such as your address so that the item can be delivered to your address. Cancellations Houstons Footwear reserves the right to cancel an order at any time. At Houstons Footwear we strive to adhere to consistently high standards and offer an excellent service. If for whatever any reason you are dissatisfied with the service we have provided you, please let us know. We need to know if things do go wrong so we can rectify these going forward. As we are family owned business we are dedicated to customer service and take all complaints very seriously.	4,687
Throughout high school and continuing throughout college, C5LA students and alumni receive the skills and knowledge necessary to enter into their chosen career trajectories. While academic expertise, networking, and experience influence their professional goals, studies show that mentorship is one of the main factors that lead to positive performance and behaviors within personal and professional development. What is the primary issue area that your application will impact? Youth Economic Advancement (sponsored by Funding Partner, TBA) In which areas of Los Angeles will you be directly working? South LA County of Los Angeles LAUSD (select only if you have a district-wide partnership or project) In what stage of innovation is this project, program, or initiative? What is your understanding of the issue that you are seeking to address? California is projected to fall 1.1 million bachelor’s degrees short of economic demand by 2030. C5LA’s programs guide low-income students through high school and ensure they stay on track to graduate college and get into the careers of their choice. This is especially important to us because according to a report from the Los Angeles Scholars Invest Fund, 50% of Los Angeles County 9th graders don’t graduate high school. This number is frightening when one takes into consider that students from wealthier families have higher completion rates compared to students from low-income families. Economic barriers, lack of academic and emotional support and challenges with fitting in make it difficult for low-income, first-generation students to graduate high school, get into college, graduate, and get into their careers. Describe the project, program, or initiative this grant will support to address the issue. We support students engaging in diverse career development-related activities to help them discover potential career paths that capitalize on their unique passions, talents, and interests. We view each student’s career development journey as a progression composed of experiences both inside and outside of the classroom, which enable them to decide who they are, who they want to be, and what careers might best suit their personal needs. Step 1: Self-Assessment (9th)- the first step in the process. This involves students identifying their values, interests, skills, and personality. Step 2: Exploration (10th)-involves conducting research, such as using career library resources, to discover potential careers of interest. Informational interviews are a great way to start building a network of people in jobs and industries they are considering. Step 3: Reality Testing (11th) -provides an opportunity for students to job shadow, find an internship, or volunteer to “test the waters.” It is also an opportunity to conduct more informational interviews with professionals at work. During this very important stage, students start understanding how their preferences and skills relate to certain career paths, work environments, etc, and begin making realistic decisions on next potential steps in their career journeys. Step 4: Implementation (12 & Alumni)-This can include preparation for a job interview or completing applications to graduate school. Describe how Los Angeles County will be different if your work is successful. As an organization, we provide equity beyond checking GPAs. Our cohort-based model builds long-term, supportive relationships throughout high school and college and we deliver five unique summer adventures that provide students an opportunity to flex and build the self-confidence skills they will need to succeed in school, college, career and life. Our programs were designed as a multi-program and multi-year approach to ensure that every C5 student had the necessary skills and resources needed to break down systemic barriers as they pursue their college dream and ultimatly, get into their careers. These programs serve 500 future Leaders of Los Angeles, ages 13-24 who live in households with an income at or below the poverty level, attend Title 1 schools and are the first in their family to attend college. What evidence do you have that this project, program, or initiative is or will be successful, and how will you define and measure success? C5LA evaluates every activity with modifications implemented based on evaluations. Each class has a dedicated case manager and our Leaders check in monthly. We track: • Students’ year over year grades • Year over year program participation/retention • High school graduation and final GPA • College applications, acceptance, enrollment, year over year retention/completion via C5 case management outreach • Participation in school leadership groups and on-campus programs • Attendance/participation in Pathway events • Participation in College Boot Camp • Completion of community service hours • Participation in summer internship programs • Job placements Approximately how many people will be impacted by this project, program, or initiative? Indirect Impact: 1,400 Change the odds for high-potential teens from under-resourced communities by inspiring them to pursue personal success, while preparing them for leadership roles in school, college, work and their communities. Organization website Learn about this organization’s budget, leadership and mission Twice a month, receive LA2050 updates plus social impact job openings, local events and highlights, funding opportunities, and ways you can make a difference in our region.	5,702
Half of me that want to share... If we are who we are, with more microorganisms in our body than who we are - we are nothing but microorganisms. Other Apps - February 15, 2008 Well, did i tell earlier that i started my forensic posting last week. haha. I'll be having this posting for 2 weeks. I hate forensic honestly. I hate the smell of dead body, even worse, the decomposed body. But have to endure it for this two weeks. Last group look a little relax on this posting, so i hope after a hard work in Klinik Kesihatan Luyang, i will be enjoying my honeymoon for this 2 weeks in forensic. Basically, forensic posting is all about waiting. Waiting for the dead to come. And if there is a body come to the department, we all would e very happy. To think in a common sense way, it is not apt to be happy about it. But that is all the entertainment for us. If there is no death, then we will be like a dumb waiting in our pantry. The problem is, lot of the classes were cancel within this two weeks, and there is not much dead people arrived. Hell. I only went for 2 post mortem, and both cases were not suitable for a case report that have to submit next Monday. I will be dead if i keep like this. Now it is already friday. Should i expect that there will be a murder or suicide case tomorrow? Should i pray for it? Since we do not have so much cases, one of the case presentation has to be postponed next week. That day we already end our forensic posting. And the other case presentation would be today. But, in the last 30 minutes of waiting for it, the session was postpone suddenly. To when? To the date that even us did not know. So basically, i am having my honeymoon within this two weeks. Not much dead people. Chinese New Year Holiday some more. Cancel the presentation, the practical and everything. This posting is by far the worse posting i ever experienced. Posting that we can't control the time and schedule. I remember Dr.Choubey say to us, Forensic posting is really unpredictable. We have to wait for the teaching materials cause the teaching materials would not be there as you wish it will be. And to pray for a death is not a good thing to do. No death, means harmony, but mean nothing to learn for us. Worse of you were asked to submit 2 case report in two weeks time where you did not know whether there will be a case to be reported or not. Haha, anyway, in a positive way, i really enjoy my honeymoon. haha. 2 weeks of honeymoon. What else do you ask for? 'So make the best of this test and don't ask why. It is not a questions but a lesson learn in time...' Greenday. Ready to cut! Student Entry Other Apps Comments Anonymous 9:52 am Well said. ReplyDelete Replies Please leave your comment below. Popular posts from this blog Becoming a medical officer in Malaysia: Are you still a real doctor? - September 23, 2016 To recap from my previous post, a person must completed 5-6 years study in medical school, pass their professional exam, enter 2 years house officer training program, pass their exam and completed their logbooks, then a person can now be called a fully registered Medical Officer / Medical Doctor. A Journey of a Junior Medical Officer After 7 or 8 years experience, a house officer will be given a full registration under Malaysian Medical Council. This registration process is a lengthy process which takes up months before it will be completed. Most doctors will apply for full registration 4 months before they finish their house officer training program. The registration will be processed only if all the criteria has been fulfilled by the house officer which includes log book, review by a board of specialist, no disciplinary action recorded, and other paper work stuff that need to be settled. A full registration means that the doctor now can practice as a doctor independently. They ca Read more - December 26, 2015 Well, I got carried away in previous post talking about my experience taking entrance exam for Master in Pathology. You can check it here: Master In Pathology: My Experience Entrance Exam That was not my first attention on trying to write such post. My intention was to share on how to get into that entrance exam in the first place. So here it is. A step by step guide on how to get yourself into the entrance exam. A Guide to Apply for Master in Pathology (Mpath) 1. Make up your mind. I've seen a few of my friends who apply for this pathway and get confused before it begin. Ask yourself, are you really interested in Pathology? Do you know what pathology is? Do you know what kind of work are you going to do in Pathology. Most of the time, people thought pathology MO or specialist were all just sitting down drinking coffee and chit chat all day long. No work to do. Think again. The best thing to do is to get yourself into the department itself. Work as a pathology Read more - February 12, 2013 I have been looking around for solution when my Astro beyond remote start having problem where it does not want to control the volume of my astro anymore. The strange thing is, the remote seem fine and only the mute and volume won't respond. After realizing that the remote cost around rm250 to be replaced, I start thinking that this is not an ordinary remote control. After a few minutes of research (only) I found out that this remote can be programmed to be synchronize with our television. Hmmm. So the remote problem must be cause by it some programming error. Haha. Turn out of you have similar problem like this, all you had to do is to press OK button with volume down until it bleep 4 times then it will be ok. This method canceled the volume control for the television ( meaning that you can only control the tv volume not the decoder). Later I found out that if you want, you can use your tv only volume to control the astro thus no hassle to have 2 remote at the same t	6,117
I’m going to make this one short and sweet. I want to give a huge shout out and thanks to all the raid leaders in the B42 Community. We as members also have to help them with these raids. Here are some of my suggestions; Don’t talk over the leaders. Let them speak! We have so many people in the raids so its hard for them to get there voice out at times. No shouting on the mic especially when someone is talking. It’s rude to be honest. If you have thoughts or questions you want to give to the leaders message them on the side. These leaders are extremely busy at times so a message is extremely helpful for them. Don’t beg for a raid if you haven’t received one. Just keep joining the raids and being apart of the community. Your time will come! Drop suggestions to the leader for who you want to raid. I for one know that is one of the best things you can do to help the raid leaders These are just my suggestions so if you want to add more please feel free to comment on your suggestions. I'm just trying to help them as much as I can. I know it can be frustrating but to be honest all the leaders handle it so well. Better than I would. Thanks! Have a good one!! 18 views0 comments 2 likes. Post not marked as liked2 Recent Posts Hi Team B42 friends! I had a huge week! I just completed my last class for my Bachelors degree. Hooray! Its never too late to follow your dreams. I wanted to take this time to reflect back on my life 1 like. Post not marked as liked1 When I first learned to write, my teachers said "Just start writing, anything and everything that comes to your mind. Do this everyday. You will be amazed at what you have written when you go back and 1 like. Post not marked as liked1 My first blog!! This is probably going to seem like it has been said over and over again but I feel like it just needs to be said again. Over the last week I've see posts on Twitter and Facebook with	1,977
In the year 2021, APBP (Appalachian Prison Book Project) launched the pen pal program to support incarcerated people in the six states they serve; West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee) as well as in Pennsylvania, where their organization is involved in higher education initiatives. By the way, are you interested in writing to someone who is incarcerated in Appalachia? Just join their pen pal program. Of course, this is a free Pen Pal program for inmates. Pen Pal Program – Why Write to Inmates in Prison? There are lots of reasons to consider becoming a pen pal to an incarcerated person. Here are some reasons: This will help bridge the gap between the “inside” and “outside” worlds. This will help people in prison stay connected with their communities and current events. This will help combat feelings of isolation. This will be a source of human contact. Can make a friend This will give someone something to look forward to during the mail call. Writing to someone in prison is a commitment. This is one of the best ways to support incarcerated people and challenge mass incarceration. Pen Pal Program – How It Works? You are able to participate from anywhere, anytime. When you join the pen pal program, they are going to send you contact information for a pen pal who matches your request. Then, you are able to get started writing your first letter. In your first correspondence, you are free to share something about yourself with your pen pal. In addition, you are able to ask about the following: Life in the jail. What they plan to do when they release. Note: Some people may be in jail for life or potentially be facing the death penalty. Their friends and family. Rules of their jail, specifically about what they do and do not receive in the mail. Remember that your letters will be read by prison guards, or other members of law enforcement. In addition, it is likely that your letters will be opened by APBP volunteers while running this Pen Pal program. So, be aware, and use discretion. All letters are needed to have the information about your incarcerated pen pal on both the envelope and letter itself: For note: You are able to give your pen pal your direct mailing address or have them send letters to APBP’s mailing address, which APBP’s team will forward to you. Remember to include your information on the envelope and letter. These items can be separated. How to Join the Pen Pal Program? If you want to sign up for APBP’s pen pal program, you are able to fill out their pen pal survey. They are going to contact you with information about your pen pal as soon as possible. If you want to have a friend or loved one who is incarcerated sign up for their pen pal program, please send them their full name, ID number, and mailing address. They are going to send a survey to collect details. Also, remember that they can only support pen pals in six-state regions as well as in Pennsylvania. They try their best to match up pen pals who have similar interests and goals. For example, both you and your pen pal have said you enjoy reading fantasy novels or writing poetry. Writing about those topics might be a good place for you to begin your correspondence. You are able to consider these conversation starters if you are not sure where to begin. Books You are able to consider telling your pen pal about your favorite book or something you have read recently. Do not forget to ask them about their favorite books or for reading recommendations. You are able to write about the types of music you enjoy listening to. Also, you are able to ask your pen pal about their music preferences and experiences. Scenery If you are able, go for a walk, hike, or bike ride with the intention of noticing interesting things your pen pal enjoys reading about. Please consider describing that scene to your pen pal. Do you have a hobby you are passionate about? Consider telling them about an interesting project you are working on. If you know your pen pal has a hobby, ask them about it. Sports If you know that your pen pal enjoys working out, then you are able to write about your fitness goals or routine and ask them about theirs. Also, you are able to discuss a sport or team you both like. If you know that your pen pal is interested in current events, then you are able to write to them about an interesting news story, podcast, or other media you have seen or listened to recently. You are able to ask them what sort of the news and events they are most interested in keeping up with and their thoughts on those topics. You are able to write about something funny about the antics of a pet or a friend’s pet. You are able to draw a picture or cartoon for your pen pal. If you do not know how to draw, but your pen pal has the talent, you are able to ask for guidance to develop your skills. Ask You are able to ask your pen pal the sorts of things they want to discuss. Please tell them why you decided to write to a pen pal and also ask them the same. You and your pen pal can share a reading experience. APBP’s team can identify books to ship to your pen pal which you can read as well. APBP has a lot of great titles available. Keep in mind that one key to a successful relationship is asking questions and paying attention to what the other person has to say as well as sharing your ideas and experiences.	5,557
I sent in my application for a new passport today. Passport, passport card, expedited service fee, certified mail…$240 in all. Knowing that in a few weeks I’ll have a shiny new passport with 52 pages, valid for another ten years, with no greater hassle involved than some paperwork and a trip to the post office…priceless. I’ve just read the courageous article by Jose Antonio Vargas, the Pulitzer-prizewinning journalist, in which he reveals for the first time his status as an undocumented immigrant, and how that has affected his life. His story shows that, contrary to popular diatribe, undocumented immigrants to the US do, in fact, contribute in many positive ways to the country. He has a career in journalism of which I am in fact quite envious, has obtained a highly prestigious writing prize (shared with his co-authors who helped cover the Virginia Tech shootings), and has to all accounts lived that fabled story of the American Dream. The paperwork that I find simply annoying is to him insurmountable. The routine paperwork check at the beginning of each new job that for me is just an irritating step on the way to a paycheck is to him a source of constant anxiety. But he, an immigrant who has spent the bulk of his life inside the US, been educated here, worked here, paid into social security, supported the economy…he is in no way less deserving of a job or documentation here in the US than I am. I am lucky. To have been born in the country in which I was born, permitting me to live and work here, obtain a passport, and have virtually no barriers to international travel. I did absolutely nothing to deserve such luck—it was simply an accident of birth. As is the situation of Vargas. In the current set of debates about immigration, the greatest amount of vitriol seems to be bandied about by people who are demographically similar to me. White people born into middle-class backgrounds in conservative states within the US. The thing that most of these people don’t seem to think about, when prating about how immigrants are bad for the country, is that they themselves are the descendants of immigrants. Is it really so easy to forget? My family came to this country a little over a hundred years ago, on boats hailing from Ireland and Italy. They joined the ranks of countless other immigrants at the time, some of whom came over on regular passports, many of whom did not. Every single new group to come over faced hostility: my Irish ancestors were faced with “no Irish need apply” signs at pretty much every business establishment that was hiring, and actually pretended to be English just so that they could get jobs. My entrepreneurial Italian grandfather named his business Modern Pharmacy, because the Piantanida Family Pharmacy just sounded too damn Italian. He also thought that immigrants were destroying the country and stealing honest peoples’ jobs, and by “immigrants” he meant everyone except for Northern Italians like him. We haven’t made much progress, as a society. At this point, the distinctions between Irish and Italian are largely forgotten, despite being quite vehemently defended in the 1920s, when each European ethnicity was seen as being an almost-separate race, and Eastern and Southern Europeans were considered undesirable. Now that the descendants of most of the various European ethnicities have all been here for a while and inter-married, this kind of discrimination seems preposterous. At this point, we talk about “American” as though it were a unilateral identity…but the common dialogue still seems to see it as a white identity. It is not. How do we define what it means to be American? Vargas is attempting to change the dialogue with his organization Define American. He’s talking to people, collecting stories. Trying to get people to think about what “American” really means. America is a country of immigrants, regardless of how long ago those immigrants may have arrived. “American” is my college roommate, born in the US to Mexican immigrants, now working on her PhD in engineering. “American” is my Muslim friend from Tanzania, currently teaching at a university in Florida. “American” is my Filipino fencing coach, my African-American professor of social policy, my Ukrainian-born professor of Russian language and literature. I could go on. Every single one of these people is just as much an American as I am. Some have regular American passports, some have green cards. Some may be undocumented, I don’t know and feel no need to ask. All have a right to be in this country. All have a right to try to live the American Dream. False Identities, Allies, and Legitimacy June 16, 2011 Laura Leave a comment This week, two prominent lesbian internet figures were revealed to be American men. Amina Arraf, the supposed Syrian blogger, was revealed to be Tom MacMaster, a 40-year-old heterosexual American man studying in Edinburgh. A day later, the editor of the American lesbian news site Lez Get Real, was revealed to be a 58-year-old man named Bill Graber using his wife’s name as a pseudonym. Wow. There have been other similar cases of people writing under assumed identities to talk about certain issues. Fake memoirs are nothing new, and it shouldn’t surprise us that in the age of the internet, fake memoirs have turned into fake blogs. Motivations vary, I’m sure. At least in the case of the two blogs in question, both authors swear that they had the best intentions at heart, that they wanted to draw attention to an issue that they felt was really important, and felt that they wouldn’t be taken seriously if they didn’t write from within the community. MacMaster says that “While the narrative voice may have been fictional, the facts on thıs blog are true and not mısleading as to the situation on the ground…I do not believe that I have harmed anyone — I feel that I have created an important voice for issues that I feel strongly about.” Similarly, Graber says that “I didn’t start this with my name because… I thought people wouldn’t take it seriously, me being a straight man.” In a great satirical article, one white male blogger responds by pointing out that “If you really have something unique and important to report on, your white male-ness will not get in the way of your being heard. In most cases, it will be an advantage, as bylines and television appearances testify every day.” Seriously, people. Let’s get real. When you write as someone else, and pass it off as your own life experience, that’s a form of fraud, and it actually damages the cause that you’re writing about for several reasons. The first reason is that when a supposed figurehead of a particular group is outed as not being a member of that group, it calls into question the legitimacy and authenticity of everyone else who is writing from within that group. If Blogger A is False, then why shouldn’t Bloggers B, C, D, and E also be False? Those remaining bloggers then have to work twice as hard to prove that they are who they say they are, and readers are left wondering if, since one public identity was fabricated, some or all of the information written by that person was also untrue. And while both MacMaster and Graber seemed to think that they were nobly “giving voice to the voiceless,” they were not. It is both dangerous and presumptive to think that people belonging to geographically or culturally distant minority groups are voiceless. They do have voices. Odds are they’re speaking. Are you listening and paying attention? The real LGBTQ activists in the Middle East are now in danger as a result of the hoax being revealed. Several of them took risks to identify themselves in an effort to save their supposed lost compatriot. Daniel Nassar, a Syrian gay activist, says that “I used to use my real name as a handle and a picture of my face as an avatar. Now, I’ve been forced back into the closet online. Amina’s arrest may have been made up, but now the threat feels all too real.” Another Syrian gay activist, Sami Hamwi, fears that this high-publicity hoax could cause Syrian authorities to crack down on gay activists. “I think they will not wait until the blogger is famous or well-read to seek them out,” he said. “[And] arrests in Syria means actual disappearing.… No one can hear or know about the arrested people, sometimes for decades.” Both of the aforementioned activists use pseudonyms, but they are otherwise who they say they are. They don’t use their real names, because they don’t want to be arrested or killed. Salma, a writer for the Queer Arab magazine Bekshoos, was in touch with “Amina” prior to the hoax being revealed. She says that “I understood what anonymity meant to her and I know what it means to us. I expected a fake picture and even a fake name; I did not expect a fake personality all together.” She continues: “Sadly Mr. MacMaster with his hoax delegitimized the voice of so many Arab, specifically Syrian, bloggers. He spoke on our behalf without having the right or legitimacy of doing so, while delegitimizing our voice in the process. So I would like to thank you for stepping on our feet, experimenting with our lives, opening the eyes of an oppressive system to our existence, and most of all thank you for lying to us and tricking us into believing you.” Delegitimizing people who are actually on the ground is a very big problem. But there is also another reason why assumed identities are damaging. Both MacMaster and Graber said that they cared deeply about the issues they were blogging about, and wanted to be taken seriously. They felt that in order to be taken seriously, they had to try to write from the inside of those issues. Functionally, they were saying that it’s not actually alright to be vocal about an issue unless it actually affects you directly as a marginalized person. That being indirectly affected by your observations of marginalization from the outside is not valid. That being an ally is unacceptable, and doesn’t count. In other words, even though they claimed to be trying to publicize issues of lesbianism, in the US and in Syria, both through their actions indicate that no one should actually be interested in lesbians and/or Syria unless they were actually lesbian and/or Syrian. Taken to its logical conclusion, this same train of thought tells us that no one who is male should care about women or vice versa, that no one who belongs to any one racial or ethnic group should worry about what’s happening to members of another ethnic or racial group, and no one in any given country should give a damn about any other country. Historically, gaining allies in the dominant group has been a very important step for minority groups to gain their rights. Part of the success of the women’s movement came from men telling other men, “hey, I’ve heard what the women are saying about the limited opportunities they face, and they’re right. We should try to help them.” Part of the success of the Civil Rights movement came from white people in America saying, “hey, racial discrimination is real, and it’s wrong. Let’s see what we can do to help.” Part of the success of the current gay rights movement in the US comes from straight people saying, “wow, it doesn’t make sense for gay people not to have the same rights that we do. We should try to change that.” Allies have a role. Their role is to create more allies. Their role is to increase the number of people who care about a particular issue towards a critical mass, so that social change can actually take place. So if you care about gay rights and you’re not gay, that’s great. If you care about racial equality and you’re white, that’s awesome. If you care about any issue that directly affects someone from a different demographic, but doesn’t directly affect you, congratulations. You recognize that injustice exists, and that it affects people, and you want to change it. That’s good. But don’t try to create the change by pretending to be something or someone that you’re not. Be honest about who you are, and why the issue is important for you. Talk to the people who are directly affected, and help their voices reach a wider audience. Claim your status as an ally, and recognize that it is an important one, and that it is legitimate. Because when you deny that you’re an ally and try to speak for someone else, it doesn’t just delegitimize the people you’re impersonating. It delegitimizes you. Making Jewelry in Cambridge (or, Crafts as Leisure in the Developed World) June 7, 2011 Laura Leave a comment This evening I took a jewelry making class at Boston Bead Works in Cambridge. The shop, on a side street in Harvard Square, is a great local secret for bead and jewelry aficionados, and contains a wide selection of glass beads, cloisonne, and semi-precious stones. Though I’ve dabbled in jewelry making off and on (mostly off) for many years, I’d never taken a class before, and was pleasantly surprised. The class was small, the instructor was attentive, and at the end of the evening, I had a shiny set of earrings made with a wire-wrapping technique I’d never before seen, stringing amethyst beads inside a silver hoop to resemble an abacus. The photo quality here isn’t great because I took the picture with my ipod. But you get the idea. Though I could leave the post here, as a “this is a cool thing to do if you’re in Boston,” I prefer to take a moment to think about why activities of this kind are available specifically here. Bead shops like this one exist in cities all over the US, and I’ve seen them in Western Europe as well. In the developing world, though, art supply shops with classes on how to make things are pretty much non-existent. In China, when I was buying seed pearls, the saleslady was aghast that I wanted to leave my strung pearls as-is, rather than having them made up into a necklace or earrings right away (I relented and allowed her to turn a few strands into jewelry there at the shop–the necklace and earrings that she put together are quite lovely). Point being, though, that the idea that I would want to go home, take the strands apart, and make something by myself was pretty much unheard of. There’s a particular mentality in the West, and in the US in particular, that basic art techniques can and should be accessible to everyone, if only on the simplest levels. Shops like this one offering beginning jewelry making, paper embossing, paint-your-own pottery, etc. are exceedingly common. The do-it-yourself mentality is strong, and structured art projects give people a sense of fun and accomplishment. From what I’ve seen in the developing world, things are very different. Crafts like pottery and jewelry making are seen as professions, rather than leisure activities for the middle class. Though I did have a friend in Morocco who made pottery for fun, she was very much in the minority. And the fact that she worked closely with American Peace Corps volunteers may have something to do with her view of art as a potential leisure activity. What makes this difference, between craft as profession and craft as leisure? In some ways, it may come from how consumer goods are produced in a given society. In a society like Morocco, where until very recently most peoples’ plates and cups came directly from the potter’s wheel and had damned well better be usable, making pottery was not something to be tinkered with. Likewise, if you wanted jewelry, it was going to be handmade by a craftsperson, and the supplies needed would generally only be available to the professionals. In a society like the US, where most of our plates, cups, jewelry, and pretty much every material object is manufactured, rather than made, crafts like pottery and jewelry making are seen as quaint activities and throwbacks to an earlier time. If you make your own bowl and it breaks, you might be sad, but you can still buy another bowl at Target. If you make your own earrings and mow through a foot of silver wire trying to bend it into the right shape, it’s okay, you can still buy earrings at the mall. Your efforts aren’t materially affecting your well-being, nor are they taking away from anyone else’s profession. So you’re free to explore, and free to screw up, and you spend an enjoyable afternoon. I’ll be curious to see, as manufactured goods spread to more societies, and as leisure time among the middle classes increases, whether the phenomenon of do-it-yourself craftwork catches on in the developing world. June 7, 2011 Laura Leave a comment This weekend, I traveled to New York City for the wedding of my dear friend D from high school. The ceremony was held at a mosque in Queens, with a reception at a nearby Halal restaurant. Though I’ve been to innumerable Catholic, Protestant, Unitarian, and Jewish weddings, this was my first Muslim wedding ceremony, and it was beautiful. D wore a purple caftan hand-tailored in Pakistan, and her hands and feet were covered with intricate Moroccan designs in henna. Her new husband wore a suit and smiled from ear to ear. The imam, a friend of the couple, spoke about love and responsibility in marriage, and how each of them should bring out the best in the other. Then the couple read vows that they had written themselves and exchanged rings. Before the ceremony, and later at the reception, I had the privilege of meeting several of D’s friends and colleagues–men and women of all races, from at least three continents, representing different nationalities, religions, and sexual orientations. In this microcosm, we talked about everything from travel to linguistic jokes, to women’s colleges to whitewater rafting. And the fact that we were all able to talk and laugh together, despite many of us only having met for the first time that day, gave me such a sense of hope. A union of this kind, between an American woman and an Egyptian man, with the love and support of both families in the midst of such a diverse and accepting crowd, could happen in very few places in the world. New York City is one of those places. And despite the bitter diatribes that have arisen in the city over the so-called “ground zero mosque” and the social fault lines that often arise over lines of color, ethnicity, and creed, beautiful moments of unity like this one still occur. It reminds me that for all its faults, the United States is still a place where people of different backgrounds can come together. It’s a reminder of the best that the country of my birth can be. Current Location aerial food Gulf Oil Spill human rights loves and loathes massacre protests race social inequality sports unity war weather Laura is a specialist in the field of sustainable tourism. After studying in Paris, teaching English in Italy, and backpacking around Europe, she spent two years leading tours with Intrepid Travel in Morocco, Russia, Mongolia, and China. She earned her MA in Sustainable International Development from Brandeis University, and her field research in Egypt focused on the intersections of tourism and community development. Her modus operandi is the idea that tourism should benefit the people who live in the destination as much as it benefits the travelers who go there.	20,018
The American Home Furnishings Alliance is a nonprofit trade association incorporated in North Carolina. AHFA's bylaws require your company to be a manufacturer or importer of home furnishings products for wholesale distribution in the United States. Any non-confidential information required to assist in the approval of this application must be provided. Government agencies do not qualify for membership. Upon membership acceptance, you agree to support and promote the affairs and activities of the American Home Furnishings Alliance and will receive all the rights and privileges of membership. All memberships are renewed January 1 of each year. In the event of cancellation, dues cannot be refunded. If joining after the beginning of AHFA's fiscal year, the full dues amount paid will be prorated and applied to the subsequent fiscal year. Dues amounts are recalculated annually, based on the sales for the previous calendar year ending December 31. Members will be billed the first working day of January, the first day of the AHFA's fiscal year, and will make quarterly payments in advance. Minimum dues-paying members ($990) pay the full year's dues in advance. ICFA Membership Duration The International Casual Furnishings Association is a division of the American Home Furnishings Alliance, a nonprofit trade association incorporated in North Carolina. AHFA's bylaws require your company to be a manufacturer or importer of home furnishings products for wholesale distribution in the United States. Any non-confidential information required to assist in the approval of this application must be provided. Government agencies do not qualify for membership. Upon membership acceptance, you agree to support and promote the affairs and activities of the American Home Furnishings Alliance and will receive all the rights and privileges of membership. All memberships are renewed January 1 of each year. In the event of cancellation, dues cannot be refunded. If joining after the beginning of AHFA's fiscal year, the full dues amount paid will be prorated and applied to the subsequent fiscal year. Dues amounts are recalculated annually, based on the sales for the previous calendar year ending December 31. Members will be billed the first working day of January, the first day of the AHFA's fiscal year, and will make quarterly payments in advance. Minimum dues-paying members ($1200) pay the full year's dues in advance. Solution Partners Membership Duration $750 Solution Partners is a division of the American Home Furnishings Alliance, a nonprofit trade association incorporated in North Carolina. All memberships are renewed January 1 of each year. In the event of cancellation, dues cannot be refunded. If joining after the beginning of AHFA/ICFA's fiscal year, the full dues amount paid will be prorated and applied to the subsequent fiscal year. Dues amounts are recalculated annually, based on the sales for the previous calendar year ending December 31. Members are billed the first working day of January, the first day of AHFA/ICFA's fiscal year. Minimum dues-paying members ($750) pay the full year's dues in advance. The annual dues are $750 for companies that provide legal, consulting or financial services to home furnishings manufacturers. For all other companies, dues are based on the value of sales or service to the home furnishings industry for the past 12-month period, ending December 31, according to the schedule below (this information is CONFIDENTIAL and will not be disclosed for any purpose). Specialized Furniture Carriers Membership Duration $750 Specialized Furniture Carriers is a division of the American Home Furnishings Alliance, a nonprofit trade association incorporated in North Carolina. To qualify for membership as a Specialized Furniture Carrier, 60% of your commodity must be residential furniture delivered in your own equipment. All memberships are renewed January 1 of each year. In the event of cancellation, dues cannot be refunded. If joining after the beginning of AHFA's fiscal year, the full dues amount paid will be prorated and applied to the subsequent fiscal year. Dues amounts are recalculated annually, based on the sales for the previous calendar year ending December 31. Members are billed the first working day of January, the first day of AHFA's fiscal year. Minimum dues-paying members ($750) pay the full year's dues in advance. Dues are based on the value of sales or service to the home furnishings industry for the past 12-month period, ending December 31, according to the schedule below. (This information is CONFIDENTIAL and not disclosed by AHFA for any purpose.) September 27, 2022 Created a new subscription type. Supply Chain September 27, 2022 Created a new subscription type. Thank you for subscribing to the newsletter. You have been added to our list and will be hearing from us soon.	5,046
You’ve possibly seen people speaking about NBA Top Shot, or even savoring the huge purchase they made from a “moment” from their preferred gamer. There could be talk of rarity, brand-new pack launches, and also obstacles they require to complete in order to acquire much more moments. It all audios slightly like trading card accumulating, or perhaps stock day trading. That’s due to the fact that it’s sort of both. Top Shot has actually seen a massive jump in appeal in an incredibly percentage of time, specifically in recent weeks. The business literally can’t keep its item in stock, and there’s a great deal of discuss NBA Topshot Launch. However if you’re still puzzled concerning what Top Shot even is, we’ve obtained you covered. NBA Top Shot is a joint endeavor, started in July 2019, in between the National Basketball Association, the NBA Players Association and also Dapper Labs, which is best called the designer of CryptoKitties, long taken into consideration the globe’s most preferred blockchain-based video game. Nevertheless, unlike kinds of cryptocurrency, such as bitcoin, which is readily exchangeable, each NBA Top Shot moment is a non-fungible token. NFTs are used “to develop proven digital deficiency” as well as electronic ownership. Dapper Labs Chief Executive Officer Roham Gharegozlou, NBA Top Shots, which are the video clip versions of emphasize moments, are sold in limited edition packs (for between $9 as well as $230, depending on the high quality of the emphasize and the gamer) and also just cost a limited time. After packs sell out, the only method to obtain NBA Top Shots gets on the peer-to-peer industry Once bought, those highlights enter into a customer’s encrypted, secure highlight wallet. Now, we discuss further talk about NBA Topshot Launch. How Is Scarcity Controlled? There’s an entire various other guide to that, which kind of speaks with just how complicated that whole formula may be. There are usually 2 different type of Moment: Limited Edition (LE), which have a finite variety of variations developed and are usually more valuable, and also Circulating Count (CC), which has a quantity that might change as even more packs are released. Now I can inform you there are absolutely no new packs available in all, and also a lot of various Moments readily available on the secondary market. That peer-to-peer market has its very own spikes in appeal, rate, and deficiency that’s driven by what people intend to deal, together with what Top Shot offers. It’s all quite intriguing to enjoy, and also unlike the stock exchange, individuals accountable of the market are rather clear concerning just how things are going (for now). As long as NBA Top Shot is a sporting activities sensation, it’s not. It’s a tech product, still practically in beta, and there seem to be adjustments continuously happening. Releases don’t always go smoothly, things break, and others obtain repaired as the product itself advances in real time. What’s rejuvenating here, though, is that the company appears to be pretty sincere concerning, both great and also poor. Listen, good friend, I am far from an economist below. I’m just checking out the information, so to speak. Yet it’s definitely intriguing to see, as well as there’s a significant sense of FOMO that occurs when new packs struck the marketplace as well as individuals share their successes as well as failures. The additional market offers private clips beginning at $2 each, so even with need triggering countless individuals to lose out on new packs, it’s a rather affordable access factor right into the Top Shot video game. However understand that, like all collectable products with gambling-adjacent chances and emotions, it’s a domino effect with a pricey mountain of rarity and also exclusivity waiting on the opposite. And till more notification, you’ll see substantial competitors, which suggests it will certainly be difficult to discover any easy bargains. There is plenty of info and also information offered, though: The individuals running things at Dapper regularly update individuals on what’s going on with Top Shot, consisting of tweaks as well as what’s essentially a video game roadmap-style upgrade on what’s next. Top Shot is very good at sharing comprehensive malfunctions of just what you’re acquiring, and also their Discord additionally shares updates on just who took care of to snag packs and also just how they’re fighting customers capitalizing on the system to score large quantities of packs. It’s a wonderful modification from assets where ordinary people are woefully unprepared to fight the huge people. However it’s much from ideal. Saturday’s release of $999 legendary packs of 10 Moments, as an example, saw a glitch let individuals acquire packs without waiting in the line if they joined at simply the right time, a frustration for some trying to obtain among the 2,331 packs offered, to state the least. Yet the release did have one brilliant place: Each pack went to a different enthusiast, according to Dapper’s data, which means the rare things went out to lots of different people, a renovation over an earlier common release pack from earlier in the week. Dapper states they intend to maintain Base Set packs readily available in any way times but are having a hard time to stay on top of demand, and also they’re selling out in mins, just like the rarest of packs with the highest-value cards. However that suggests there are plenty readily available on the second market, and also there are lots of more-common moments offered to get now if you’re willing to pay a bit of a premium. And if you’re a fan of less preferred gamers, there’s a bevy of great highlights for you to acquire. Get-rich quick assets appear all the rage online nowadays particularly when the blockchain is included which is definitely part of the charm of Top Shot for some speculators. Telling financially-strapped people to spend for anything now is definitely a tough ask, yet we stay in a globe where players sink countless dollars into online money to bulk up create-a-players and packs of online soccer celebrities in sporting activities sims they might bet less than a year before upgrading. With NBA Top Shot, at least theoretically, these packs will have some actual value. That value may only exist when a video clip is marketed, yet believers out there hope Moments end up being a collectible on the same level with trading cards, sports souvenirs, and also gamer autographs. Otherwise, at least they’ll have quite an outstanding emphasize reel to see. So you can make money off NBA Top Shot? Theoretically indeed, but it’s a bit much more difficult than you may anticipate. The tech behind NBA Top Shot is a product of Dapper Labs, a Blockchain solution that boasts on its own internet site that it “uses the power of play to supply blockchain-based experiences that are made for you as well as prepared for the real world.” What this means is that the NBA and a Blockchain service collaborated to reproduce the sporting card market in an on the internet tool, replicating deficiency as well as rarity to turn these moments into a product. Yes, you can place funds right into your account, buy and sell Top Shots as well as you can have the capability to pull the cash out and also put it in your financial institution. Nonetheless, this is far from the paradise it could appear like at first. Hopefully by this point in the post you comprehend NBA Topshot Launch. There are 3 tiers of packs you can purchase: Top Shot Common Pack ($9): Nine common moments, which all have production of 1000+, without optimum. Top Shot Rare Pack ($22): Seven common moments, one rare moment, which has an optimum production of 999 clips. Top Shot Legendary Pack ($230): Six common moments, 3 rare moments, one legendary moment, which has a manufacturing maximum of 99 clips. There is not an unlimited amount of packs readily available. Instead they’re released in limited sized “declines” that can sell out, visualize a number of PS5s arriving at Walmart as well as trying to rush to get one. That’s the fundamental principle below. This makes certain the market isn’t saturated, and also the shortage is kept. Right now that’s driven the system to a fever pitch. Common moments are selling for $20-30 usually today, meaning yes, if you obtain a pack drop you’re able to generate income instantly as well as excellent money at that. Presuming you’re lucky adequate to get a pack. Nevertheless, we do not understand just how the marketplace will certainly adapt when even more remain in the wild. Standard logic informs you that if something is purchased approximately 36 cents, it should not have the ability to cost $20 for an indefinite quantity of time. Every time there’s a pack decrease and even more moments are included right into the economy the price will certainly be driven down, particularly on lesser players or more undesirable moments. In the meantime, it’s the golden era of NBA Topshot Launch specifically for individuals that participated the very beginning back in 2019 and may have a substantial repository of moments. There will definitely be tales of people ending up being millionaires off Top Shot, as well as there will be tales of those who were left holding the bag when the ultimate crash happens, and also the marketplace remedies itself.	9,686
The feeling of powerlessness is a bitter companion that chronically ill people know well. This is true for cancer, but also for a lot of other diseases such as psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, COPD... The feeling of powerlessness is directly linked to the inability to control the events occurring in our lives. The diagnosis, the treatments, and the healthcare pathway are sometimes full of obstacles. What’s important to know is that this feeling of powerlessness is intimately linked to the feeling of loss of control. In chronic illnesses, it often translates into feelings of frustration, anger, or even anxiety. As the philosopher Frédéric Lenoir makes us understand, we feel powerless when we refuse to let go of something beyond our control. And yet! Working to "let go" is real work, and it is also a way of "controlling". It is to stop believing that we can catch something that is constantly slipping through our fingers, like water through a sieve. We rarely have control over events. Knowing how to distinguish between what is within our power and what is beyond our control can be a far more powerful act than believing in the illusion of control. This is precisely where you can find a solution. The illusion of control is a well-known mechanism in psychology since the psychologist research Ellen Langer in the 1990s. We all have this tendency to overestimate the influence we have on events. For example, you may have been in a hurry to press the call button of an elevator several times, as if you could make it arrive faster. You know deep down it won't change anything, and yet you do it anyway: it is precisely the illusion of control. A gesture, an action that goes in the direction of what you want, but that will have no other impact on your life than costing you a lot of energy. And yet, you will surely need this energy to feel better. There are many ways to work through this illusion of control: Some people and activities can teach us how to coexist with these things that are out of our control. It is a question of learning a form of control by leaving another described as illusory. Learning to control what we can: our thoughts, rather than events. Certain paramedical professionals such as psychologists or sophrologists can teach you to make possible what today seems impossible. If control is an illusion, it means that powerlessness is also an illusion. Meditation professionals can also teach you to develop psychological resources that you might not have imagined. You can also practice on your own to "become aware" of these things when something big or small happens to you. Ask yourself this simple question: "Can I do anything about it?" You may not always find an answer, but you will soon understand how helpful it is to ask yourself this question. It's not the answers that matter, but the questions you ask yourself that take you down one path rather than another. That's part of the cerebral work. Because by asking yourself this question, your brain will calibrate itself more and more on a new way for you to avoid getting stuck on things you don't understand and spending energy on nothing. It's up to you! What are the unanswered questions that make you feel lighter rather than those that weigh you down? share Penetration has become too painful Chronic disease can contribute to a disturbance of sexual arousal. For women, this often entails impaired vaginal lubrication, making penetration painful or, in some cases, impossible. However, there are solutions to help you regain a fulfilling sex life! My health made me more ecologically concerned Combining the daily life of a patient with ecological choices is not always easy. This feeling can lead to guilt and even eco-anxiety. But it's not your fault! Here are a few daily gestures to find a balance between your values and your health! What to expect when changing treatment? Changing treatment can be a difficult step for a patient, from prescription to follow-up. Here are some tips to help you through this period. I don't have libido anymore since I've been ill Discover the testimony of a patient who feels he has lost his libido. If you are also in his situation, find the advice of our sexologist in this article. Building a strong relationship with your doctor Since your diagnostic, a new person has come into your life: your doctor! You are both connected by the same goal: to deal with the disease and preserve your quality of life. Here's how to build a strong relationship with them. How to manage your weight with a chronic illness Some illnesses have a strong influence on weight gain or loss. To better manage your weight with your chronic illness, here are 4 tips!	4,827
What does WELLNESS actually mean? According to Merriam Webster’s dictionary, wellness is defined as “the quality, or state of being in good health especially as an actively sought goal”. Other definitions go on to say, “an active process of becoming aware of and making choices toward a healthy and fulfilling life”. The common word in both of these definitions is “active.” Wellness does not come upon us by passively watching life go by, by hoping for health but refusing to make any changes, or by denying the influences and impact our daily choices have on our health and well-being. In order to achieve wellness, one must make the conscious choice to make a change, to take that first step, and to keep moving forward even after life’s set backs and unforeseen obstacles. People often define their wellness by their physical health alone. Actually, there are seven domains of wellness and each one is equally important to achieving true wellness and quality in our lives. Here is a list of the seven domains of wellness: Environmental It is important to reflect on each of these domains and determine what they look like and mean to you now, at this stage of your life. In the upcoming entries, we will be diving in and exploring each domain in further depth. Maintenance Therapy – The Best Kept Secret in Senior Care! Posted on May 16, 2019 by Editor - Exercise, Healthcare By Above & Beyond Senior Services Have you ever needed physical or occupational therapy (PT/OT)? Conditions that cause decreased strength, range of motion, balance deficits, difficulty with walking and memory issues are leading reasons seniors might need therapy. Most therapy is based on a model that requires patients to meet certain qualifying criteria. Typically, a person must demonstrate measurable, skilled progress or the therapy provider is required to discharge. Over the course of the last decade, a new option for wellness and exercise has become increasingly available to Minnesota seniors! Maintenance therapy is the same PT/OT that you are familiar with, but with a few differences: • Starts after traditional therapy ends. • Has no requirements for frequency or duration of service. • Comes into the home, while allowing freedom to be active throughout the community. Mary had a massive stroke at 68. She was left with an inability to walk, difficulty with speaking, and decreased movement on the left side of her body. After completing rehabilitation in the hospital, then a care facility, she was able to return home with her husband, Ed. She also qualified for Medicare home therapy. When Mary was no longer considered homebound, she transitioned to an outpatient clinic. Mary was very motivated to get better, but this proved more difficult than imagined. It was hard to be disciplined in completing the home exercises her therapists assigned. Ed began to notice declines, despite Mary going for therapy twice a week. They were disappointed in her regression. It was time for a change. She wanted home therapy that focused on the tasks and activities that were important to her and allowed them to be in control of her rehab. Thanks to a recommendation from a trusted health care worker, Ed inquired about direct-pay, maintenance therapy. The maintenance therapists helped discover Mary’s abilities and limitations. The couple’s therapy goals were set collaboratively. These weren’t goals for the purpose of insurance coverage, but the goals that were important to both of them. They were finding their “new normal”. Her desire to maximize her mobility, strength and balance was met by creative exercise instruction from her therapists. Over time, with PT/OT each week, Mary had many successes. Eventually she was able to walk throughout her home, enjoy her swimming pool and an adaptive horse-riding program! Her quality of life was significantly improved as she met her goals of participating in community activities and going out to dinner with Ed. She felt empowered, engaged and happy about her accomplishments. While many people desire and achieve goals of improvement, maintenance therapy also understands that sometimes, true “maintenance of ability” IS the goal. Many seniors get caught in a cycle of decline which leads to hospitalization and rehab. Once home again, it’s difficult to maintain exercise programs independently. Lack of adequate maintenance leads to progressive decline and the cycle begins again. Introducing maintenance therapy can be a life changer for a senior. When a client has ongoing, one-on-one therapy, they are able to maintain their physical abilities. This makes the difference between staying at home vs. moving to assisted living or nursing home. A benefit of maintenance therapy is the same therapist can continue with clients if they change the place they call home. If you are a senior who wants to either regain or maintain your quality of life through wellness and exercise, maintenance therapy may be the missing link that you have been searching for. Seniors and Exercise Posted on June 9, 2016 by Allison Bakke - Exercise Exercise should no longer be a dirty word for seniors. At one time, exercise was judged to be too dangerous, too vigorous for older adults due to frailty and/or fear of being injured by exercise. However, a number of well-conducted studies over the last several years have shown that a variety of exercises are not only safe for older adults but have enormous advantages. In fact, staying active can help you: Keep and improve your strength so you can stay independent. Have more energy to do the things you want to do. Improve your balance. Prevent or delay some diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Perk up your mood and help reduce depression. To get all of the benefits of physical activity, try the four types of exercise: Endurance: Be sure to get at least 30 minutes of activity that makes you breathe hard on most or all days of the week. That’s called an endurance activity because it builds your energy or “staying power.” You don’t have to be active for 30 minutes all at once. Ten minutes at a time is fine. Just make sure you are active for a total of 30 minutes most days. How hard do you need to push yourself? If you can talk without any trouble at all, you are not working hard enough. If you can’t talk at all, it’s too hard. Strength: Strength exercises build muscles. When you have strong muscles, you can get up from a chair by yourself, you can lift your grandchildren, and you can walk through the park. You are less likely to fall when your leg and hip muscles are strong. Strengthening exercises involve providing resistance to your muscles. This can be done with weights or using your body weight, such as push-ups, squats, and sit-ups. Balance: Balance training allows us to prevent or delay the use of assistive devices for walking and to prevent falls. Balance activities can be incorporated into your strength exercises. Squats and lunges can be progressed from hanging on to a counter or bar to not hanging on to anything. Flexibility: Stretching can help you be more flexible. Moving more freely will make it easier for you to reach down to tie your shoes or look over your shoulder when you back the car out of your driveway. Stretch when your muscles are warmed up. Don’t stretch so far that it hurts. You are more likely to keep up an exercise program if you are doing activities that you enjoy. So, no more excuses find an activity or activities that interests you and start working them into your schedule! Remember, your physical and occupational therapists are great resources for starting an exercise program.	7,749
This is the official production blog for Alter Arms, a tokusatsu-themed tabletop role playing game by Duffy Austin Advance: When players have enough Experience, they can Advance their character so that they gain a new Arms or raise one of their Vectors. The amount of Experience needed to Advance is the same number as the Max Drama Value for their highest-level Arms. A character can only Advance six times. There are two ways to Advance: When a character has gotten enough Experience to Advance, they can choose to do so during the course of a session. They lose all of their experience, then roll dice to determine what Vector they raise the level of, or what new Arms’ Type and Power they get. Regardless, they get to choose a new Trapping for one of their Arms. If a player waits till their character gets a chance to rest - typically after an adventure has ended or during a session when there are no pressing matters - they can choose what Advancement they want. They then must make a Move in that Vector - with no additional bonuses - and get a value less than or equal to the target value to get that Advancement. If the Move is too high, they keep all their Experience, and try again at another time. The target values they must roll at or under are 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, and 12. Ally: A player character or character who works with the player characters during a Conflict. Alter: A character with the ability to use Arms and take on new Forms. Player's characters are all Alters. Archetype: A subclass that a player occupies that determines both how they interact with other characters and how they can lower Drama. The rules for each Archetype are different, and are meant to simulate how someone of that character archetype would interact with others. Successes when using Archetypes give a character Experience in the Vector they made the Move with. The Archetypes and their rules are: Ace: The ultimate extrovert who finds strength in their relationship with others. Ace Rules: Roll against an Opponent or Ally one more time than normal and choose the value to use. If against an Opponent, lower own Drama for every success you have. If against an Ally, they lower Drama by 1 for every success. Antihero: An introvert who doesn't work well with others, but will help when necessary. Antihero Rules: Roll against an ally. For every success, lower your Drama by 1. OR roll against an opponent, and put 1 of an ally’s Drama on them for every success. WHEN ALONE, put your own Drama on the opponent instead. Defender: Someone who puts themselves on the line for others. Defender Rules: When an ally is attacked, you can roll against that ally on the same Vector they’re being attacked. For every success, neutralize 1 Drama they would take. On your turn, you can roll against yourself, and if successful you lower your Drama by the same amount that you last took from an enemy Move. Planner: They fight for their friends, but can't help but see them as pieces of their larger plan. Planner Rules: EITHER roll against a target, and add Drama to a Plan Pool for every success (When used on an ally, you and the ally also lower Drama for every success), OR roll against an opponent to put all that Plan Pool Drama on them if successful! You also lower your Drama by that much. Rival: They push their allies to be stronger. In a way, it's just so they don't have to reflect upon themselves. Rival Rules: Roll against yourself and put 1 of your Drama on an opponent for every success you get, or roll against an ally to lower their Drama by 1 for every success. Support: A total team player who is driven to help the group succeed. Support Rules: Roll against all party members (including yourself). Either rearrange up to half of the Drama of all allies you're successful against, or lower an ally’s Drama = to the number of success that move had. Arms: The means be which an Alter changes Form, and the Forms they take. Players begin the game with access to their 1st Arms, and can unlock new Arms by Advancing their characters. The number of Arms a character has unlocked, included their Base, raises the maximum amount of Drama they can take by 3. When a character transforms, their Drama raises or lowers to that Arms' Reset Drama Value. Base: The form a character takes when they have not yet transformed into one of their Arms. All Moves done in Base use a four-sided dice (d4) to determine the Move's value. When in Base, a character has access to all of the Gimmicks and Powers associated with all of their Arms. Conflict: A battle that occurs between two or more characters with the goal typically to cause their opponent to Crash. Conflicts do not need to be based on physical combat; they can be any kind of contest like a game of ping-pong or a heated debate. The way that Vectors are framed by Moves determines how extreme the action taken is. A Soul Move during a Conflict can be framed by the player as being a massive energy attack, or a cutting insult that leaves an Opponent speechless. The number of Successes determines how impactful the Move is, but it is still limited by what the actual action taken is. Crash: A failure state for a character that occurs when they take more Drama than they can handle. The maximum amount of Drama a character can take is their highest Form's Max Drama Value. This is not death (unless the player wants it to be), but rather a character being overcome by their opponent to the point where they can no longer fight. If a character Crashes, they lose all unspent Experience and return to their Base with 0 Drama. Before they can transform again, they must take some sort of successful action in order to rebuild their confidence. Drama: A currency in the game that is taken on by characters whenever they perform certain actions like Transforming, using Traits or certain Powers, or when an opponent Successfully makes a Move against them. Characters have a maximum amount of Drama they can take, which is the Max Drama Value for their highest Form. When a character Transforms to a higher Form, their Drama goes to that higher Form's Reset Drama Value. When they Transform into a lower Form, their Drama goes to that lower Arms' Max Drama Value. Drama can be lowered by a character passing their turn off to an Opponent before all their allies have gone, or by using an Archetype. Defense: Every Vector has a Defensive value that must be surpassed for a Move to be Successful against a character. Each Vector in every Form has a unique Defensive value that is used when a character is in that Form. If a Move done to a character is equal to or higher than the character's Defense, then that move is Successful. A Move has multiple Successes when its value can be divided by the target character's Defense multiple times. When a player takes on a higher Arms, their Defense increases. Defensive values are found by multiplying a Vector's value by the Defensive value associated with that Arms. The Defensive values are: 1st Arms: x4 2nd Arms: x5 3rd Arms: x6 4th Arms: x7 Edges: Some Types have Edges over another Type. If a character is in an Arms with a Type that has an Edge over the Type of their target, they get to roll the dice twice and use the higher value when determining their Move's value. The relationships between Types are: Tech has an Edge on Bio Experience: Experience is a currency that can be used by a player to Advance their character, or enhance a Move's value. Experience is earned by performing actions that move the plot of the story forward, like discovering an important clue, getting important information out of someone, or winning a Conflict. The GM rewards the player who took the action by giving them the amount of experience appropriate for the importance of the action. Players can also earn Experience by using their Archetypes, earning +1 Experience for every Success they have with the Move. All experience is associated with the Vector that was used to acquire it. Experience can be spent to Advance a character, or enhance a Move if there is Experience currently associated with the Vector used for the action being taken. For every Experience the player spends, that Move's value increases by +1, and is then discarded. Finishers: Once per Conflict, a character can declare they are performing a Finisher. This lets them perform any kind of Move with the next-highest dice from the Form they are currently in (Even ones that haven't been unlocked yet). If this Move fails, then the character who performed the Move has their Drama rise to their current Form's Max Drama Value if it isn't there already, and their turn ends. When a Finisher is performed with a Power, special effects are activated that normally don't occur when a Power is used normally. Forms: A character's Base and various Arms they Transform into. Each Form has a different Max Drama Value and Reset Drama Value, and uses a different dice when performing a Move. The dice for each Form are: 1st Arms: six-sided dice (d6) 2nd Arms: eight-sided dice (d8) 3rd Arms: ten-sided dice (d10) 4th Arms: twelve-sided dice (d12) Game Master (GM): The person who runs the game for their players. They create the setting, scenarios, and non-player characters that the player characters encounter during the game session. When a player makes a Move, they discuss with the GM what the action is, and decide together what Vector makes sense to use for it and if any Gear or Gimmicks can play a role. To keep the game's pace going, the GM's word is final. Gear: Pieces of equipment that an character has access to regardless of what Form they are in. This item is described by the player, and is associated with a single Vector. If the GM believes that it is applicable to the action being taken by a character, it gives a Move a +2 bonus along with any viable Gimmicks. It can also be added to a character's Defense for that Vector if the GM believes it is viable for the Move being done to a character. Gear is acquired during Advancement in place of a Trapping. A character can only have one piece of Gear. Max Drama Value: The maximum number of Drama a Form can take. If they take any more Drama higher than this number, they Crash. Regardless of the Form a character is in, they only Crash and are forced to Transform when they take more Drama than their highest Form's Max Drama Value. When a character Transforms from a higher Form to a lower Form, their Drama goes to the lower Form's Maximum Drama Value. The values are: 1st Arms: 6 Drama 2nd Arms: 9 Drama 3rd Arms: 12 Drama Move: Any action performed by a character that requires them to test a Vector. Including Normal Moves, Archetypes, and Powers. A player declares what they are attempting - explaining how their character's Gear, Gimmicks, Type, or Power could frame the narrative around it, and they work out with the GM what Vector that falls under. The player rolls the dice for whichever Form they are performing the test in, and multiplies what they have in that Vector by the results of the roll. They can add any bonuses from Gear or Gimmicks to this value when applicable. If this value is greater than or equal to the target value the GM has set up as the difficulty for the action, the Move is a Success. If this is a move against a character, the target value is always the character's Defense in that Form and Vector. A Move has multiple Successes against a character for every time that its value can be divided by the Defense into a whole number. Normal Move: One of the actions that can be taken by a character on their Turn during a Conflict. It's any Move where a character rolls against another character with the intent to put Drama on them, but without special rules like those found in Powers or Archetypes. The Move's value can be increased with bonuses from Gimmicks and Gear. The Drama the target of the Move takes is equal to the number of times that the Move can be divided by the target's Defense into a whole number. Opponent: An antagonist character who has competing goals with the player characters in a Conflict. Usually to make player characters Crash. Powers: Abilities that can be used during a Turn to allow the player to perform actions that have special effects. Powers belong to different Types. Characters can only use their Powers when they are in their Base, or are in an Arms of a Type that Power belongs to. When Powers are used as Finishers, they activate special effects that don't normally occur. Reset Drama Value: When a character transforms into a higher Arms, their current Drama level resets so they are only three Drama short of that Arms' Max Drama Value. The Reset Drama Values for the different Arms are: 1st Arms: 3 Drama 2nd Arms: 6 Drama 3rd Arms: 9 Drama 4th Arms: 12 Drama Traits: Bonuses to different Vectors that, when a character takes 1 Drama, raise that Vector's value by 2 for a single Move. This can be done offensively on a characters' Turn in order to raise a Move that had no Successes, or be used to raise a character's Defense if an Opponent's Move had multiple Successes. A character can only have one Trait, chosen on character creation. Traits are: Bold, associated with Might Clever, associated with Brains Stylish, associated with Soul Transform: When a character switches between any of their Forms, gaining access to different Gimmicks, Powers, Types, and Dice. Going from a lower-level Form like from Base to 1st Arms causes a character's Drama to immediately change to the Reset Drama Value for the ending Arms, regardless of if it is higher or lower than that value. Going down to a lower Arms, like from 2nd Arms to 1st Arms, or from 1st Arms to Base, causes the Drama to immediately change to the Max Drama Value for the ending Arms, regardless of if it is higher or lower than that value. Gimmicks (formerly Trappings): Gimmicks are simple details about an Arms that help clarify what they are capable of for the GM and other players. When performing a Move, a player can incorporate an Arms' Gimmicks into the narrative for offensive purposes. If the GM agrees with this, the player can add +1 to the move for every Trapping. When in Base Form, a character can use Gimmicks from any Arms to perform an action, giving them +1 for every Trapping incorporated. Gimmicks can be used to neutralize an attacking character's bonuses from Gimmicks if they are narratively appropriate, like a Move using a 'Fire' Trapping doesn't gain +1 if the target character is in a Form that has access to the 'Water' Trapping. Characters gain Gimmicks by raising a Vector for gaining a new Arms, through Advances. Turns: When a Conflict begins, the character who goes first is the one who instigated the Conflict. Once they have made a single Move, they can pass off to another character of their choosing who has not yet gone. Once every character has gone, the last player can choose whoever they wish to go next. If a player passes off their turn to an Opponent character before all of their allies have had a Turn, they can lose 1 Drama. On a turn, a character can both: Transform into another form. Types: Every Arms has a Type it's associated with. The Powers associated with that Arms are drawn from a pool of similar Powers that belong to that Type. Types frame what the Arms' origins are and what they do to their Alter when they're activated Depending on the Type, the GM might allow a character to perform certain actions that characters of other Types cannot. A character does not need to have all their Arms be a single Type, and is at an advantage if they are able to change their Type when facing certain Opponents in order to make use of the Edges Types have over one another. They are: Bio: Biologically-based Arms. Usually organic symbiotes, or change their Alter's body via some mutation. Has an Edge on Myth Types due to Myths being based on belief, and all belief coming from living things. Myth: Mythology-based Arms. They are magical or mysterious in origin. They change their Alter through some unknown means, or garb them in armor that defies logic. Has an Edge on Tech Types, because Technology is incapable of properly understanding something powered by belief. Tech: Technology-based Arms. An artificial construct that is used by an Alter to don an advanced weapon system, or the Arms could just be an advanced weapon itself. Has an edge over Bio Types, because technology aims to make up for biology's shortcomings. Fight: Arms that don't fall into any of the above categories, but still strengthen their Alters. They have no Edges on other Types, and other Types don't have Edges on them. Vectors: There are three attributes that determine what a character is proficient at. Every Move that can be done is done framed as within one of these Vectors. A Vector can have a value of 1, 2, or 3. They are : Might: The Vector associated with the physical attributes of a character. Used to perform Moves that are based around the strength and speed. In combat, it is typically used to perform melee attacks. Brains: The Vector associated with the mental attributes of a character. Used to perform moves that are based around intelligence and wisdom. In combat, it is typically used to perform ranged attacks. Soul: The Vector associated with the spiritual attributes of a character. Used to perform Moves that are based around charisma and willpower. In combat, it is typically used to perform non-standard attacks like creatively using Gimmicks. Other Apps Other Apps Comments Popular posts from this blog Two players from a demo of Alter Arms at KatsuCon I had a great time at KatsuCon this past Saturday in their tabletop room where I was able to run multiple demos of Alter Arms for eager players! "I never thought that being an edgy super hero (WHO COULD TRANSFORM!) would be so cool! This was an amazing experience." -JD (@rise_medica on Instagram: https://t.co/XGNd6slH15 ). Thanks to all of the players from @Katsucon this weekend! #KatsuCon #tokusatsu #ttrpg pic.twitter.com/2iN8tsqXB1 — Alter Arms (@AlterArms) February 18, 2019 I had one return player who played a demo last year, who also expressed enjoyment at how the game is turning out. One takeaway I found was that the Defender archetype needed to be tempered to make it so that it didn't make it too easy for players to earn experience compared to the others. Archetypes are classes that characters have that represent their role on the team, kind of like how sentai teams have "the support Other Apps 3 comments Read more During the first week of November, I was lucky enough to attend Metatopia , a gathering of tabletop gaming professionals from around the country and beyond, who come together to talk about the industry and gather feedback on their games. I want to give a brief overview of how my games were received, and what I thought of the games I played. MY GAMES Alter Arms is a tabletop roleplaying game (RPG) that I am designing themed around Japanese super heroes . Players are able to take on different forms with a variety of powers in order to solve problems and defeat enemies. It got the most exposure at the convention, with one hi-test (where only other developers played with the intention of dissecting mechanics) and one lo-test (where casual players and other developers can try out games). Both went well, with the hi-test giving me feedback on how mechanics can be abused and some of the character Powers need clarification in their rules. One mechanic that was noticed to have a l Other Apps Read more MAGFest 2022 was a great experience! I learned more about encounter balance for both Alter Arms and Skrap Packs, and met a number of wonderful people with some great stories to tell through the games and feedback to provide. With Alter Arms , the main feedback I got was in terms of learning the system and encounter balance: Coming into the game with characters with at least one advancement can be fun when multiple special abilities are applied to actions, but it can be overwhelming for new players learning the new system. The different kinds of actions a character can take, the bonuses they can create for themselves and their allies, and managing the pressure their characters are under can be a lot to take in all at once. What I've found by comparing the MAGFest 2022 playtests to other playtests is that the game is easiest taught in steps: at PAX Unplugged I brought characters in before they had any transformations or special abilities. They were left to solve problems with just	21,036
"Learn to look with an equal eye upon all beings, seeing the one Self in all." -Srimad Bhagavatam, Perenniel Philosophy The following is a map of the 26 Safety Energy Locks found on/in the body. Safety Energy Locks, or SELs, are naturally occurring tools given to us to harmonize our energy with that of the Universal Life Force. I'm also including a key/chi to assist with accessing and allowing this information to sink in. The correlations listed below the chart are just the tip of the iceberg, one tiny thread in this massive fabric of Being. For example, did you know that each one of our fingers has a direct connection to notes/tones on the musical scale, specific colors, planets, and body/organ functions; regardless of your age, sex, weight, religious beliefs, political preferences, color, or income? Pick numbers that resonate with you (your birth date for example), and play with them. Gently rest your hands on the places that correspond to these numbers on the chart below, and breath. Whether it's for one minute or one hour doesn't matter. Every little bit counts. However it feels best for you, is what is right for you. Thank you! Have fun! Happy exploring! Amy Leave a Reply. Amy and Tait are Jin Shin Jyutsu and Usui Reiki practitioners at Exquisite Healing Alternative Medicine in Eugene, Oregon.	1,354
When the date is set and the time has come to welcome visitors, sure you can go to call standard proven, however they would reflect... Read more The Benefits of Barbeque Catering Omari Shane November 15, 2021 December 10, 2021 by Omari Shane November 15, 2021 December 10, 2021 0557 Delivery Your Inner Socialite Patio grills are adequately basic to cater for all alone: it’s not difficult to plan and prepare nourishment for a little...	446
9 5 minutes read “TMarkets will react the way they will,” the Chancellor told the House of Commons as he launched the tax cuts that have sunk the pound and skyrocketed borrowing costs. And they did. As the pound plunged again, the Treasury said it was ‘bloody’, promising yet more tax cuts for the wealthy, this time to allow them to rack up fatter, tax-free pensions. Liz Truss came to power without any significant rebound in the polls – making her unique in polling history. YouGov associate director Patrick English tells me to expect more plummeting numbers. A panicked promise from the Treasury of a “new fiscal event” in November sounds more like a threat than a promise. Here ends the arrogance, the self-esteem, the sectarian obsession with economic fantasies that have failed and failed again. Here dies the absurd Laffer curve, the theory that tax cuts for the rich pay more than they cost. This should make conservatives ineligible for a generation, because this crash is theirs alone. Who pays? The shock is hitting home as people realize what this means for everyone: those who have the least will suffer the most. Public sector workers, who have fallen behind on pay since 2010, will be crushed for another two years as Truss reportedly backs away from his spending review promise. This leaves all departments with their current budgets against the headwinds of rising prices – every school and hospital left strangled by inflation. The Treasury spokeswoman had the nerve to say: ‘It is more important than ever that departments work effectively to manage existing budgets, focusing on unlocking growth and delivering high quality public services’ . A massive reduction in real wages will not and should not be tolerated. There can be no “we’re all in it” invocations of belt-tightening when the loan that broke the bank was only to give the rich extra vacations in the Caribbean. There will be no more solidarity after tax cuts are given to companies that already enjoy the lowest tax rates in the G7, which they hardly use for investments, preferring share buybacks and dividends to increased productivity. The utter enormity of what this generation of Tory Ukippers did to the country is now glaringly glaring to voters in all its arrogance and madness. In the Labor camp, no secret joy broke out, no midnight drink at the Liverpool conference toasted the opening of the Asian markets with a bang. They are appalled by what they will inherit. Abandoned public services and a crippled economy give any possible victory a bitter taste. It was already clear that Labor was on track to win the next election before this fit of tax cut madness. Already, those on the party’s sober front were seen as the only adults, unlike the runaway political theater of the absurd ruining, without running, the country since 2019. Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ incisive speech at Monday’s conference, full of dynamism mixed with outrage, ripped through the catalog of economic disasters wrought by Conservative politics during the year. Who wouldn’t rather trust this former Bank of England economist than the chancellors currently in charge? His pledged National Wealth Fund defines the difference between the two sides: Truss and Kwarteng are borrowing to blow away millionaires, Labor is borrowing to invest in wind, solar, tidal, battery and nuclear projects, producing real energy returns. energy independence. It’s a difference people understand – between borrowing to binge and borrowing for a mortgage or starting a business. Understandably, a party so often wiped out at general elections, absent from power for more than two-thirds of the late Queen’s reign, dare not quite believe that this time it is truly about to rule. Keir Starmer has ventured to say that hope turns to belief, but if you tell Labor at Liverpool they are destined to win, they raise garlic and cross to ward off any dangerous complacency. The party does not make much noise, faced with the violent breath of a mainly conservative press. Some have complained about Labour’s lack of eye-catching dynamism and Starmer’s deadpan quietude, but beneath the surface, largely unnoticed, a sea change has taken place that resembles the years before 1997. Here’s what the far-from-left-friendly economist reports: The Labor Treasury team had about 250 meetings with CEOs of major corporations, who are now so eager to talk to the opposition that tickets are running out. are sold in July for a business meeting with the shadow cabinet months ahead. “He is the most professional in terms of business engagement of any executive since Tony Blair,” says Miles Celic of TheCityUK, representing financial and professional services. The Economist continues: “What they say to each other reverberates to the electorate…Labour portrays business as a solution to Britain’s problems, rather than a problem to be solved…Calls are taken; emails are returned; speech projects are shared. ‘They are very clear on where they agree with us and where they disagree,’ says a bank executive… as businesses despair of the Conservative Party. They call it Labour’s “smoked salmon offensive,” after Blair and Brown’s famous prawn cocktail commercial campaign. Nevertheless, everywhere the atmosphere is extremely cautious. The shadow ministers and their aides evoke Roy Jenkins’ description of Tony Blair carrying that famous Ming vase on slippery ground to election victory in 1997. The risk is that nervousness will make their politicians too docile, too cautious. Instead, there was much celebration among delegates after Reeves’ speech: amid the crisis, many dared not expect to hear his promise to increase the number of new training places from doctor each year to 15,000 (this year the government cut 3,000 places), but promises that she has. Along with thousands more district nurses, midwives and others, it would be the biggest increase in medical school places in British history. And that must be paid for by restoring the highest tax rate. Then there’s Wes Streeting’s National Care Service, which elevates care workers to the same salary and career path as NHS staff. And Bridget Phillipson, the shadow education secretary, is due to announce a “completely revamped” childcare system on Tuesday. Add to that Reeves’ genuine promise of a living wage, with fair wage deals across entire industries, and there’s no more talking about “Where are their policies?” Spark panic among Tories over Labour’s growing lead in the polls as Truss outraged everyone including farmers, the RSPB, the National Trust and the Wildlife Trust with his speech on deregulation. Pleasant wild gossip is circulating that frightened Tory MPs will oust Truss and Kwarteng with another round of these letters to the Chairman of the 1922 Committee. So what? Bring back Boris Johnson? Or, or perhaps also, an early election? We now know that on their benches absolutely anything is possible. The only thing that seems impossible is that they can win the next election. But whisper it – because it scares away former workers who have been here before. theguardian Gt Not all news on the site expresses the point of view of the site, but we transmit this news automatically and translate it through programmatic technology on the site and not from a human editor.	7,534
“It’s so great to have a path laid out for you,” said Kerry Fair, neighborhood partnership coordinator for Bester Community of Hope. “It’s easy to navigate, and gives the community a fun way to exercise.” The 3-mile loop was created by Bester Community of Hope with a grant from the Washington County Health Department in support of the group’s walking school bus initiative. Fair said it was created in an attempt to find a way to connect bus stops in the South End and make them more accessible. “When we looked at the number of stops and how to connect them, we discovered that it came out to be almost a 5K,” Fair said. “We thought it would be great to just make it a walking loop to help promote and encourage exercise.” To help bring information to the community in one place, the project includes four boards where local updates will be posted. The boards will include fliers for upcoming events, a calendar of activities, and useful tips and information for members of the community. They will be maintained by Bester Community of Hope and the Neighborhoods 1st groups of Hagerstown. “We thought that the boards would be a great way to connect with the community, including those who may not have access to the internet or a smartphone,” Fair said. During their journey on the South End loop, walkers will pass historic local sites, including City Park and Rose Hill Cemetery, as well as a mural on West Memorial Boulevard and the Mural of Unusual Size on the Hagerstown Cultural Trail. Fair and Bester Community of Hope have created a bi-weekly walking group for those looking for some company to try out the new loop and get some regular exercise. The group is open to everyone and begins walking every Tuesday and Friday morning at 9 a.m., starting at Rose Hill Cemetery in Hagerstown. The walk will go around the entire loop, which takes about 45 minutes to walk. “We hold each other accountable, and it’s a great way to get our steps in,” Fair said. But those looking to lose some weight have one obstacle along the loop. “If you’re walking the trail in the evening, it does take you past Krumpe’s Do-Nuts, which can be tempting,” Fair said. “South End walking loop organizers look to promote community health with new path” – By Valerie Bonk here: Herald Mail Article There are no upcoming events. August 8, 2022 Landmark investment in Lu Technology at Bester Elementary May 16, 2022 Practicing what we preach with ‘Better Together’ May 12, 2022 Your support directly impacts the success of our program. We promise 100% of your donation will make a difference in our mission.	2,709
Part of a series of "rambling reflections" by Pastor David Riley – a church minister located on the Australian Gold Coast. Make sure you click the "follow" button to receive an update on these articles as soon as they're posted. Month: June 2021 June 29, 2021 June 29, 2021 reverentialramblings5 Comments The Riley family travelled north during June to the remote Western Australian town of Broome. The road to Broome this time of year is filled with travellers chasing winter’s warmth, including holidaying families in heavy-ladened caravans, dreadlocked twenty-somethings in cars packed with fire-juggling paraphernalia, and bus-filled retirees in the sunsets of their own lives – all careening up the Great Northern Highway. Broome is such a wonderful winter escape during the cool middle of a southern hemisphere year that its population triples for three months. In the early spring, when the troops of travellers finally depart town, Broome returns to being a hothouse of humidity leaving residents wanting to live inside their own fridges. But a centenary before this paved motorway sped travellers north by their tens of thousands chasing winter’s sun, there was another road twenty miles further west – the “Old” Broome Road. This now forgotten road (if you could ever really call it a road) was the path poor sojourners either walked or sat astride beasts of burden as they travelled to and from Port Hedland in the south, and everywhere in between. Those with more money and sense travelled by boat, for the Broome road had too many depravations. The road was pockmarked with the heavy hooves of horses and cattle, sandy and windswept from the tropic’s summer blows, and devoid of any semblance of drinking water. Those who travelled it needed resilience and courage in spades, and maybe just a touch of insanity. When gold was discovered ‘down south’ in the Pilbara in the late 1800’s, prospectors who had been chasing pearls in Broome walked over three hundred miles down this road to try their luck in the goldfields. To travel this road was to suffer. So many prospectors experienced significant hardship, and even died travelling this path, that the road became known as the “Madman’s Track”. It was said that if a person wasn’t already crazy to travel the Madman’s Track, they would be by the time they finished. Many centuries ago Jesus talked on a hillside to a large audience about a similar Madman’s Track: “In life” Jesus said, “make sure you travel the road no-one else is on. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and most people are travelling this road. Less people are walking the narrow way, and it’s this path that leads to life” (Matthew 6:13-14). Jesus was talking about a path many people are still on today. A crazy metaphorical road chasing cash, fame and recognition, and earthly successes. This road, Jesus said, was temporary and led to destruction. His way is better He told His audience, and it had less people travelling it. I do hope that’s the path my family is travelling on, as we continue to follow the Son. The “Old” Broome Road no longer used by travellers The Riley family ‘rediscovering’ and ancient road once used by travellers over a century ago – the “Madman’s Track” Follow this Reverential Ramblings series on Facebook here (and click “follow”) About this blog: Pastor David Riley is a minister of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and is taking a sabbatical year to drag his family around Australia in a caravan. This article is from his “Reverential Ramblings” series that meanders around a series of subjects pondered and stuff seen. You can subscribe to this blog by clicking “follow”. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive new posts by David Riley on your email. Email Address: Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of David's most recent "ramble" by email Email Address: Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of David's most recent "ramble"	4,231
After protests, China abandons crucial components of its zero-COVID goal. Shakib’s courageous woman is Rodela in the promotion of Saudi Arabia Commending the birthday of famous fiction author Humayun Ahmed in Gazipur Mid-term decisions in the US, the conservative “red wave” didn’t ascend for two reasons India’s ‘first voter’ dies at 105 State AG dispatches examination of bigot, homophobic texts by Torrance cops State AG dispatches examination of bigot, homophobic texts by Torrance cops HReporter December 9, 2021 2 min read Bonta said his test comes in line with Torrance Police Chief Jeremiah Hart and is pointed toward tracking down any fundamental disappointments in the midst of charges of extreme power, bigoted instant messages and other biased unfortunate behavior. Bonta and Hart are wanting to set up accepted procedures and remake trust between the Police Department and the local area. Our people group all through the province of California have the right to realize they will get equivalent equity under the law, Bonta said in a meeting with the Southern California News Group on Wednesday, Dec. 8. Whenever I first found out about the substance (of the texts) I was exceptionally upset. It was difficult, Bonta said. Changes should be made in the Torrance Police Department. In the mean time, lawyers for two previous officials are planned to go to court in Torrance on Monday to request that an appointed authority block the texts from being utilized as proof, which would end any activity dependent on those messages. A court movement fights the texts were gotten through an illicit, excessively wide court order that abused California’s advanced protection law. The movement, gotten by Southern California News Group, covers the cellphone seized in 2020 from previous Officer Cory Weldin. He and ex-Officer Christopher Tomsic were accused in August of splash painting an insignia on a vehicle seized from a burglary suspect. The record fights a non-harmony official was held by police to lead one more pursuit of the telephone, and the substance — including the hostile messages — were conveyed to unapproved people, both claimed infringement. The state head legal officer’s declaration came hours after the distribution of a Los Angeles Times examination that showed officials sending messages, for example, one portraying an image of a sweets stick, a Christmas tree adornment, a star for the treetop and an “oppressed individual.” The subtitle said which one doesn’t have a place? The messaged reply: you don’t hang a star, the Times composed. As per the Times, the officials additionally messaged about gassing Jewish individuals and beating individuals from the LGBTQ people group. Police offices are on the cutting edges of that battle each day as they work to secure individuals of our state. In any case, where there is proof of possibly inescapable predisposition or separation, it can sabotage the trust that is basic for public wellbeing and our equity framework,” Bonta composed. “I praise … Hart for being willing to draw in with my office to handle these worries head-on. Hart added, As police head of the Torrance Police Department, I am focused on responsibility, and I won’t endure any type of fanaticism, prejudice, disdain, or offense. Different officials distinguished by the Times and affirmed by a source near the examination are Blake Williams, Brian Kawamoto, Joshua Satterfield, Omar Alonso, Christopher Allen-Young and Long Beach cop Maxwell Schroeder. One more assessed 18 Torrance officials got the texts however didn’t react, the source said.	3,722
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This section of the Green Sleeves exhibition draws together a range of different musical areas, including céilí, traditional, folk and classical. These areas embody certain cultural connotations such as authenticity, longevity and prestige. As can be seen from the examples selected there are clear efforts to develop distinct visual styles in each. Yet also evident is an effort on the part of some of the styles to appropriate visual signification from other areas, as with traditional music labels which consciously sought to adopt the stature of classical and jazz through the use of modernist photography and design. The intro and overview page for the Green Sleeves exhibition is here. 1950s Dating from the 1950s these records are both in the smaller 10 inch format which was popular during that decade but soon replaced by the larger 12 inch format. As a genre, Céilí is a traditional form focused on live renditions and dance. The visual imagery is one rooted in the landscape and imagery of Ireland. Even where modernity is evident, as with the English based Liverpool Céilí Band, it is framed within a strongly Irish context. The image of the band portrayed on the steps leading up to an Aer Lingus aircraft is suggestive of the theme of emigration and return. Many classical music records were released during the heyday of the vinyl record. Often recorded with the RTÉ Symphony Orchestra or the RTÉ String Quartet, notably these featured frequent collaborations between traditional and classical musicians. Peter Wildbur, who was primarily responsible for the visual imagery of Claddagh Records/Ceirníní Claddagh and Bill Bolger, who worked with the New Ireland Recording Company (a classical offshoot of the Mulligan label), were amongst those designers who introduced a strongly modernist typographic and visual approach. Irish folk from the 1960s onwards saw a growing popularity with groups and individuals drawing on a range of musical forms. This is reflected in the confident, strong and assertive visual formulations that on occasion draw upon traditional Irish imagery and at other times utilise strikingly contemporary approaches. Many of the groups in this selection would go on to significant national and international success both in folk and other genres. This display shows albums in a traditional vein which played on modernist visual formulations. There is a conscious effort to reframe this genre as a contemporary strand of Irish culture. This is achieved using the sans serif typefaces, photography and avoidance of illustration or imagery traditionally associated with Ireland. Notable is the emphasis on photographs of the musicians involved which underlines the genre as a living tradition. 1980s Traditional Divergence The iconic cover of Johnny the Fox illustrated by Jim FitzPatrick uses an overtly Celtic Christian visual imagery. However Thin Lizzy were by then writing and performing largely in a hard rock style. Similarly, Horslips’ career spanning Best of is also framed in a Celtic Christian context – and unlike their other albums was not designed by group members. As with Thin Lizzy the group had moved away from their original musical approach and had incorporated both rock and some new wave elements into their songs. By contrast both Moving Hearts and Stockton’s Wing use a more modernist visual approach despite their music being positioned in more overtly traditional and folk styles, albeit with strong contemporary aspects. Using folk and classical instrumentation, composer Shaun Davey released a series of albums in the 1980s and early 1990s, including The Brendan Voyage and The Pilgrim. The former is inspired by Tim Severin’s voyage retracing a journey attributed to Saint Brendan, in a currach across the Atlantic from Ireland to Newfoundland. The latter describes the voyages of exploration by medieval Celtic seafarers. Displayed here is the original painting by Pat Musick for The Brendan Voyage which is the centrepiece of the album. The Pilgrim was designed and illustrated by calligrapher and illustrator Tim O’Neill. The albums are rooted both musically and visually in a sense of Irish history and culture.	4,249
I am stretching my body down from my lower spine towards the floor. My stomach is on my thighs and my chest is on my knees. I am willing my face to touch my legs below my knees. It’s not going well. Advocate Staff Apr. 8, 2016 3:09 p.m. I am stretching my body down from my lower spine towards the floor. My stomach is on my thighs and my chest is on my knees. I am willing my face to touch my legs below my knees. It’s not going well. It’s as awkward and frustrating as it sounds especially if you’re unbendy like me. Our yoga instructor is leading us through the warm up postures at Bikram Yoga Red Deer. On a whim I signed for a 30-day consecutive yoga challenge back in January. I really didn’t know what came over me. I had flirted with hot yoga about a year ago after my friend Laura Davis remarked that spending time on the mat would feed my mind, body and soul. This wasn’t the first time I have heard those comments. But I think it was the first time I actually listened. I was coming off a disappointing running season. I was still dealing with a running injury and a bum shoulder that prevented me from fully participating in my crossfit workouts. Other areas in my life were also beginning to weigh heavy on my shoulders. I felt overwhelmed and I needed a time out. Bikram Yoga is practiced in a 42C room with 40 per cent humidity. Think sauna. In every single 90-minute class, the instructor leads the participants through a sequence of 26 postures and two breathing exercises. Our yoga instructor tells us to find our own eyes in the mirror and stay focused on yourself. Simple as it sounds, it is not especially if you’re as self-conscious and neurotic as I am and new to yoga. Oh boy was I aware of myself and everything around me. Most days I was fixated on what I looked like in class. Where people looking at me? Did this yoga costume cover my fat rolls? I didn’t want to stand out as the awkward woman in the back row going through the motions. I did not like finding my eyes in the mirror. My eyes would be drawn to everything I didn’t like about my body. I would look around the room and compare my chubby, clumsy self to the toned, graceful person practicing next to me. Some days the person moaning through every posture or the distinct smells of the person next to me had my full attention. There were other days when I was dehydrated and I had to do everything to stop myself from bolting from the hot room. I would forget about my own practice and chuckle when someone fell out of a posture setting off a chain reaction of falling bodies. But over the days and the weeks, I eventually got over myself and fully embraced the experience. In one bloody hot dramatic moment, I ripped off my shirt and practiced the rest of the class in my sports bra and shorts. And guess what? Nobody ran out of the room screaming at the sight of my body. Class by class, I felt more confident on the mat. I ignored what was happening around me and tamed the negative thoughts in my head. I completed the 30-day challenge and I am continuing to practice hot yoga at least three to four times each week. Don’t get me wrong, I am still the inflexible runner who I was a few months ago. Years of running and sitting on my ass for eight hours a day at a desk job has done a number on my body. It will take time, commitment and consistency to undue that damage. But I feel stronger and lighter on my feet when I run. My yoga experiences have touched me in ways that go beyond the physical. I really can’t explain all the changes. Most of all I feel like there’s a new light shining through me. (Yes I actually speak this way.) Once I remember thinking that the studio’s front desk staff were on something stronger than the kombucha that they were serving. But now I get it. Yoga, if you let it, can change your life in so many ways. I know I am only scratching the surface when I say it has improved my confidence and my outlook on life.	4,110
Life With Dogs is reader-supported. We may earn a small commission through products purchased using links on this page. Most of us are familiar with what gets called, “the buddy system.” For human kids, is a way to help avoid stranger danger, and true or not, just about everyone subscribes to there being safety in numbers. All of it really boils down to one thing, and that’s having someone by your side who understands and loves you no matter what. That is exactly what we seem to have here. Kingston and Lola met in foster care. They may have only had about four weeks together, but those four weeks were just about the best four weeks in Lola’s life. They played, cuddled, and for Lola, something changed in her that took her from a dog that just cannot calm down, into a mellow creature who loves to love. “They play, they cuddle, they’re just a good team,” said Susan Robelli, the dogs’ foster mom, and a volunteer with A Rejoyceful Animal Rescue, to The Dodo. Kingston and Lola both had very rough starts in life. Kingston was kept at the end of a very short chain that was immensely heavy, and had never really been indoors. He went through a lot, but he was still a really great dog with a really great attitude! “A Rejoyceful Animal Rescue goes into the city of Flint, knocks on doors of people who have a dog chained in the backyard and offers assistance,” Robelli said. “The organization educates them to get the dog taken into the house, and medically and physically taken care of. Rescuers were out doing their thing, and saw Kingston running down the road with a padlock chain around his neck attached to a tire. They stopped him, and took him right to the vet. He had cuts all over his neck and face.” Not long after Kingston’s rescue, Robelli was called upon to assist with another dog needing foster care. She had been rescued from a man that bought her at a puppy mill, and he had kept her in a cage her entire life. “She was 8 weeks old when he got her, and he could never take enough time to take care of her and train her, so he kept her in a crate,” Robelli said. “Then his work hours changed, and he started keeping her in this crate 24/7. She was pooping in her crate, she was eating in her crate — everything. She had sores on her legs for the crate being too small, and she had no socialization.” All of these things, as one might expect, had led to some serious behavior issues. The poor dog is downright manic at times, and there just didn’t seem to be a way to get her to calm down. No matter what anyone tried, things seemed to only stress her out more. Little did anyone know, but what Lola needed in her life, was Kingston. Kingston and Lola’s meeting was completely by chance. They had been recruited to take part in an on-air marriage proposal on Valentine’s Day, where four rescue dogs would have a sign with one word on it: “Will,” “You,” “Marry,” and “Me.” From the moment they saw each other, they just knew. “They met there, and Kingston fell in love with her and started kissing her,” Robelli said. “Lola’s just kind of a crazy girl, so it was pretty impressive to everybody that he could do that. Kingston walked right up to Lola and kissed her! Lola instantly wanted to play, but we were in closed quarters so they just smelled each other and hung out.” From then on, the two were NEVER far from each other. They played together, slept together, and did everything together. It was almost as if Kingston knew he needed to be a therapy dog for one of his own, and just did what came natural. The two of them really helped each other out, and it’s a very beautiful thing. “Kingston didn’t have the inside skills, because he was a street dog, so he didn’t know how to behave in a house,” Robelli said. “Then here comes Lola who isn’t afraid of anything, so she kind of guides him, and he’s confident to try things because of her. I have been with dogs my whole life, and I have never had a dog this eager to learn and this smart. For instance, Lola learned that she likes ice cubes, and now every time she walks by the refrigerator, she has to do a quick look to see if there’s any ice there. She notices everything and she’s funny.” If you’re interested in adopting Lola, contact A Rejoyceful Animal Rescue. You can also help them save more dogs by making a donation. Rex May Prefer to Be a “Solo Artist,” but He Can Give You a Performance You’ll Never Forget! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ Recent Posts How to Keep an Old Dog Active Anxiety in Dogs: Causes & Treatments lifewithdogs.tv is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Additionally, lifewithdogs.tv participates in various other affiliate programs, and we sometimes get a commission through purchases made through our links. lifewithdogs.tv does not intend to provide veterinary advice. While we provide information resourced and canine education, the content here is not a substitute for veterinary guidance.	5,497
In this article I would like to give scripture as to why Christians and even non-believers are sick today. I will give you verses and then I will expound on it some and then give you some information about the Dietary program that I write out for folks. The first verse in scripture I would like to give is in Philippians 4:5. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. (Php 4:5) This verse is trying to tell us that as Christians we need to do all things in moderation, and that of course includes eating. Are there other verses that teach this in regards to food? Yes, let me reference these verses for you. The first one is in Proverbs 24: 13. My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste: (Pro 24:13) Yay!! We can eat honey because the Bible says it is good!! However, wait on for just a moment. Just because it’s good to eat, doesn’t mean that it will be if it’s ABUSED or eaten out of moderation. Friends, it’s not the eating of food, it’s the abusing of ANY food that gives us health problems. Well you kind of know where I am going with this subject of why Christians are sick. Before I go farther, let me give you another verse to prove that it’s not good to eat honey out of moderation. We just seen in the verse above in Proverbs 24:13 that its good for us to eat honey, but the word of God tells us how to eat honey in proverbs 25: 16, 27. Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it. (Pro 25:16) It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory. (Pro 25:27) How do we determine what the above verse means when it says eat as much as is sufficient for thee? This means as much as is sufficient for your body to be in good health! Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. (3Jn 1:2) With these three verses in the book of Proverbs we begin to see the connection as to why Christians and people in general are sick and are ill even at an early age at times. So the SHORT answer as to why Christians are sick, and why people become ill and often diagnosed with a disease that is often non-curable in the orthodox medical world is because they are eating a food or foods out of MODERATION that is causing a imbalance in their body. That is the short answer. Let me give you another verse on this subject. Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities. (1Ti 5:23) Paul under the guidance of the Holy Ghost was acting as a Dietician to Timothy to correct his imbalance in his body that was as a result of his diet being out of balance as is clearly seen in this verse. You say, Brother Brady, are you telling me that we can drink too much water even? Absolutely! Lots of people drink way too much water as much as there are people drinking way too little water. This is the short answer folks as to why Christians are sick and people in general are so unhealthy and feel lousy and wake up every day without any energy and just simply feel miserable. The cause of all illness and sickness and disease is that there is an imbalance or imbalances in the body because there is foods that are being eaten out of balance or not in moderation. Most Christians seem to not realize the importance of this doctrine of eating in moderation. Matter of fact it’s actually a fruit of the spirit that should be reflected in our lives. Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (Gal 5:23) What is Temperance? Webster 1828 dictionary says this: Moderation; particularly, habitual moderation in regard to the indulgence of the natural appetites and passions; restrained or moderate indulgence; as temperance in eating and drinking; temperance in the indulgence of joy or mirth. Temperance in eating and drinking is opposed to gluttony and drunkenness, and in other indulgences, to excess. There you have it folks! These are plain scriptures that teach the reason why people are sick and ill and have no energy in life. I think that temperance is a fruit of the Holy Spirit that we need to pray to have more in our lives. Now let me also show you this doctrine of moderation in the scriptures that shows us how we can truly be healed and feel better as Christians. Let’s take a look at the millennial reign of Jesus Christ and eternity for a moment. And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. (Rev 22:1) In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. (Rev 22:2) And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: (Rev 22:3) Wow!!!! This passage is extremely clear as to what it is that will keep us alive, healthy, and healed for all eternity!!! This is why Adam and Eve died and didn’t continue to have eternal life. And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever: (Gen 3:22) God guarded that tree in verse 23 so that they couldn’t get to that tree and eat the food that would have corrected their imbalance in their health as a result of eating from the food that God told them not to. Now let’s also do a comparison of Revelation 22:2 with a passage in Ezekiel 47:12 that is also a millennial passage in the future. And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine. (Eze 47:12) Revelation 22:2 above and Ezekiel 47:12 is IDENTICAL and allows us to see how the Holy Ghost links the word “healing” and “medicine”. If you want real medicine that will heal you, then these two verses gives us the answer. I really want to point out the doctrine of Moderation in these two verses though because the tree of life in Revelation yields more than just one fruit. If that was all that it yielded then we no doubt would not have the healing of all the nations. However God being the creator of all these foods and our bodies indicates in this passage that he is a God of moderation. I believe that all these verses makes it clear that God wants us and commands us to eat in moderation. Friends, this is why you are not feeling good and feel miserable in your body and have no energy. So these verses clearly establish that the cause as to why we are sick is that we have imbalances in our body because we haven’t been balanced or moderate in our diet. Why is this important? Well you and I are literally made up of 84 different minerals or elements on the periodic table along with water and the breath of God as recorded in Genesis 2:7. When you and I do not eat in moderation than the body doesn’t get the 84 different minerals or elements that our body needs and is made up of and so we have a mineral deficiency and were ever that mineral is made up of most in the body is where there will be the greatest loss of energy and lack of health at. I hope this is making sense. Now that we know that lack of moderation in our diet is the CAUSE of our sickness or illness which is the EFFECT, let’s define the word MODERATION. The word moderation simply means “too little” or “too much” of something and in this case we are dealing with food for the human body. is this definition in scripture? Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it. (Pro 25:16) It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory. (Pro 25:27) Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities. (1Ti 5:23) We find the word “much” in these passages and so once again we see clearly that scripture teaches the definition of moderation is “too little” or “too much” of something including food in these passages. So that is it! You are sick and ill and overweight and unhealthy and have a lack of energy because there are foods that you are eating too much and other foods that you are eating too little of. This biblical doctrine of eating in moderation is what is CAUSING every terminal disease in this country. If we could write a diet for each individual in this country, there would be a huge fix in the health crisis in America today. I want to do everything in my power as a instrument in the hands of the Lord to help as many individuals to live a longer, healthier, and energy filled life till they take their last breathe at a good old ripe age. So we have established that moderation is the key and link in the chain as to why we are sick and ill in our bodies. We also see clearly in scripture the definition of the word of moderation. Now let’s move to the next step though. The biggest question that comes up now is, WHAT IS MODERATION OR TOO LITTLE AND TOO MUCH? Most alcoholics will define and say well that is different for each person. What is moderation in regards to eating foods? How do we know that we are eating too much or too little of something? How do we know if we are drinking too little or too much water or any other fluids for that sake? I mean is moderation eating one less cookie a week? Is it go a month without a cookie? Is my food intake going to be the standard of what moderation is to you? So once again, how do we know that we are drinking too little or too much water? How do we know we are drinking too little or too much milk? How do we know that we are eating too many bananas or too little of bananas? How do we know that we are eating too much meat or too little of meat? You see, we could GUESS as to what moderation is or go on EVERY diet in the world today, but then we would simply just be GUESSING. So how do we know that we are eating and drinking in moderation? How do we know what foods that we need to eat more of, and what foods we need to less of? The diet of each person is different, and so what is moderation for you isn’t the same for your neighbor or even your wife and children. So how do we know what foods that we need to eat more of and less of in order to give our bodies a balance diet of all 84 elements or minerals that make us up? Remember it’s only when we have an imbalance in the consumption of foods and fluids that we have the result of imbalances in our body and the lack of health that God wants us to have. So you must be wondering how we know how moderate or imbalance we are in our consumption of foods and fluids that our creator created for our health and enjoyment. Allow me to give you the answer! This Mathematical formula is Common sense+1.5 6.4/6.4 6-7c .04m 3/3= Perfect Health This is the Mathematical equation for eating food in moderation that will allow a person to have the greatest gain of energy and health. This equation allows us to see how far away from moderation a person is eating and drinking particular foods that are causing a loss of energy. Here at Brady Crum ministries we write tailored made diets for individuals that are specific to each person’s body chemistry. Each person’s body chemistry will be different based off of how far away from moderation their diet is. How do we determine the specific body chemistry of people in order for each and every person to have a specific individualized diet for them made? I do Urine&Saliva testing that gives me the crucial information to analyze mathematically your entire body chemistry. Since we know what is PERFECT HEALTH we can run test on you and based off of your urine and salvia numbers see how far you are away from perfect. Based off of this analysis that I do on your Urine&Saliva, I can then prepare and type you up a specific diet that is designed for your body in order to lead you to excellent health. I am not a medical doctor and I for sure don’t claim to be one. I am not diagnosing or treating disease, but rather giving you an analysis and a diet that is personalized for your body chemistry. Here at Brady Crum ministries we teach the health message as it is found in the Bible. God has much to say about a huge part of our lives, and that is what to eat In order to be in health ( 3 John verse 2) The whole purpose of our divine health diets program is for people to get the most Energy from the food that they eat. Man does not live off of the food he eats, but from the energy out of the food he eats. This Urine& Saliva test that we do reveals amazing amount of information that NO OTHER TEST OR DIET out in the world today accomplishes. Only this test allows us to not guess about our health, but in fact we can be sure about what we should eat and how it will affect our health and the health of our families. So what does this test that I do reveal concerning you and your dietary needs? High sugar Oxygen to the brain Issue with headaches Alcohol levels produced by the pancreas Lemon water/sweetener to supply to the liver Calcium levels and types that are needed Vitamin a/c/d/e levels and needs Energy loss Strokes/heart attacks potential How to get rid of dead cells building up in the body that will form tumors If you do not live locally were I can perform the testing, then I also can sell you the equipment needed to do the testing and then based off of the test results, give you personalized recommendations based off of your mineral and nutritional deficiencies. Friends, this is Biblically why Christians are sick and people in general are experiencing health problems even before they live half of their life. Let’s remember that our bodies are a temple for the Holy Ghost, and let’s feed it and take care of it in a way that will allow us to live longer and be a blessing to others as followers of Jesus Christ. I hope this study has been an enlightening biblical study and encouragement to you. If you have any questions concerning the urine and salvia test that we do and our tailored made dietary program, just contact us at [email protected] or 636-232-7869!	14,859
One of the most helpful financial administrations offered by most banks and financial institutions is phone banking. This makes life easier as record holders can initiate the exchange as well as complete a portion of the exchange from the comfort of their cell phones. Clients can adapt over time with 24-hour banking administration. Record holders can inquire about account balances, make bill installments, transfer assets to other records, and do significantly more with banking offices. What is phone banking? Why is phone banking important? Advantages of Phone Banking to bank Advantages of Phone Banking to the customer What is phone banking? In political and campaigning, banking is a method of soliciting citizens and allies over the phone. At the end of the day, missions and associations call on constituents and allies to get votes, increase support, or influence the popular assessment of a legislator or issue. For example, volunteers save money through telephone missions and calls to help citizens remember an upcoming political decision. During their discussions, the chips usually follow an informational script provided by the mission. After the call ends, volunteers report back to the mission about the data they mastered during the call. Data such as whether a contact expects to cast a ballot or needs more data to cast an educated vote is fundamental to getting each ally out to cast a ballot! Phone banking can be almost basically a collective of employees physically dialing each reach. It can likewise be a powerful program where mission or campaign groups use a banking device to consequently dial many numbers in a flat time. Regardless of the size of the phone bank, the main part of phone banking is participating in a significant discussion with contacts. Why is phone banking important? Phone banking is an additional tool that missions and backing rallies can use to attract crowds. Despite other powerful effort tools such as distributed messaging, Phone banking enhances the nature of effort by constituents and associates. Phone banking allows select gatherings to communicate with individuals who do not have consistent access to messages or messages. For example, provincial Americans have less ability to innovate than Americans living in metropolitan or rural areas. The low penetration of mobile phones, PCs, and various gadgets means that email and messaging information are not particularly compelling effort strategies for these gatherings. As a result, phone banking is a superior choice for continuous correspondence with them. Likewise, phone banking offers a different touch to reach constituents and associates. Talking directly to a person and hearing a human voice can make contacts more inclined to chat and more open to staff messages. Advantages of Phone Banking to bank The cost of dealing with exchanges is reduced as the number of visits to the bank by a record holder is reduced. The record holder does not need to visit the branch for cash withdrawal as often as possible. The introduction of internet banking in the 2010s led to a decline in the use of phone banking administration. Advantages of Phone Banking to the customer Concluding financial transactions are facilitated for the record holder with banking administration. Banking gives the adaptability to the official record holder to make any exchange from any location. This is generally convenient for clients located in provincial areas where bank offices are far away or not effectively open. Telephone banking has been acquired as well as a gambling-free method of banking. It can be very well used for service bill installments, ATM card blocking, store shifting, specific store/repeat store opening, etc. Similarly, account holders can use the telephone banking office at any telephone. Unlike internet banking, it is not fundamental to have a mobile phone to use banking administrations. Banking is not going anywhere in the near future. This is the ideal way to communicate with people who bring messages or don’t have stable access to email or mobile phones. Also, for the most complete effort, select assemblies may engage in phone and message banking to reach their allies. The use of a mix of these two devices can definitely ensure that mission and outreach gatherings can supercharge their efforts and committed efforts.	4,371
Open in app Write Published in Aug 10, 2018 · It was in the middle of Harvest season. A figure stood at the edge of a cliff in Westfall, facing the murlocs scurrying around the coast below. No one in their rightful mind would approach them, most would even be afraid to stand in that cliff. The wind touched the figure’s cheeks. They were tanned, like the rest of the man’s skin. His green eyes followed the fish-like creatures on the beach; from how he narrowed them and how his eyelids kept twitching now and then, it was clear that he was deep in thought. The man embraced the caressing of the wind as it blew his shoulder-length hair. “This… is who we are” he thought. “This is who we are supposed to be.” He heard the gentle tap of rain drops on the stones and soon enough, they started landing on the man’s face and on his purple robes. The robe looked visually pleasing and expensive with intricate embroidery and vivid colors. More striking was his belt, which had an eye with three extensions below: The symbol of the Kirin-Tor. He looked at his staff. It was quite simple except for the top, which ended with a crystal pulsing with arcane magic, orbited by a few smaller crystals. “This… is wrong.” He put his hand on his forehead, feeling what seemed to be a permanent scar with an eerie dark-green crust. A swift flashback hit the man: He saw himself fighting against one of the Nathrezim: One that was low in the ranks of Dreadlords, but more than a match for an average adventurer. While the mage was strong and eventually overpowered the vile demon, it had managed to strike him with his claw. The mage got infected with a disease that took months to be cured, but the scar of the wound stayed. Once he returned to reality, he looked at his staff with a mixture of shock and enmity and cast it off the cliff. He watched the enchanted item fall with a disgusted look. The noise, however, had attracted the murlocs below. He noticed one of them running to the staff and realized his mistake: No one should ever use it again, no one should have to suffer the corruption! He incantated words of magic, which matched perfectly with the required gestures, as he swirled his arms around, conjuring flames out of thin air. His eyes burst in flames as he created a ball of magical fire in his hands and hurled it towards the staff. The blast hit the staff before the primitive monster reached it, exploding loudly and shattering the staff into pieces that burned off into ashes. The creature let out a gurgle of fear and hurried away. The flames in the mage’s eyes disappeared and he looked at his hands with disbelief. “This is THEIR magic. This is DESTRUCTION. This is EVIL.” He ripped the patched violet eye symbol off his belt and threw it aside. He folded the arms of the robe up to reveal his naked arms and opened both arms wide, closing his eyes, letting the rain hit him. “The gentle wind… the purifying rain… a real, warm fire…” His thoughts began swirling, each invoking sensations from memories. “The nature… the… the elements! This is PEACE. This is LIFE and CREATION,” he continued as his inner voice grew in volume and power, “This is who we are.” After a long, peaceful breath, he looked down at the murlocs once more. They were “primitive” and “monsters.” The mage questioned the sentiment. “We are the ones who destroy nature without giving it thought. We are the ones who seek to bend everything else to our will. We are the ones who use powers of destruction to force the hand of fate. And they, who just live their lives in tune with nature, are supposed to be the monsters?” The mage teared off his robes, revealing a simple shirt and pants beneath . He smiled. This felt better. He conjured his spell book into his hands. This was years of study. Years of blood and tears, literally and figuratively. All his spells were in there, as well as the key to unlocking the powers that he had learned to yield. “The elves,” another thought took form. “It’s their fault. They used us. They took us from our simple ways, flaunted their magic and imposed it onto the good-natured fools that we were and used us as soldiers, as cannon fodder against the trolls. And now what? They align themselves with the trolls? How did we ever trust them? And more importantly, why are we still using the tools enforced on us by these insidious devils?” He looked at his spell book again. It was more than just a book. It was magical, protected against most natural affects and bound to him so that he could summon the knowledge or the book whenever he wanted. “This is the last one” he thought, held the book firmly in his hands and spoke words of arcane magic. The book erupted in flames, burning into a violet-black smoke and ashes. It was over. He was no longer a mage. Just a human. A human with a quest. He would learn how to talk with the elements. He would learn the old ways. He would revive them and start an order of Stormwind Shamans. The sun appeared between the clouds as rain was dying down, casting a rainbow. He found himself enjoying it in peace. He noticed the murlocs doing the same. He smiled. Azerothian Archives try and imagine the setting of Warcraft and contribute to its rich content. Ideas of organizations and guilds, cultural details, stories, characters and more. Write to us, join us! Inspire and be inspired!	5,805
U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Government Contracting & Business Development Government Contracting 101 PART 2 – How the Government Buys A Guide for Small Business – Supplemental Workbook January 2012 Government Contracting 101 PART 2 – How the Government Buys Office of Government Contracting & Business Development December 2011 Guide for Small Business Welcome to SBA’s training program, Government Contracting 101, Part 2. Jim O’Connor Office of Government Contracting and Business Development November 29, 2011 Notes: Page2 Introduction • Designed to help small businesses understand how the government buys goods and services • Part 2 (this module) – How the government buys • Parts 1 & 3 (not included in this module) – Prime & subcontracting programs, SBA certifications, and WOSB & veterans programs – How to sell to the government Guide for Small Business This training module is designed to help small businesses understand how the government buys goods and services. There are three parts to the GC 101 training program. This part, part two, discusses the steps used by the government to purchase what it needs. Parts one and three provide clarity and training around prime and subcontract assistance programs, SBA certification programs, women and veteran owned small business programs and how to sell to the government. Notes: Page3 Learning Objectives 1. Understand the contracting methods used by government contracting officers to buy goods and services 2. Know about types of contracts and agreements 3. Understand key parts of the FAR, and 4. Know where to find additional contracting resources Guide for Small Business After reviewing this training program you should: 1. Understand the contracting methods used by government contracting officers to buy goods and services. 2. Know about types of contracts and agreements. 3. Understand key parts of the FAR. And, 4. Know where to find additional contracting resources. Notes: Page4 How the Government Buys • Government buys from suppliers who meet certain qualifications • Standardized buying procedures and rules outlined in the FAR are used • Several contracting methods are employed: – Credit card / micro-purchases – Simplified acquisition procedures – Sealed bidding – Contracting by negotiation – Consolidated purchasing programs (GSA schedules, GWACs, etc.) Guide for Small Business The government applies standardized procedures to buy products and services it needs from suppliers who meet certain qualifications. Contracting officials use procedures outlined in the Federal Acquisition Regulation, commonly known as the FAR, to guide government purchases. The primary contracting methods used by the government are: micro-purchases; simplified acquisition procedures; sealed bidding; contract by negotiations; and, consolidated purchasing programs, such as the use of GSA schedules, Government Wide Acquisition Contracts and other multiple award vehicles. Each of these contracting methods is discussed in the following. Notes: Page6 Credit Card Opportunities How the Government Buys • Individual government purchases under $3,000 • Competition not required • Government credit cards are often used • Micro-purchases are not reserved for small businesses • 70% of all government procurement transactions are facilitated with a credit card FAR 13.301 Guide for Small Business Generally speaking, government purchases of individual items under $3,000.00 are considered micro- purchases. Such government buys do not require competitive bids or quotes and agencies can simply pay using a Government Purchase Card or credit card, without the involvement of a procurement officer. It is important to note, about 70 percent of all government procurement transactions are for micro- purchases under$3,000 and are facilitated with a credit card. In fiscal year 2010, this represented over $19 billion. Credit card opportunities in the government buying space are huge. Notes: Page7 Simplified Acquisition Procedures How the Government Buys • Federal law streamlines government purchasing for buys under $150,000 • Simplified acquisition procedures can be used • Government purchases above $3,000, but under $150,000 are reserved for small businesses FAR 13.000-13.501 Guide for Small Business The Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act and other statutory amendments removed many competition restrictions on government purchases under $150,000. Agencies can use simplified procedures for soliciting and evaluating bids up to $150,000. Government agencies, however, are still required to advertise all planned purchases over $25,000 in Federal Business Opportunities or the FBO (www.fedbizopps.gov), the government’s online listing and database of available procurement opportunities. Simplified acquisition procedures require fewer administrative details, fewer approval levels, and less documentation. The procedures require all federal purchases above $3,000, but under $150,000, to be reserved for small businesses, an important point. This small business set-aside applies, unless the contracting official cannot obtain offers from two or more small firms who are competitive on price, quality and delivery. Notes: Page8 Sealed Bidding How the Government Buys • Competitive buying method for specific and clear government requirements • IFB “Invitation for Bid” is the method used for the sealed bid process • Contract is awarded to the lowest bidder who is fully responsive • IFBs are available online for review at: www.fbo.gov FAR 14.101-14.105 Guide for Small Business Sealed bidding is how the government buys competitively when its requirements are very specific, clear and complete. An IFB or “Invitation for Bid” is the method used for the sealed bid process. Typically, an IFB includes a description of the product or service to be acquired, instructions for preparing a bid, the conditions for purchase, delivery, payment and other requirements associated with the bid, including a deadline for bid submissions. Each sealed bid is opened in a public setting by a government contracting officer, at the time designated in the invitation. All bids are read aloud and recorded. A contract is then awarded by the agency to the lowest bidder who is determined to be fully responsive to the needs of the government. Government-wide IFBs are available daily for review in the government’s online listing service, Federal Business Opportunities. This electronic service, which is discussed in detail later, also provides direct links to available IFB invitations. Notes: Page9 Contracting by Negotiation How the Government Buys • Preferred method in many federal procurement actions • Typically used for contracts that will exceed $150,000 and when highly technical products and services are being sought • RFPs & RFQs are primary government request vehicles Guide for Small Business Contracting by negotiation is used in many federal procurement actions. This is typically a more complicated process for companies wanting to sell to the government. It is also a method that is more time consuming for buying agencies. This is how it works….. In certain cases, when the value of a government contract exceeds $150,000 and when it necessitates a highly technical product or service, the government may issue a Request for Proposal. In a typical RFP, the government will request a product or service it needs, and solicit proposals from prospective contractors on how they intend to carry out that request, and at what price. Proposals in response to an RFP can be subject to negotiation after they have been submitted. When the government is merely checking into the possibility of acquiring a product or service, it may issue a Request for Quotation (RFQ). A response to an RFQ by a prospective contractor is not considered an offer, and consequently, cannot be accepted by the government to form a binding contract. Government-wide RFPs and RFQs are also available daily for review in the FBO. Notes: Page10	8,092
If you are not recognised as a citizen of any country and unable to live in any other country, you may be eligible to apply to for British citizenship as a Stateless person. If you were born after 01 January 1983, you should apply whilst you are still under the age of 22. You should be in the UK to apply. What To qualify for British citizenship as a Stateless person, you must be officially stateless. As mentioned, you must also be under the age of 22, andhave lived in the UK for at least 5 years and been present on the day exactly 5 years prior to your application. You will also need to satisfy the residence requirements and should not have been outside the UK for more than 450 days in the 5 years before your application. Please note that even if you do not qualify for further leave to remain as a stateless person, you may still be eligible to apply for British citizenship as a stateless person, as there are fundamental differences in the requirements. If you believe that you are stateless, please do get in touch with us so that we may make an assessment of your particular circumstances. Why KTS Legal? At KTS Legal, we will assist you with your application to apply for British citizenship as a stateless person, including drafting and submitting a comprehensive application that satisfies all the immigration laws for this route. I have used the company several times with no complaints. Always return calls, emails very quickly and efficiently I am fully aware of everything going on behind the works and this made dealing with the services easier.They really work with professionalism and this makes the whole process comfortable and stress free. It is a fantastic and friendly service ,highly recommend and wouldn't hesitate to use them again. “ Brilliant service from Kumar and Sonia. Extremely helpful and pleasant people. Any questions i had were responded to quickly and informatively. Good communication, clear explanation and easy to talk to solicitor who fully understands our case. Thanks for great service “ Shobhit Dwivedi As a Landlord, I have instructed KTS Legal on a commercial and residential property matters including grant of leases, licences and sale of properties. I have also instructed them on landlord and tenant disputes as well. I have always received an excellent service. They always respond to calls and emails promptly and the work was completed on time. I would strongly recommend them. “ I would like to express my gratitude and apprecatiton for representing me and spending a great amount of time, effort on my case. I feel grateful that I found KTS legal to lead and direct me during a very difficult and quiet impossible purchase. Ceyda, Canan and Kumar are very professional and knowledgeable at thier jobs. They know thier stuff. I appreciate the professional manner in which you handled my case. I have complete at last after 3 long years only due to your persistant hardwork and guidance. I am confidant in referring friends and family to KTS Legal. “ Get in touch Please contact us via the details below, or enter your request. Equitis House, N13 4YD, Call us : Mail us : Δ KTS Legal is the trading name of KTS Legal Limited incorporated in the United Kingdom as a limited liability company.	3,457
All good things must come to an end. That was my thought a few years ago as my husband and I considered whether or not our son could and should continue with hippotherapy. Hippotherapy allowed our son, who has cerebral palsy, to ride a horse with the assistance of therapists so that he could work on gaining core strength and head control, while also feeling the vestibular motion of the horse’s gait as if he were the one able to walk. It was a fantastic form of therapy for our son for four years and he absolutely loved it, but we had come to a point where we had to weigh his safety with the benefits of hippotherapy. Since our son can’t sit up on his own, he needed to ride a pony (and no, that is not a baby horse) so that the horse was not too tall. The therapist and a volunteer assistant helped hold him on the horse while a guide walked the horse through the arena. It was tough work on the bodies of those people holding up our son. And as he grew, it becomes even harder. Our son was 9 years old at the time and was getting tall. That made it harder for him to safely ride the horse since the people on the ground holding him up were starting to have a harder time reaching him in such a way as to provide the optimal support that he needed for his head, neck, and trunk. While we didn’t want to stop our son from participating in hippotherapy, the time had come for us to say goodbye to it. It’s hard saying goodbye to something you love, enjoy, and have benefited from. I know many mentees and mentors feel this same way about ending their mentoring relationships. But just as with my son outgrowing hippotherapy, the chances are high that one day your mentoring relationship will have run its course. Do you know what to do when faced with this situation? It might seem strange to think about how to end a relationship, but it is a very important step to consider. You’ve put time and effort into finding a mentor, setting goals, meeting with your partner, and working on your personal and professional development. When it comes to ending the relationship, you don’t want to lose focus and let your hard work crumble. That’s why I recommend you think about when, why, and how you want to close out your mentoring relationship. Some mentoring programs have a preset end date assigned to them, such as a high-potential program that runs on a 12-month cycle. When the end of the year comes up, it’s time to end the relationship. That can make it easier on participants since they have a defined end-point that they know is coming. But what if you don’t have a designated end date in mind? Then the choice is yours as to when you end the relationship, and it is something you should discuss with your mentor so that you are in agreement on the end date. Some ideas: Set an end date when you first start your relationship. You can always extend this date if the relationship is generating quality ideas and support that you need. But with an end date established right from the get-go, you and your mentor both know what to expect, how much time you are committing to the relationship, and how much time you have in order to accomplish your goals. This may help you stay focused on your goals since you have a finite amount of time together. Are you already in a relationship? No problem! Take a look at where you are in your relationship at this point and assess what progress you’ve made toward meeting your development goals. With that in mind, suggest a timeframe to your mentor for how much longer you want the relationship to last to help you meet your expressed goals. This might be just the kick in the pants that you need to help you cross the finish line. No one wants to say goodbye to a good thing, but sometimes it’s better to leave on a high note and when you still have a good relationship with your mentoring partner, rather than draining it dry to the point of atrophy, resentment, or dysfunction. Mentoring relationships can require emotional and mental energy, so it is a good idea to take a break every so often to recharge your batteries. This can give both you and your mentor time to assess your progress and celebrate the accomplishments you’ve made. And just because you take a break from one mentor does not mean you have to take a break from mentoring. You can (and dare I say should?) have more than one mentor and can absolutely say goodbye to one mentor while still engaging with another! Our conversations have become a little flat and predictable. I feel like I’ve met my development goals. We end up talking about things unrelated to mentoring when we meet. We haven’t met in several weeks or even months. My development needs have changed since this relationship started. I’m not sure my mentor is committed to this relationship. I’m not sure I’m committed to this relationship. My priorities have shifted and I can’t give this relationship what I should. All of these (and many more!) are flashing neon signs that it’s time to say goodbye to your mentoring relationship. Keep in mind that just because you may be ending the relationship at this point doesn’t mean that you can’t or won’t have a relationship with this mentor again in the future. And for those in more formal programs where there is an assigned end date, keep in mind that you and your mentor can continue a less formal ongoing mentoring relationship if you are both open to it and still see value in connecting. When ending a mentoring relationship, you want to be as polite and amicable as possible, which means no ghosting! Ending a positive and fruitful relationship can seem easier than having to end a relationship because it’s not working out. Awkward, right? The best thing to strive for is honesty. Tell your mentor that your goals have shifted, or that your priorities have changed, or that the two of you just don’t seem to be a good fit. Whatever the reason, be forthright with your mentor and give them the chance to weigh in with their opinion and observations. You might be surprised to find out they were thinking the same thing! If you’ve come to an agreed upon end date and are ready to close your relationship, you can follow this easy 3-step plan: Evaluate your progress. Think about the goals you’ve set and the progress you’ve made. Ask your mentor to do the same so that you can have a conversation about this. Did you meet your development goals that you established at the beginning of the relationship? Get feedback. Meet with your mentor and compare notes. Does the mentor’s feedback align with your own self-evaluation of the progress you made? What surprised you? What did you expect to hear? Plan next steps. Based on the conversation you and your mentor have, decide if it’s time to end the relationship. Did you meet your goals and feel confident in closing out this relationship? Do you need to adjust the goals given the feedback you received? Can this mentor help you with any new or revised goals? Are they willing to keep mentoring you at this point? Do you want them to? Come to an agreement with your mentor on the status of your relationship and move forward from there. It can be hard to think about saying goodbye to a good mentor and a positive mentoring relationship, but it can be detrimental to push the relationship beyond its natural stopping point. Circumstances change, and just because it’s time to say goodbye to your mentor at this point doesn’t mean that you have to say goodbye forever. By knowing when to say goodbye, you make it easier for the mentor to say yes again at a later date. Do you want to see how mentoring programs powered by mentoring software can help support your mentors and help your mentoring program take off? Connect with MentorcliQ to learn more. Share on LinkedIn Share on Facebook April 7, 2021 12:00 pm Hi, I’m Laura Francis is the Chief Knowledge Officer for MentorcliQ. As a proud mom of a child with disabilities, she enjoys writing about the connections she sees in her personal life and professional life. Her articles can be found on the MentorcliQ Blog, in Training Journal and Chief Learning Officer magazine, as well as on ATD, Training Industry, and other learning and development websites.	8,474
This week President Obama signed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which will make significant changes to the United States’ workforce development programs for individuals with and without disabilities. Unless otherwise noted, most provisions of the bill go into effect July 1, 2015. There are several key provisions to be aware of that will have an impact on the way in which work training is provided to individuals with disabilities, including: · The Vocational Rehabilitation VR agencies (Department of Rehabilitation in California), will be required to spend at least 15% of their budgets on pre-employment transition services for individuals getting ready to leave the school system. · No later than September 20, 2014 a federal advisory committee must be established to focus on increasing competitive integrated employment for individuals with disabilities. · The goal of services provided by VR agencies is now competitive integrated employment. · VR agencies can provide services with an anticipated outcome of customized employment “for an individual with a significant disability, that is based on an individualized determination of the strengths, needs, and interests of the individual with a significant disability.” · There is clarification that group supported employment paying less than competitively is available on a short-term basis. · As of July 22, 2016 the use of 14(c) subminimum wage certificates for individuals under the age of 24 will be limited to (click the link for the specific legislative language on this): o Individuals already earning subminimum wage as of 7/22/16; OR o Those who have completed available transition services available through education; AND § Have received career counseling and employment referrals, including for services designed to secure jobs not compensated at subminimum wage; AND § Have been referred to VR agency and found ineligible OR § Have been referred to the VR agency and found eligible AND · The individual has an Individualized Plan for Employment; · The individual has been working toward an employment outcome with appropriate supports and services, including supported employment services, for a reasonable period of time without success; AND · The individual’s VR case is now closed · The VR Agency must work more actively with American Job Centers (formerly “One-Stops”) to provide vocational services to individuals with disabilities. The American Job Centers will be annually evaluated to determine their degree of physical and programmatic accessibility to individuals with disabilities. For further reference, a summary of the bill prepared by the Association for People Supporting Employment First (APSE) can be accessed by clicking here. Also, more information and future updates can be found at http://www.doleta.gov/wioa/. We are an agency that serves persons with developmental disabilities in a nine county area (Butte, Shasta, Modoc, Trinity, Glenn, Lassen, Plumas, Tehama and Siskiyou).	3,056
Client partnership administration (CRM) is a technology for taking care of all your company’s partnerships and interactions with clients and also possible customers. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Crm The goal is simple: Boost organization partnerships to grow your company. A CRM system aids business remain attached to clients, simplify processes, and enhance earnings. When individuals speak about CRM, they are typically referring to a CRM system, a device that assists with get in touch with management, sales administration, representative productivity, and much more. CRM tools can currently be utilized to manage client relationships throughout the entire client lifecycle, extending advertising and marketing, sales, digital commerce, as well as client service communications. A CRM remedy aids you focus on your organization’s relationships with private individuals– consisting of clients, service customers, associates, or providers– throughout your lifecycle with them, consisting of locating brand-new customers, winning their business, and also offering support as well as additional services throughout the partnership. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Crm Making use of CRM systems can benefit companies ranging from local business to huge corporations, through: Having customer information such as past acquisitions and also communication history conveniently accessible can aid client assistance reps give far better as well as quicker client service. Small companies can additionally benefit. It is the main hub of all info within that Business. Some CRM’s also have e-mail automation, phone call and also text automation as well as likewise site & sales channel builders built is so it really is an all in one contact & marketing system. Your business as well as consumer base are expanding, and also you’ve started to study exactly how to improve your consumer partnerships and handle your sales. It’s most likely you have actually discovered the phrase CRM pointed out frequently. Basically, CRM, or Consumer Connection Management, refers to business software application that tracks your interactions with your sales leads as well as consumers. The appropriate CRM system can power up your organization like nothing else. Executed effectively, a CRM will save and also handle your consumer and prospect information, tracking your interactions as well as assisting you win more customers by improving your sales team’s ability to shut deals, improve your support team’s customer service, and also automate your advertising and marketing. Yet does your company need one? And is a CRM system worth the investment? Here are our leading tips to recognize if your service might take advantage of CRM software program. Maintain reviewing to find out if a CRM is needed for your Organization … … Staying arranged is paramount if you intend to run a successful business, especially if you have numerous customers. Buying a Customer Partnership Management (CRM) software program is one such means to stay arranged while building your client relationships. In its simplest type, a CRM program resembles an online personal digital assistant, or an old fashioned Rolodex that maintains your customer’s information all in one area. Fundamental details such as address, email, phone number, and birthday celebration can be gathered when they sign up for your services and as you are familiar with them better, you can likewise request for their member of the family’ names. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Crm Lots of CRM programs have rooms for notes and also following steps, such as follow up telephone call or sessions, so at the start of each day your CRM will certainly offer a computerized to-do list based upon those next actions. If you have tried to keep all these information in your head or logged into your phone calendar, you’ll know that occasionally products get missed out on or failed to remember, which can harm your trustworthiness. Automating the to-do list process saves you time and humiliation. Not having whatever you need organised in one location is requesting a lot of stress, missed out on visits as well as mad customers! Eventually this will certainly trigger you to loose time and money! What does a CRM system do? A client connection administration (CRM) remedy assists you find brand-new customers, win their business, and also keep them pleased by arranging customer as well as possibility details in such a way that aids you develop more powerful connections with them as well as grow your organization faster. CRM systems start by gathering a customer’s web site, email, telephone, as well as social media sites information– and also even more– across numerous sources and channels. It may additionally instantly draw in other details, such as recent news about the firm’s activity, as well as it can save personal information, such as a customer’s individual preferences on interactions. The CRM device organizes this details to give you a complete record of individuals and companies on the whole, so you can much better comprehend your relationship gradually. With a combined sight of every possibility and also client, a CRM system is after that utilized to manage everyday client tasks as well as interactions. From an advertising and marketing viewpoint, this implies engaging your leads with the best message, at the right time, with targeted electronic advertising and marketing campaigns as well as trips. To buy, reps can work faster as well as smarter with a clear sight of their pipeline and accomplish more accurate forecasting. Commerce groups can rapidly launch and also scale ecommerce– from online orders to curbside pick-up– for their customer shoppers (B2C commerce) and also organization purchasers (B2B business). And customer service agents can react to client requires on any type of channel– from home, in the field, or in the workplace. A CRM platform can likewise link to various other service apps that aid you to establish client connections. CRM options today are much more open and also can incorporate with your preferred company devices, such as paper signing, audit as well as billing, as well as surveys, so that info streams both means to give you a real 360-degree sight of your customer. As well as a brand-new generation of CRM goes one step better: Built-in intelligence and AI automate management jobs, like data entry as well as lead or solution instance routing, so you can maximize time for better tasks. Automatically generated insights aid you understand your consumers better, even predicting how they will certainly feel as well as act so that you can prepare the right outreach. AI also assists you to find opportunities that might be hidden in your business data. Exactly how A CRM can Aid Your Business Modern CRM software application has numerous features, but the software program was created to improve business-customer connections, which’s still its primary advantage. A CRM handles all of your contacts and collects vital customer info– like demographics, purchase records as well as previous messages throughout all networks– and makes it quickly available to any person in your firm who requires it. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Crm This ensures that your workers have all they need to understand about the customer at their fingertips as well as can give a much better client experience, which has a tendency to enhance customer fulfillment. A CRM device can assist you enhance your sales procedure, build a sales pipe, automate crucial tasks and also assess all of your sales data in one centralized area, potentially raising sales and efficiency. A CRM helps you develop a step-by-step sales process that your employees can rely on each time which you can conveniently tweak as problems arise. When you have actually acquired and also transformed leads, it’s important that you put in the work to preserve them as clients and promote consumer loyalty. High client turnover can have lots of negative results for your service, like reduced revenue or interfered with cash flow, so utilize your CRM as well as the info it supplies regarding your customers to motivate repeat organization. The CRM will certainly give belief evaluation, automated ticketing, customer assistance automation and also customer habits tracking to aid you identify problems and swiftly address them with your consumers. It’s something to have a lot of information concerning your clients, but you need to know what it indicates and also just how to utilize it. CRM software program generally has built-in analytic abilities to contextualize information, breaking it down right into actionable products and conveniently comprehended metrics. Metrics such as click-through prices, bounce rates, and also demographic info enable you to judge the success of a marketing campaign and optimize as necessary. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Crm 5. Higher efficiency as well as efficiency. CRM software makes use of advertising automation innovation, which expedites routine tasks like drip campaigns as well as liberates your workers’ time to concentrate on job just people can manage, like creating material. It can also make sure that no tasks slip through the splits (e.g., all important emails are always sent out to the right people). Furthermore, a CRM can show you a control panel of exactly how your organization processes are working as well as where your workflows might improve. One more point CRM software program does best is giving a central data source with all info on your clients, making it easily obtainable to anyone in your business that needs it. This makes it simple for a sales agent to see what items a certain customer is interested in, for instance. If the client has previously interacted with the firm, the CRM will consist of documents of that interaction, which can notify future advertising and marketing efforts and sales pitches. This saves your employees the time of excavating with old documents as well as records, and it creates a better and also extra effective experience for the client. Lead nurturing can be a difficult as well as difficult process, with several steps and chances to connect. A CRM automatically handles the process, sending your workers notifies when they ought to reach out to the possibility and tracking every interaction, from e-mails to call. ” One fantastic benefit of [CRM] is that you can see your client’s journey holistically,” claimed Michael Miller, Chief Executive Officer of VPN Online. “With every stage in the style and every email you sent examined, you can quickly identify the following move to make. It’s like seeing it from the top view, and also you can easily produce a decision on what to do next.”. A list of numerous calls can be unwieldy as well as overwhelming. For example, exactly how do you recognize which consumers intend to see your email concerning your brand-new in-store product? A CRM will immediately sector your get in touch with checklists based upon your standards, making it simple to locate the ones you wish to contact at any type of provided time. You can sort contacts by area, sex, age, buyer phase and more. ” Automation in fact permits the marketing professional to have an extra meaningful understanding of the client and also have more valuable interaction when they do engage due to it,” Philips claimed. “The integral part to recognize regarding automation is that we don’t wish to create a basic email to our customers. Rather, we want to send e-mails reflecting consumers’ choices, rate of interests as well as values by segmenting them into groups using the data obtained within the CRM.” 9. Automated sales records. Your group can conveniently collect as well as arrange information about potential and existing customers making use of the CRM software’s dashboard and reporting attributes, which permit staff members to automate as well as manage their pipes and processes. The CRM can additionally help your staff member review their efficiency, track their quotas and goals, and inspect their development on each of their jobs at a glimpse. 10. Much more exact sales forecasting. With any company procedure, you require to be able to review your previous performance and tactically prepare for the future. Utilizing the automated sales reports in CRM software application, you can recognize key trends and also get a concept of what to anticipate from your future sales cycle efficiency, while adjusting your goals as well as metrics to fit those estimates. Other than helping with interaction between your service as well as your consumers, a CRM can make it simpler for your workers to communicate with each other. A CRM makes it simple to see exactly how various other employees are speaking to a possible customer, which assists your group maintain a unified brand name voice. It also enables employee to send each other notes or alerts, tag each other on tasks, as well as send out messages as well as emails, all within one system. Here’s what cloud-based CRM provides your organization. CRM as well as the cloud computer revolution have actually transformed everything. Probably one of the most considerable recent development in CRM systems has actually been the move into the cloud from on-premises CRM software. Freed from the demand to install software program on 10s, hundreds, or countless desktop computers and also mobile devices, organizations worldwide are discovering the advantages of relocating information, software application, and also services into a safe and secure online atmosphere. Cloud-based CRM systems such as GoHighLevel (Find Out More: What is GoHighLevel?) indicate every user has the very same information, all the time. Your sales groups out when driving can examine data, update it instantly after a meeting, or work from anywhere. The same information is offered to any person that needs it, from the sales group to the customer service agents. CRM can be fast and also very easy to implement. A cloud-based system does not need special installment, and also there’s no hardware to set up, keeping IT costs reduced and also eliminating the frustration of variation control and update schedules. Usually, cloud-based CRM systems are priced on the variety of individuals that access the system and also the type of features required. This can be really economical in terms of capital outlay, as well as is also very versatile– allowing you to scale up as well as include more individuals as your service grows. GoHighLevel is versatile in terms of capability, as well– you’re not spending for any type of features that are not useful to you. -Cost-effectiveness as well as scalability -The ability to work from anywhere, on any device -Increased collaboration What is CRM in business? Customer connection management (CRM) is a modern technology for handling all your firm‘s partnerships and communications with clients and also possible consumers. How do small businesses use CRM? With CRM, businesses can now consider quick labeling of customer issues, using canned actions efficiently to fix client problems. CRM can also boost a firm‘s client service practices, helping employees respond to customers‘ queries rapidly as well as effectively. What are the 3 types of CRM? To start, there are three main types of CRMs: collaborative, operational, as well as analytical. To aid you obtain your bearings, we’ll cover what a CRM is to begin with, just how the three types of CRMs vary, and how to select the ideal item for your firm. What is an example of CRM? Customers like having options for reaching out to a company. For example, many Wells Fargo consumers like to connect through the firm’s social media sites accounts. The way Wells Fargo uses its service to track and reply to customer queries left on all their social networks accounts is a great CRM instance. Why is CRM important in business? A CRM can sort, examine, and prioritize your sales leads to make sure that your sales team can concentrate on the opportunities that are most likely to shut and also supply exact response to consumers promptly as well as effectively as well as your customer support team has the info they require for upselling and also cross-selling. What are the benefits of a CRM system? Here are 8 key benefits a CRM could provide. – Much better customer support – Raised sales – Improved consumer retention -Greater efficiency and also efficiency -Managed interactions with prospective leads – Enhanced client division. Which is the best CRM tool? The very best CRM software programmes -Zoho CRM for scaling a business. -GoHighLevel Sales Cloud for customizability. -Pipedrive for being user friendly. -Nimble for client prospecting. What are the 5 steps in the CRM process? The five steps in the CRM procedure are a collective initiative in between Advertising and marketing, Sales as well as Assistance divisions. -Convert leads into clients -Drive upsells. How is CRM used in marketing? CRMs aid firms handle their communications and also relationships with clients by organizing this data in a streamlined, easily available database. This centralization makes it easy up for sale reps to find the info they require to keep every interaction with a customer meaningful and also individualized.	18,396
Dressing up for the wedding season with Sareez.com - Indian Fashion and Lifestyle Blogger \| Moonshine and sunlight Nail Polish Swatch Events DIYs and Crafts Awards and Features Ethnic fashion Fashion ootd saree Sareez.com Dressing up for the wedding season with Sareez.com Hey everyone! Hope you are doing well and I also hope the current demonetization scenario has not troubled you much {a little is fine!... Hey everyone! Hope you are doing well and I also hope the current demonetization scenario has not troubled you much {a little is fine!}. This is also the wedding season and every other person I know is getting married. I am sure that something of that sort is happening with you as well! So, if you are attending weddings, you might also be getting all decked up?? Yes? No? Let me know in the comments. I had only one wedding to attend, but due to some problems I missed it. I really didn’t want to because I had this look planned for that day and I hadn’t shared it here because of the same reason. I love wearing saree and everyone who personally knows me, knows this as well! Being a bengali girl, I have worn sarees since I was a child, occasionally though. But the first time I got a saree that was all mine was when I last collaborated with Sareez.com. This is my second saree from Sareez.com { Have a look at the first one } and all I can say is that I really like their service. They have a number of options across different price ranges, not only for Saree but also for Lehengas, Suits and plenty of different ethnic silhouettes. They also have a bit of western wear up at their website, but the sarees here are gorgeous! Here, I am wearing a Georgette saree with a beautiful embroidered golden border, which is something I would love to wear for someone's wedding! I fell in love with the color after looking at the picture on their website and I was happy to see the exact same color when I received this! This saree is around 3000 INR and there are plenty of option on the website for this price range. I have been planning to get a Georgette saree with a border since a long time, so I chose this one! They also stitch the blouse and provide petticoat of matching color of the saree at an extra cost. The blouse I am wearing is made by them and fits perfectly, I just had to fill a form they have, with the details. I kept the look simple since the blue was so gorgeous that I didn't need anything else! I love my skin here BTW, I just have eyeliner and lipstick on my face { Check out my skincare routine maybe?? }! Saree and blouse from Sareez.com Please don't mind my squint-y eyes, I can keep my eyes open facing the sun directly. Have you shopped sarees online?? This is my second time and I am actually liking it a lot! Let me know your views in the comments! p.s. The saree was sent by sareez.com in exchange of my honest opinion. p.p.s. Do not wear a saree with heavy border with a jeans. I learnt it the hard way. Unknown 7 December 2016 at 06:48 saree suits you ReplyDelete Replies Anonymous 7 December 2016 at 06:50 blue is your color ReplyDelete Replies Sangeeta 7 December 2016 at 14:52 The saree looks super pretty :) ReplyDelete Replies ishtyleawhile 7 December 2016 at 18:04 He he he the p.p.s was the cutest ever... It is a beautiful sari!!! ReplyDelete Replies Unknown 14 December 2016 at 12:42 I loved this Saree as it is blue ;) I have a similar one too. I had picked a saree from Sareez.com too earlier!	3,739
Jenn had returned to Tasmania after working in Queensland, unsure of what she wanted to do next. Wanting something hands-on, she started looking into Certificate II trades courses but was unsure of which trade she wanted to work in until she attended a TasTAFE apprenticeship information night. “I got talking to a fourth-year female plumbing apprentice who spoke on the night. She really inspired me and told me to go for it. That night really helped me decide on what trade to choose,” Jenn said. In 2020, Jenn signed up for TasTAFE’s Certificate II in Plumbing which offers foundation skills to help participants gain an apprenticeship. “I knew it was a good way to see if I liked the trade before trying for an apprenticeship. If I decided that it wasn’t the trade for me, I could change. I don’t think I would have survived in the trade if I didn’t do it. Just knowing the names of all the fittings and what they do and all of the tool names really helped me. I’d recommend it to anyone wanting to do a trade.” Jenn discovered she loved plumbing and has now gained an apprenticeship with Squires Plumbing in Moonah. “I’m loving it. I think it’s the best company to work for. They have supported me from day one and tried their hardest to make me feel comfortable.” Jenn says her favourite thing about plumbing is the variety it offers. “You do something different every day. For example, with maintenance you have to think of different solutions to a problem that can have so many answers. You’ve got to adapt to the surroundings. You go to a job and it could take five minutes or five hours – you never know what will happen.” “My advice to people thinking about plumbing is to jump in head-first. I’ve never had a job like it. This job has been nothing but perfect and Squires Plumbing are an amazing group to work with,” Jenn said. Read more here. Members Previous Next Corporate Affiliates Previous Next Subscribe to receive updates from our team You will receive a free copy of relevant thought leadership when you subscribe to our news, event updates and alerts about new content of interest to you.	2,136
Here are a few things that you can do to help prevent constipation from occurring or treat it if you are already experiencing it: Eat a high fiber diet: Ideally, you will consume 25 to 30 grams . How It Works How to do it PRODUCTS How to sell How to do it How to alleviate constipation during pregnancy How to get ride of constipation / how to relieve constipation during pregnancy / constipation Why do pregnant women get constipated? Some of the hormones produced during pregnancy act to slow the movement of the bowel and this can cause you to get. Constipation is common near the end of pregnancy. Eating more foods with fiber can help fight constipation. Fiber is found in fruits, vegetables. Mar 23, · Adequate fiber and water intake help prevent and treat constipation during pregnancy. Many medications can also treat constipation during pregnancy when needed. . VIDEO 5 Best Home Remedies for Constipation During Pregnancy Here are a few things that you can do to help prevent constipation from occurring or treat it if you are already experiencing it: Eat a high fiber diet: Ideally, you will consume 25 to 30 grams .: How to alleviate constipation during pregnancy How to make teachers day greeting cards for kids How to make homemade fishing rod holders for boat How to calculate efficiency of a machine How to alleviate constipation during pregnancy 403 How to alleviate constipation during pregnancy - Mar 23, · Adequate fiber and water intake help prevent and treat constipation during pregnancy. Many medications can also treat constipation during pregnancy when needed. . Mar 09, · You will be pleased to hear there are several things you can do to help alleviate this most comfortable pregnancy ailment: Drink fluids - Increasing fluid intake water and fresh . Feb 23, · Relieve constipation during pregnancy by drinking water, eating more fiber, exercising and taking laxatives. Pregnancy causes a lot of changes in a woman's body, . Here are a few things that you can do to help prevent constipation from occurring or treat it if you are already experiencing it: Eat a high fiber diet: Ideally, you will consume 25 to 30 grams .	2,247
Among the many in Brookfield, WI entertainments that have emerged in recent years, the swing club is one of those that attract the most couples. They have been designed to help you change your sexual habits, to discover new practices and live unusual experiences. So if you feel that your life as a couple needs some spice, or if you are single and looking for one-night stands, these sex clubs will be perfect for you. There are many different names for them: swingers club, sex club, strip bar, etc. It is a service which you will be able to access through dating sites. You will find several of these swinger clubs in Brookfield, Wisconsin and in several other cities in USA. However, before trying this experience for the first time, think about learning a bit more about the subject and the possible rules to follow in this kind of hot place. What do I need to know about in Brookfield, WI swinger clubs? Just a few years ago, the subject of swing clubs was taboo and it was frowned upon to talk about it. Even today, we still need to know who to talk about it with, because some very conservative people consider it a serious sin. In any case, from the moment you assume your life choices, it doesn't matter what the rest of the world thinks. Swinging is the practice of behaving in such a way as to suggest that you are promiscuous. It is sometimes associated with perversion, but in reality it simply reflects the desire to try new experiences. Its purpose is to help you feel desired by one or more other people, outside of your spouse or official partner. It is also a practice that helps to satisfy all kinds of sexual desires, no matter how extravagant the fantasies. You will also be able to spice up your sex life, and get out of your comfort zone, while satisfying your curiosity about all things sexual. So, to discover and practice in Brookfield's swing clubs, there are clubs especially reserved for this practice. They can take different forms, depending on the clientele they wish to welcome. You will therefore find bdsm clubs or simple swingers clubs, or other more complete establishments with : Exhibitionism Threesome You can also choose to try the experience in a swing hotel in Brookfield or outside the city, to make sure you don't meet any acquaintances there. Note however that if you meet people you know in such a place, they will probably be as embarrassed as you are. So there's nothing to worry about. You can also find out which is the best hot wife club in your area, in order to discover it, alone or in couple. On this subject, it is important to know that many swinger couples in Brookfield consider sex as a natural practice. These couples are often the ones who manage to dissociate the feeling of love from sexual relations. Therefore, they do not consider swingers club practices as infidelity. It is for this reason that it is not uncommon to see in these sex clubs, members of a couple who come either alone or together. What do we do concretely in a sex club in Brookfield, Wisconsin? If you want to make naughty encounters, you can choose to go to a sex or swingers club. All you have to do is to find a good site, with the addresses of the best sex clubs in Brookfield or in your area. It's a great place to find a booty call, sex with no strings attached and no limits of any kind. You will be able to try new sexual practices, and let your imagination run wild. In this kind of place, discretion is required, because as we have pointed out above, society does not really look favourably on people who engage in these practices. It is for this reason that members generally agree that it is not necessarily useful to get to know each other. All that binds you together is sex and the desire to spice up your sex life. You will be able to meet people with whom you can discuss sex without taboos, and learn as much as you can about anything that will bring you pleasure. Whether you're single or one of the promiscuous couples who frequent this kind of club, you'll always find sexual partners, male and female, to try out all the experiences you want. The best part is that only consenting, adult people who are looking for something new attend these swingers clubs. You will be able to make free in Brookfield encounters, and have sexual intercourse like never before. If you are interested in a sex encounter, a naughty date, an erotic evening in Brookfield, WI and other similar trips, don't hesitate to try the experience of swinger clubs. Why go to a swing party in Brookfield? Many people wonder what are the real reasons why couples or single people want to turn to the swinging life. In reality, the reasons can be very varied, and depend mostly on each member. For some, marriage or married life becomes monotonous or boring after a few years. So in order not to get bored of your partner, you decide to try new experiences, such as joining an ephemeral dating club in Brookfield. This initiative allows you to get out of the routine, and to satisfy some hidden desires like : Having sex with multiple partners Having sex with a same-sex partner Getting fucked violently in front of your partner or vis-versa. These are fantasies that haunt many people in couples or singles, but their social status does not allow them to express this side of their personality. Today, thanks to Brookfield sex clubs, everything is allowed and there are no more rules to follow when it comes to satisfying sexual desires. For other people, the practices of swing clubs are not really a way out of their routine. It's just a distraction like any other, a way to simply do yourself some good, whether you're in a relationship or not. That's why more and more young people are going to these clubs. What are the rules to follow in a swinger club? Contrary to what you might think, a swinger club is not necessarily a place where you treat a woman like a slut, unless she wants to be treated like one. There are strict rules to follow, and besides, all security measures are taken there. At least that's what you notice in the Brookfield swing clubs that respect each other and have a good reputation. On the spot, you can do whatever you want, as long as the partners are willing. A woman can therefore decide to get naked and dance with a stranger without it going any further. A simple gesture or "no" on her part is enough to slow down the ardour of a potential flirt. If he insists, he is immediately brought back to order by the security agents. Apart from this principle, everything is allowed in Brookfield in a kinky evening organized by these sex clubs. You have the freedom to satisfy your most unsatisfied desires as you wish. You will be able to make voyeurism and observe people making love without complexes or shame. It's better than porn, because everything takes place in front of your eyes, with screams, facial expressions and facial expressions, without any censorship. Beware of the basic rule: you have to be of legal age before having access to it, because these swinger clubs are exclusively for adults. You will be able to take out a paid subscription to take advantage of the services of this kind of club. However, it is also possible to take advantage of them without registration, especially if you really want to remain completely anonymous. Can we go alone in a swinger club in Brookfield, WI? You can decide to go alone in a swinger club in Brookfield if you feel like it. As mentioned above, no member of the club will go further than the limit you set, and there are security guards to make sure of that. So if you feel like rubbing up against a big dick without necessarily getting fucked, you can do it in a sex club. Do you want to see people having sex? Admire big tits, naked bodies intertwining under a dim light, get groped all night long or make love with different partners in the same night? It's up to you. The important thing is to know that you don't need to be accompanied to have fun in this kind of place. On the other hand, you need to know that this is not the place to get hit on and find true love. Some beginners tend to believe that this is a club like any other, where you can make a serious encounter that will lead to a lasting relationship. If this is your case, then you should rule it out right now, because a swinger club in Brookfield, WI is not a place where you can afford to fall in love. Everyone who is there comes primarily for sex, carnal pleasure, and nothing else. Therefore, if you're looking for your soul mate, try dating through sites like : Does one have to fuck in swinger clubs in Brookfield, WI? No, it is not mandatory to have sex every time you go to a swinger club. You can even go regularly to this kind of place without ever having sex. If your trip is to watch, you'll get your money's worth, that's for sure. But no one can force you to go further if you don't want to. This is true for both men and women. You can also go to this club to find a dominatrix, or to try erotic games without going as far as sex. In fact, the special thing about these swingers clubs, what makes them successful with all generations and with people from different social classes, is their ability to offer you absolutely everything you are looking for. Whether you're into troilism, threesomes, orgies, gangbang, violent sexuality, straight, bi or gay relationships, you'll find what you're looking for. Some advice for a couple who wants to try the swinger clubs If you want to discover for the first time the sex clubs in Brookfield, Wisconsin as a couple, the best thing to do is to prepare yourself well in advance. You have to keep in mind that once you've taken the step you can't go back. It is therefore essential to make sure that you are completely comfortable with the situation. Otherwise, the whole couple may suffer. You need to ask yourself whether you are strong enough or strong enough to accept the idea that your partner may have sex with another person. You also need to be mentally prepared for the scene, because most of the time you will be together in this club. This is an uncommon situation, especially if you have become accustomed to always following the rules throughout your life. That's why we suggest you discover some tips that will be very useful to you to make the right decision. If you are a lover of swinging in Brookfield and you want to try the experience as a couple, you must first of all choose the right place. For that, you can rely on the best site in this field, and find the best address to do sex in couple. You will be able to go through many dating websites. With these dating sites you can already start the adventure in the comfort of your home, thanks to hot conversations by messages or via webcam. It will be for you the opportunity to discover how far you can go. You will also be able to find out if you are only interested in people of the opposite sex, or if you are a bi couple. Then you will be able to choose the swinger club in Brookfield which will be the place where all your sexual desires will be fulfilled. You can browse through the naughty ads or the sex ads in Brookfield, WI to find it. You will be guaranteed that the atmosphere will be really hot and electric, much more than in a nightclub where the drink flows and the bodies anarchically graze on the dancefloor. It will be a whole new level, far above anything you've ever seen before. But don't forget to ask the people who usually frequent the swingers club you're interested in. You will then know if it is really worth it or if it will be suitable for your couple. Then, you will also need to find out about the dress code, the atmosphere and especially the type of people you will find there. Considering that some of these people will probably be your next sexual partners, this information is of crucial importance. You should also know that some Brookfield swing clubs or certain evenings during the week are reserved exclusively for women, others for men, and others for couples. Therefore, you should not make a mistake by choosing the wrong club or day. Finally, you will also have to look at the prices charged on the spot. However, it should be noted that most of the time, the rate for couples is quite affordable. Discuss as a couple to define your expectations Before entering a Brookfield swingers club as a couple, you should first discuss your expectations about this new experience you are going to live. The goal is to find a compromise between the search for new adventures, and the shock that it can represent for you to see people naked or copulating. If you have any reservations or limitations, it is during this discussion that you will need to express them. Your spouse will do the same, so that you can avoid rushing the other person when it comes time to act. You must also be able to clearly explain what you expect from this new experience. If you are attracted by threesome, cuckolding, candaulism, or other libertine practices, now is the time to talk about them without any fancy talk. This way you will know if your partner is comfortable with the idea, and if he will be willing to go through with it. It is important to know that most of the time, when it is their first experience, couples are no longer able to talk once they have crossed the threshold of the sex club. Whether it is because of embarrassment or guilt, they find it difficult to open up to each other, and so they decide to come on their own. It is exactly this kind of reaction that can separate you. So what you have to do is try to always communicate. Since you already know each other's desires, the rest will simply consist of agreeing on what experiments to try first. You need to set aside taboos and make it clear what you think of everything you see. This is how a climate of trust can be established and how you can live this experience together.	14,261
These two chapters detail the birth of both John the Baptist and Jesus. They were both born to devoted parents who had their faith tested. Zechariah and Elizabeth were both past childbearing age when God blessed them with a baby. Joseph and Mary were not yet married and Mary was a virgin when she found out she was going to give birth to Jesus. The stories of John and Jesus are both filled with miracles and both pave the way for salvation for many. What is one key verse? Luke 2:19 “but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.” Luke 2:51 “And his mother stored all these things in her heart.” How does what you read change your vision of God? The two verses I picked change my vision of God because it made me see how Mary was an ordinary, normal mother who gave birth to an extraordinary baby. This reminds me of every mother I have known who loves and cherishes their baby and keeps every detail of that child as a treasure in her heart. God wanted Jesus to experience humanity and I am amazed that twice in Luke 2 it was important for the author to mention how much Mary loved her baby. How does what you read change your vision of yourself or others? The idea that Mary’s love for her son is important to the story of Jesus makes me feel a connection to Mary that I hadn’t before. Mary knew that her son was special, but at the same time every mother thinks their baby is special. I have held my own babies and looked into their eyes and wondered how they will change the world. I have treasured in my own heart every little smile, every sweet word, and every accomplishment of my babies, and the account of Mary in Luke 2 connects all mothers. How will you Go With God because of this reading? (What is an action step?) Seeing the humanity of Mary has spurred me to see how God has always used ordinary people to accomplish His will and to look for ways that he is doing this even today. Related October 23, 2020 at 6:06 am Thanks Beth for this insight that I really hadn’t focused on before either! How true this is even with my adopted children and as all my children are now adults those precious memories never fade!! This definitely does help me as well to connect with Mary and even appreciate Jesus’childhood in a much deeper way.	2,378
About Hungary - Press statement by Viktor Orbán following his meeting with Irakli Garibashvili, Prime Minister of Georgia Speeches and Remarks S Press statement by Viktor Orbán following his meeting with Irakli Garibashvili, Prime Minister of Georgia Oct 27, 2022 Hungary-Georgia relations Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili Prime Minister Viktor Orbán I would like to extend a warm welcome to the Prime Minister and the members of the Georgian delegation. I can tell representatives from the press here that yesterday evening we had a long meeting in private, followed by formal talks. In Hungary there is a strong prejudice in favour of Georgia, so there are excellent cultural foundations for our talks. Although our two countries are far apart, as we are in the Carpathians and they are in the Caucasus, our geopolitical situations have very many similarities. For a Hungarian it is not difficult to understand the leitmotif of Georgian history, and nor is it difficult for a Georgian to understand the leitmotif of Hungarian history. Each of our nations boasts a great culture, great cultural traditions and a unique language; and both of us need to maintain our culture and our language, while surrounded by a ring of nations larger than we are. And I told the Prime Minister that if you ask a Hungarian why he or she is in the world, the simple answer is that there must continue to be someone who speaks the Hungarian language and who preserves Hungarian culture - even though in our larger political sphere we need to pay attention to Istanbul, to Berlin and to Moscow. And our mission, our higher purpose, is to ensure that our culture and our language do not perish. Seen from Hungary, it is not difficult to understand the history of Georgia and the mission inherent in its existence. If we were now living through normal times in European politics, we would be holding a great celebration today: this is the 30th anniversary of the establishment of renewed relations between our two nations. But now are not normal times: we are living through an unprecedented security, economic and energy crisis. And so instead of celebrating, we are holding talks. I will briefly inform you of the progress we have made. First of all, I am pleased to say that when it comes to geopolitics, war and peace, our positions are very close. In relation to the Ukrainian-Russian war, we Hungarians want an immediate ceasefire and peace negotiations as soon as possible. This is very similar to the Georgian approach. The other important issue that we discussed was the European Union aspirations of the Prime Minister’s compatriots, as they would like to become part of the European Union and to be part of European integration. Here, we all know that in Brussels recently a very bad decision was taken, a discriminatory decision, when we granted EU candidate status to Moldova and Ukraine, but did not grant candidate status to Georgia. This is an inexplicable, morally unacceptable and damaging decision. Our guests have earned candidate status through their hard work over the years, and such a dismissive decision from Europe, from Brussels, is disrespectful to the people and nation of Georgia. What can we do in this situation? We shall continue to support the earliest possible granting of candidate status, we shall continue to support Georgia’s membership of the EU, and we shall continue to provide experts to their government: sixteen Hungarians are working in the European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia, and we regularly send experts to help them prepare for negotiations. The most important issue we discussed, however, was energy. I would like to inform the Hungarian public that a new, far-reaching energy cooperation project is taking shape - one in which we Hungarians have a special interest. We want to create a huge new electricity supply system, the essence of which would be to bring energy from Azerbaijan to Hungary via Georgia and Romania. This would allow us to replace a large amount of natural gas: natural gas that today we use to generate electricity in Hungary. If we could receive this electricity directly, we would not need to buy and use gas. I am pleased to note that the Prime Minister fully supports this programme, which is a key issue for Hungarian interests. We are convinced that the way to ride out the energy crisis and high energy prices - to power through - is to bring as much energy into the European Union as possible. We can also try to introduce regulations, but I do not think that will lead to results - or if it does, only in the short term. The long-term solution is to have as much energy coming into the European continent from as many directions as possible. This increased supply can bring prices down, which is a fundamental interest for Hungary, because Hungary is fighting inflation, caused to a considerable extent by high energy prices. Finally, I would like to inform you that we have agreed with the Prime Minister that next year we will hold a joint cabinet meeting. There will be a joint Georgian-Hungarian government meeting in his country. This will be preceded by a meeting of relevant ministers, who will prepare the joint government meeting, with which we want to give a major boost to economic cooperation between our two countries. I would also like to publicly thank the Prime Minister for his visit to Hungary. It is a great honour for us to play host to him here. Thank you for the opportunity for these talks and for spending time with us. We wish Georgia, its government and the Georgian people every success. Thank you for your attention. S Speeches and Remarks Speech by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at a ceremony marking the completion of the Cirkovce-Pince high-voltage transmission line	5,841
On 24 December 2020, the new EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement was agreed in principle and has come into force on 1 January 2021. From 1 January, the trade and movement of goods between the UK and the EU are subject to the new terms and rules outlined in the Agreement. It has been agreed that for many products no import duties have to be paid on both sides. For our parcel industry, it means that between the UK and the EU: Detailed data are required to export goods Customs declarations are required for each parcel The goods sent are subject to VAT (and duties when applicable) Inspections may take place on some goods imported or exported Rates change as a result of customs handling Transit times may increase because of linehaul changes and potentially customs checks Even in the case of a difficult Brexit, we will continue to guarantee the fast and smooth delivery of your orders to the UK. We will do everything in our power to maintain our premium service on international shipping to the UK and of course we will keep you informed of important news. All the latest information about Brexit is available on this page.	1,132
I can chalk today up to a really bad day, or a valuable lesson learned. It’s been two years since D-day and I like to think that I’m healing at a somewhat normal pace. I’ve been able to move on in all aspects of my life, little things that used to bother me don’t anymore, I’m good with being in the same room as my ex and I even faced forgiveness head on and chose it! So why am I now, at this point, experiencing post traumatic stress symptoms? The term is most recognized for people who have gone through war, seen very traumatic events, and suffered great loss during that time. I do not want to even try to compare what I went through against what a war veteran has experienced. What I can do is talk about similarities. We do not often hear of PTSD following an emotional or social event it’s usually something that was very abusive. Well, I was very surprised when I began looking for information on this topic to find so many links to articles relating to post divorce PTSD. Divorce will bring about traumatic events that leave us scarred in the same way as a person who has survived combat. In fact, most divorces share similar types of combat, war, traumatic events and end up the same way….with a loss. In a previous post I wrote about finding battle scars, and trying to differentiate between the two can be confusing. When I found the scar, it was only because someone pointed it out to me. I was surprised but dealt with it and moved on from it with a sense of accomplishment! This time was different. I’ve mentioned before that I’m learning to listen to my intuition, although lately, I am getting a little annoyed when she calls! Reluctantly, I took her call, and it was just as I thought. Prior to that event though, is when the PTSD showed its ugly head. When I started to wonder about the situation, the emotions I felt were something I had felt before, and they were not welcome emotions. I immediately tried to put it off to the side and pay no attention to it, but she kept on calling! I thought maybe I was over reacting. When I finally took a moment to think about what I was feeling and why, I was brought back to that day. My heart raced, face went white, and hands were shaky. I was feeling every emotion, uncertainty, insecurity, and most of all fear; it was all too familiar. I was brought back to my trauma similarly as a war veteran who hears a loud noise. Even though the situation was different and in no way related to my marriage or why it ended, I was going through the same feelings all over again. It scared the crap out of me and I began to go through a list of questions. Does this mean I’m not as far along in my healing process as I thought I was? Will this happen again? Does this happen to others? How can I stop this from happening? I don’t have all the answers just yet. What I do know and can trust is my intuition and I promised her I would continue to take her calls no matter how bad they will be. As far as my healing process, I do think I am where I thought I was, otherwise I wouldn’t recognize what I’m feeling. I will encounter speed bumps along the way some big some small, this one was a big one maybe the next will be a little smaller. Will this happen again? YES, if I am to continue to heal properly I have to go through every emotion, every failure, and every triumph. Does this happen to others? YES ( links to articles below), unfortunately I am not the only one but we can all learn from each other. How can I stop this from happening? I can’t, which is a good thing. It means that I will continue to move forward no matter what scars, or traumatic memories I have and I will grow stronger as each one rears its ugly head. Now is my chance to fight against each scar or traumatic stress symptom, and continue to fight until I am free from each one. When I least expect it, that day will come. It’s almost as if the last two years have been preparing me for a new battle. I am now at war with memories, feelings, emotions and circumstances that at some time in my life will become familiar again. Being able to recognize, trust and battle them will be what leads me to ultimate healing and happiness. I’m not sure if I really learned a lesson or if it’s that I learned more about what I went through and how it may affect me in the future. What I did learn is a good thing, I’m not numb to feelings, I have not been ruined by my divorce, trusting in myself and allowing myself to feel things again is an amazing feeling! I”d love to hear from other’s who have also suffered PTSD symptoms after divorce. Do you have a similar experience to share? Please respond in the comments. Is your high conflict divorce causing PTSD? I have PTSD after my divorce Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) Tags broken, change, comforting, divorce, divorce stress, fear, feelings, getting on with life, loss, memories, motivational, moving forward, Post traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, stress, transformation Previous Ready to F.L.Y. Next Next Post 104 thoughts on “Does PTSD after divorce exist? You better believe it!” Pingback: You can always correct your course \| Barbier Family Blog January 5, 2013 at 11:30 pm thanks for the pingback! January 6, 2013 at 6:31 am I most definitely did! (and still do occasionally…) In fact, the meds my psychiatrist chose for me were selected because of their ability to help with PTSD. Originally, I could be triggered by almost anything. I would step back like I was slugged just my seeing “his” water at the grocery store. Gearing myself up to get the mail, which may contain more letters from creditors or correspondence from his attorney was harder than the leap of faith while bungee jumping. And the sign at the airport where I last saw him? Let’s not even go there! Now, it is only triggered (and mildly) when I feel like I’m being abandoned again. PTSD can result with any sudden and dramatic loss or change. It happens when our mind and body can’t process the magnitude of the shock and are constantly bracing for the next one. January 6, 2013 at 8:40 am @ stilllearning2b: I truly appreciate your comment on this post. This was something that I was not prepared for nor even really heard about in relation to divorce. I just assumed what I was going through were just normal weepy feelings and that they would subside, which in fact they had. It took this recent moment to show me that it is much more than that. Pingback: I know its not easy \| My journey of healing from psychological abuse January 8, 2013 at 12:10 pm I found out from my therapist that I was having symptoms of PTSD after my husband left unexpectedly and then verbally abused me. I continued to go through the trauma, reliving that moment and the subsequent moments of trauma that followed. I also had bad dreams where he rejected me over and over again, night sweats, and many triggers. One of the biggest problems that I’ve had is that people really don’t understand the experience and how it can stay with you and effect you for a long period of time. Not all divorces are the same and I believe that those that are unexpected and traumatic have a different effect on people. I’m about 14 months from that day now and am finally experiencing some relief from these symptoms. January 8, 2013 at 12:43 pm Lori, I suffered from recurrent dreams as well and just did not put two and two together until this recent event happened that triggered the response. Now that I know what it is I think it will be easier for me to know when it is a PTSD symptom versus anger or sadness. Thank you for sharing!! January 20, 2013 at 9:39 pm I believe PTSD is real and is most prominent after long term marriages. After my marriage of 28 years ended I cried daily for 4 years. My physical symptoms were rapid heart beat with no relief unless I slept. I averaged 3 hours of sleep a night during those 4 years. I always woke startled and felt as if my heart was going to jump out of my chest. During the day I had sporadic panic attacks, lots of fear, feelings of hopelessness, low self esteem, etc. It has been 12 years and I still occasionally have most of these symptoms. My biggest hurdle is developing relationships due to a lack of trust. Looking back I do not understand why my doctors & counselor never used the term PTSD. January 23, 2013 at 5:23 pm Dear Judy, it is unclear to me why some doctors and counselors do not want to use the term PTSD. The only thing I can think of is, maybe some people cannot handle a label or having a title attached to their feelings and symptoms. I will make sure to put this on my list of things to discuss the next time I’m in a session. Thank you for sharing your story! Tryingtoovercome says: May 7, 2013 at 8:59 am My 2 yrs is almost up,and the divorce needs to be finalized by Mid sept. I definitely have PTSD. I filed for divorce because he was living and working in Asia when i discovered he was cheating on me, and I didn’t know if he was going to take the money and run off with some Asian woman. I was scared to death, but then thought there could be a reconciliation because he agreed to counseling. The first session went well, and I thought we could save our marriage. Before he came back at Christmas, I put my elderly dog down, thinking I would be moving to Asia with him. Well, the next counseling session, he said really horrible things, like ” I’m used to aggressive women.” I couldn’t believe all the horrible things he said, and when he finally said that he would stay married but that I would have to accept “don’t ask, don’t tell,” I went into shock. A few days later on Christmas Day, my daughter was being difficult and I had a nervous breakdown because I couldn’t handle anymore, and was hospitalized for a week. The fear was so great when I got out of the hospital that I was in a panic wanting to jump off a bridge. I got a part timer job and entered a community college, and have tried to stay busy and not think about what will happen. Now that my husband has come in for my our daughters graduation,and I know I have to face the divorce, I am very suicidal. The symptoms of PTSD are so overwhelming, it’s like being in a burning high rise and knowing that I’m faced with jumping or burning up. The adrenaline never let’s up, and the night sweats and nightmares are horrible. I remember feeling this way as a teenager when I went running out of the house because I thought my brother was cutting off my fathers head. I have been a housewife for 25 yrs and I just don’t feel like I will make it emotionally. I keep thinking I should just leave whatever money I get to my children to help them out. I really don’t want a divorce but I fear my husband so much because I don’t know who he is anymore. Liz says: June 11, 2013 at 12:11 am I was diagnosed with PTSD following the break up of my 20 year marriage. My husband was very abusive and cheated on me with multiple women. He married his mistress of 20 years, one of several he had, following our divorce, within weeks. I did therapy for a year and a half, I began it 6 months before we split up. It helped but more than anything, time has helped. I still tend to isolate and I have not begun dating again, just not ready. He really betrayed me so I am glad just to feel I can trust myself, let alone others. I know, with confidence, I will not be in an abusive relationship again, I know the signs now. Each day I care less and less about what he did. Our marriage was a lie and I am free to live in truth, even painful truth is better than lies! June 11, 2013 at 6:09 pm Liz thank you for being so strong and brave enough to share with others what you went through and what your currently struggling with. I have found that this subject is more common than anyone knows. Physicians are starting to diagnose PTSD in emotional situations but most of us suffering from it had no idea that’s what it was. I appreciate your comment and I know it will help other’s out there that share in our pain, grief, as well as in our strength to overcome all that we had to go through. Many Blessings to you! June 30, 2013 at 5:01 am I’ve known my husband since 1992, and have Been married since 2004. Over the years we would hav break ups prior to the marriage. He would have other girlfriends or short times. I never thought he’d cheat on me, but discovered he was last JULY . I filed and my heart is not in this. Yes, there was verbal and emotional abuse. My therapist and sister both said I am suffering from PTSD . I cannot let him go. I feel so rejected. Every season since he left brings me memories . I imagine him here with me. I cry myself to sleep, on the way to work adnd on the way home from work. I know he is a laser but he is MY loser and I blame Her for the cheating even tho. he Looked her up( an old girlfriend from 26 years ago, married with 3 kids). He was my life. I hate my life and say that Repeatedly out loud and in my mind. July 2, 2013 at 9:22 pm Nicole, I will be totally honest with you, the path you are on is not going to be easy but it is one that you have to travel. It’s been two years since my divorce was final and I still struggle with the fact that I miss him and I don’t think that will ever go away. He was your entire life for a very long time, what you need to focus on now is rebuilding your life, creating a new environment for yourself, one that you CAN survive in. In those times when I am missing him I also tend to get very angry, which then upsets me. I do not like feeling negative over and over again with him being the cause of the negativity. So…what do I do about it? I channel that negative energy into something positive. I tell myself, yes you miss him but those feelings will fade with time and then I do something creative or energetic to take my mind off. If I could run or walk the treadmill everytime I let his negative feelings flood my heart I would be a skinny little thing! Writing is a really good creative outlet for me, also just walking, playing in a bowl of sand letting my fingers work through it feeling how nice it feels rather than sitting and being sad or upset about where my life is and why. What we went through is horrible but some good can come out of it and I hope in time you can start to see the good your life is going to become. Keep your chin up! Try to stay positive and know that I am here to listen when ever you need an ear! July 2, 2013 at 9:22 pm July 20, 2013 at 3:56 am I have been divorced for 13 years. My marriage lasted 10 years. It ended with a phone call on a Thursday afternoon while I was at work. We were both in the Marine Corps at that time. I have since retired. It was unexpected. My whole life felt like it had shattered. I spent a year in counseling and on Zoloft and Klonapin for the horrible anxiety. After a few years I came off the medications. I keep a prescription for the Klonapin for the occasional anxiety attack. I have not been able the have a relationship or really even get close to having one. The fear of ever going through that again is paralyzing. I am unable to let anyone close enough to hurt me like that ever again. I am able to deal with everything else in my life in a healthy, rational and anxiety free manner. My friendships are wonderful and I am blessed beyond belief. I have a wonderful 28 year old son that is the love of my life. I work as a contractor in Iraq and I have no fear or issues with my job at all. But if I find myself attracted to a man in the slightest I run in the other direction and the anxiety starts. My doctor has diagnosed me with PTSD from the divorce. I turned 50 in April and have decided I have to do something about this. I don’t want to be alone for the rest of my life. I just am at a loss…………. Thank you for listening. July 20, 2013 at 10:52 am Dear M Vitello, I give you credit for deciding to do that for yourself and for realizing that you do not want to be alone. Having your son by your side is very important in the healing of your heart. I am confident that you have it within you to love again and when you do find that it will be overwhelming to you because you will have overcome that fear to let yourself be loved and love again. Thank you so much for sharing, continued Blessings to you and your family. August 5, 2013 at 3:10 pm Hi, my divorce was very fast. Everything seemed ok and suddenly out of nowhere I was hit with divorce. I am a family man and ive lost my wife and she has the 2 kids. She never gave me a reason. The divorce papers simply state… Dissolution of marriage. I had done a search on divorce and anxiety / panic attacks and I ran into your site. What do you do or think to yourself when your trying to calm yourself down? I found that I had a PTSD moment the last time I had to speak to her. She had made a passive aggressive comment on the phone and I started to feel a sense of shock and noticed my hands were shaking. Thanks for making your website, I dont feel like im the only one in this situation. August 5, 2013 at 10:00 pm Hi Signstillalive, thank you so much for taking the time to comment on this very important subject. When I”m in those moment’s I try to remind myself to breathe. If it’s really bad I say “stay out of your head”. That phrase is helpful becuase when we are in those moments all the memories of what we had tend to start flooding in all at once, then the pulse starts to race, and the anxiety builds. If I can keep reminding myself to “stay out of my head” I won’t focus on those memories or the current moment I”m in. Instead all I”m focused on is staying out of my head! Seems silly but it works. Sometimes I have to say it outloud and other’s I just think it. Remember to breathe and focus on getting to the reason for the contact quickly; don’t linger. When the moment has passed take a big deep breath and be thankful for that moment because it was a healing one. We can’t anticipate how we are going to react to certain situations during this recovery process, but if we can make a plan on how to cope with them it will be a little easier. So your homework: think about what calms you and try to plan to focus on that when you feel your hands start to shake. Remind yourself to stay out of your head while in that moment, and praise yourself after for having made it through. You will be just fine. : ) Blessings to you!! September 5, 2013 at 5:56 pm I am so very thankful I found your website. I am presently dealing with a terrible case of PTSD after my divorce from a man I was married to for 40 years. Shortly after our 39th anniversary he finally confided he had been having an affair – once a month when he traveled – for months and wanted a divorce. Obviously – this event threw me for a loop. It has now been a little over 2 years. This last weekend – I faced him for the first time since the court appearance – at our Grandson’s first birthday party. Things went fairly well until he yelled across the yard – Phyllis – what happened to the child’s rocker from my parents house. Mind you – I was left to handle the disposition of items from his parents house after the death of his Mother and the sale of the house. He didn’t come to help. I called him every day to ask about things – bringing things to our home over 1000 miles away after cleaning out things. I didn’t realize at the time how much it had affected me – but I am now feeling very much like I did when he first told me. It doesn’t help that I have moved over 300 miles from the town I had lived in for 23 years – leaving behind my friends. My Daughter and Son – who live close to where I now live encouraged me to move – to start over. problem is – I’m now alone! Because of my meltdown – I have upset my Daughter so she is now mad at me. I’m actually feeling suicidal again – which scares me – but I don’t have anyone to go to. I am hoping that by reading things here I can get through THIS bad time. September 6, 2013 at 3:06 pm I am amazed by the fact that PTSD following divorce is not more openly talked about. It is a very serious condition that can have crippling effects on those that suffer from it. Keep the faith and stay strong my friends!!! September 6, 2013 at 3:13 pm I have to thank Kimberly for being my lifeline to sanity! I was truly desperate when I posted on this website. She immediately contacted me via email and has been a good sounding board. I cannot thank her enough. September 6, 2013 at 3:29 pm You just made my day Phyllis!! That is the SOLE reason this blog exists. To enable the transformation and well being of all of us suffering from a painful loss. September 7, 2013 at 8:06 am I’m so glad to have made your day! You made mine with your concern for me and your wise words. I’m sure you know how it feels to feel totally alone – even if we aren’t. Having moved from my safety net – when I have the “breakdowns” or “meltdowns” – it makes it more difficult to deal with because I don’t have my friends to turn to – other than by phone. Also – they will never truly understand what is going on in my mind. I know I never understood before this happened to me. I was comforting – but I wonder if I too conveyed the feeling to friends “she/he should just move on”? I dearly love my friends – and it is great that I will be spending some time with my dearest friend of all this weekend – someone who was ready to drive 6 hrs to be with me because she was worried. Instead – we will meet about halfway between our houses and spend some quality time hugging – crying and laughing. Looking forward to the laughing! We have both been through some really difficult times – so I know she better understands where I’m coming from. Even though personally she hasn’t gone through a divorce she has had and still has many trials. I’m so very glad to have found someone to confide in – who better understands my feelings and doesn’t make me feel like she is thinking “why doesn’t she just get over it”. I do that to myself enough – perhaps that is why when I have one of these “meltdowns” they seem that much worse. I’m feeling guilty and judging myself on not being better able to handle things. I recently had someone say to me – when I was in the midst of this latest meltdown – you are “stronger” than this – why are you letting it bother you. After I had time to think about that statement – I realized that this is what a lot of people have said to me. Including my ex – you are such a strong person – I know you can handle anything. When I thought about this statement more – I began to realize what the word strong is code for – it’s without feelings. I believe it makes those who are saying it feel better about not showing compassion for me and my feelings. So – the next time someone says you are stronger than this – or you are so strong – I will say – no – I have feelings just like anyone else and this HURTS! Just my musings before heading out. Thanks for the friendship! September 7, 2013 at 5:50 pm Phyllis, I don’t believe Strong is code word for “without feelings”. I do however belive that in order to become Strong we first have to face our weakness; which is exactly what you are doing by allowing yourself to have your moments of sadness. We cannot ever get over anything until we are ready to face it. Dealing with loss of any kind happens in steps, some deal with them quicker than other’s, and some are even able to skip a few. Only you know what YOU need, your friends will understand if you respond to them in a way that is truthful to your heart. A simple ” I know I’m strong, I”m working on letting my strength resurface in my time and on my terms”. Lani says: October 13, 2013 at 5:23 pm Kimberley I was blown away by this article, it was so like what I have been experiencing. My situation is not because of divorce – but because after having met the person I wanted in my life permanently (and I believed he wanted me in his) – he ran. I am not a young emotional teenager, I have lived, as the saying goes, had experiences some of which I would not wish on my worst enemy. I can stand up for myself and I always thought I knew where my boundaries were. Not so – when he left I was a wreck. My family and good friends tried to boost me, but it was no use. I felt as if my heart had been torn from my body, and what scared me most of all is that I was not angry at all – I actually found I understood why he did what he did! I thought I was going crazy – here I was, a mature woman, who could “read” people very accurately, brought to her knees by somebody who obviously was not what I thought. It scared me witless that I did not see it coming – we were fine, got on famously – we were friends in the truest sense. I had panic attacks, when I was not having them the fear was tearing me apart. Amost two years down the line – I am still hurting a lot. I am fighting the feeling that from now on I cannot afford to let my guard down. I don’t want to be “warm and caring” any more – and it is difficult. The very thought of forming a close bond with anybody else fills me with dread – and more dreadful still is that I KNOW in my soul that I may never be brave enough to take the leap of faith loving somebody unconditionally would take. Phyllis, your statement that your friends could never understand where you are coming from resonated with me, and I am glad you have a “best” friend you can let your guard down with. I am still looking for one. My sister (my twin) just does not understand the agony I am still going through. I get on with my life, at times it is scary when the feelings I thought I had buried come to the surface and give me a good beating,, and like you everybody compliments me on my strength to overcome anything and still smile. I think if I actually told them the truth that sometimes I feel if I allowed myself to cry I would never stop it would make them extremely uncomfortable. God bless all of you wonderful people for sharing your experiences, and most importantly, thank you, Kimberley for this website. October 13, 2013 at 6:40 pm Lani, always remember that YOU are the ONLY one who needs to understand what you are feeling. No one knows what your heart went through and those that stood by us through the pain only really saw us from the outside: they can’t see your heart. Time will help you to learn how to cope with the feelings of panic. I still get them and find myself pretty choked up when I least expect it. In those moments try to focus on growth and who you are now because of what you went through. I and the blog are here for you whenever you need us!!! Many many Hugs, October 13, 2013 at 5:58 pm I feel your pain! And it is indeed pain – as all those of us who have dealt with this or any other loss can attest to. I would like to tell you what is helping me to better deal with my anxiety – especially my anxiety of getting close to people again. First of all – my most recent counselor encouraged me to get a book so I might better understand the stages I would be facing. It is becoming my Bible during difficult times. “Rebuilding When Your Relationship Ends” Third Edition – is the name of it. I have found it helpful to fall back on it when I am in the throws of despair. Next – I finally took my children’s advice and went online to a site called Meet up. I don’t know if you live in an area that will have a lot of groups or a smaller area that has few groups – but this has been a great place for me. I do now live in a large city – so I have many opportunities that may not be available to you. But I would urge you to GET OUT and meet people – wherever you can – especially Women! Don’t immediately start telling them your story – you may drive them away if you do – but take the time to just have fun and interesting conversations. Don’t go with the intention of making a connection with someone – go and listen to others – be OPEN to new experiences. I have been doing this less than a month but it has made an enormous difference in my attitude – how I view myself and the world around me. Know that others in this world TRULY care about you – that you are loved – even if you don’t know it or feel it right now. Stay strong and know that you are loved and that you will again love. Take time to heal – it may take longer than you want or expect – but know that someday you will again be able to again be vulnerable. October 13, 2013 at 6:59 pm I agree completely with Kim. ONLY YOU needs to understand what you are feeling. Here is a quote from the book I told you about that helped me recently. “Rapid mood changes are typical during divorce grief.” It doesn’t have to be divorce – it can be the ending of a relationship. “You have moved from the black pits of grief and finally feel good. Then, without apparent reason, you are out of control emotionally, unable to keep from crying. The whole sudden mood swing may have been triggered by a conversation with a friend or acquaintance who said something to you or did something for you. You were feeling fine and in control until then. Your change to the depths of grief again leaves that person confused and sad, not understanding what he or she did to upset you.” When things like this happen you often question whether or not you will ever heal enough to get back to a “normal” life. I’m still working through much of my pain – and I think I will now turn to this book whenever I again have one of these breakdowns. Kim was a lifesaver to me – I believe in God and believe He helped me to find Kim’s blog. Whatever brought you to Kim’s blog – I hope you too find comfort here. October 13, 2013 at 7:11 pm Phyllis, that book sounds awesome!!! I will definitely be picking it up!! Thanks for sharing!! October 13, 2013 at 7:27 pm You can read some of what is in it on Amazon. October 13, 2013 at 7:29 pm Sorry the front of the book showed up. I simply put in the address. I did click on the picture and it took me to the Amazon website. Feel free to delete the photo and link if you want. Lani says: October 14, 2013 at 2:32 pm Kimberley and Phyllis, thank you so much for your kind words and support. I was beginning to think that I would never find anybody who would understand and empathise without sitting in judgement on me. Phyllis, I know what you mean about getting out! I have always been a busy person, involved in things that brought me in touch with people – I’m so interested in them, and I do have a social circle that I am close to. I suppose it is a case of low self-esteem, but I cannot bring myself to talk to any of them about what has happened to me, and how it has changed me. I hate having to put this mask when I am with these lovely people. I can usually cope when I am doing the things I am committed to but at times it seems I am sitting outside myself and observing this person who goes through the motions. I get very sad when I think that I may be one of those people who will never have a loving relationship with somebody who cherishes them, but in the same instant when I think of somebody else coming into my life I am filled with dread. I am very spiritual, I am a healer, I believe in Spirit and I am coming to realise that what happened to me was because I have a path to tread and spiritual progression to achieve – Spirit sent me this lesson to make me stronger. The man I still love just was not able to accept this at the time, he got scared that I “knew” him so well. I have a strong feeling that sooner or later he will not be able to be away from me, but there is a downside to that – if it happens the “me” he connected with is not the same person he hurt. I love him with all my heart and knowing that what we had is in the past does not help me forget how very close we were, nor does the fact that I had to watch him slip away from me. After your traumatic experiences, did any of you feel “If this is the truth, was everything else lies”? It is the not knowing that tears me up. October 14, 2013 at 3:24 pm Lani, unfortunately the answer to your question is yes. So much of my marriage ended up being lies Which in turn made it very hard for me to believe or think any of it was real. And because of that fear I made some quick and rash decisions when moving out of our family home that maybe I should have thought about. Things like leaving every wedding photograph behind. I have a few to my kids but left the rest for him to deal with. In hindsight i should have kept some and given them to the kids later as adults not knowing if it is something they will want to have. I spent countless hours and still sometimes do, thinking back on events trying to figure out if they were as meaningful for him as they were for me. Doing that was tearing me up inside and I made the decision to just live with the memories as they were originally created. It makes no sense for me now to go back and re examine them, it serves no purpose. I will offer you this…..let your memories live on in your mind as they were created. Enjoy the good feelings some will still bring…for me those are the birth of my children because I know he was sincerely happy in those moments. Let go of any that cause you fear or pain and continue on your path of moving forward. I hope that helps. Your question was a tough one to answer!! Sent from my iPhone October 14, 2013 at 6:25 pm I too have always been busy – but usually busy doing for others. I’m now doing things I enjoy – which is a real departure for me. I have a caretaker personality – though it could be I have this personality due to my upbringing. After my ex wanted out of the marriage I kept going back to what more could I have done to make him love me. I did more than any other women I knew – taking care of the house – raising our two children almost alone as he traveled a lot – never putting any demands on him to come home to take care of me even when I injured myself badly or was quite ill. I would love to blame him for his failures to care for me – but I have learned that you get the compassion or caring you ask for/demand. If you don’t ask/demand caring – if you only give never expecting to get the love and caring you give in return – you shouldn’t be surprised when the ones you care for do not return your love and caring. While I am very glad I am so independent and capable now that I am facing my elderly life alone – I wish I had perhaps been more demanding in my relationship. I very much can relate to the feeling outside yourself at times – even when you are busy. I found myself feeling really bad lately – when it seemed all I was doing for others was not being appreciated. That was when I had my big “meltdown” and found Kim’s blog. I have since realized that I NEED to do for myself – to put myself first at least once in a while. I don’t feel like God or Spirit gave me this difficulty. I do feel that God or Spirit has been with me at my lowest times. Friends, minister, children and even my physician were there to help me through the darkness. At the time I didn’t think God was with me – but looking back – I know He was through these wonderful people. They/He saved my life over and over again – guided me through and to the right path. As to whether or not I looked back and think everything was a lie. The only lie in my past was that my ex was treating me right. He wasn’t! I just accepted his narcissistic attitude – blaming it on him being an only child and his parents having a strange/poor relationship. I have very low self esteem. Not feeling I deserve the good in life. I am working on that – especially now after this breakup. I have now realized that it wasn’t my fault that our relationship ended – that there was nothing else I could have done to “make” him keep loving me. I deserve someone who loves me for who I am – not what I do for them. I hope you can find some peace – realize that even if he did want to come back – it probably wouldn’t be what is best for you. I urge you to buy the book I suggested. I believe you will find a lot of help in dealing with the grief that I hear in your writings. Knowing that this is a process – that your feelings won’t improve until you deal completely with this loss – let go of the past and look to the future. October 14, 2013 at 7:41 pm Very well said Phyllis!! Rebecca says: October 24, 2013 at 12:15 am The reason more doctors and therapists don’t diagnose divorced folks with PTSD is simple… get a DSM and read the diagnostic criteria. Unless there was physical violence and events involving threatened or actual death, or physical injury, what you all are describing does not meet the criteria. In my 20+ years of practice I can fortunately say I can recall just two women who did meet the criteria due to abuse in the marriage. Should we psychologists just throw our diagnoses without cause? Would you want your dermatologist to diagnose you with skin cancer when what you have is a 2nd degree burn? There are ethical guidelines to diagnosing conditions. What you all are describing would certainly meet the criteria for Adjustment Disorder, and surely, I have seen patients who have a depressive disorder or anxiety disorder concurrent. Rarely, I can justify using the diagnosis Acute Stress Disorder, and perhaps you would meet the criteria for this. Please have respect for those who do suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, because reading your post and comments here, honestly, it’s insulting, and it’s as as if you would choose to claim you had skin cancer when what you have is a 2nd degree burn. Trust me, ladies, I agree that you have suffered, but I would not wish PTSD upon anyone. BTW, Rebuilding is an excellent book/workbook! October 24, 2013 at 12:31 am Hello Rebecca. What is the difference between physical and emotional abuse? They both have the same effect and side effects. With PTSD we are talking about side effects. When an abused person re-lives an event they feel the pain all over again and it is no different than when someone who was emotionally abused re-lives their event. I’ve felt it and it’s real. Maybe some of these comments are left from people who were physically abused we can’t pick them out. Abuse is abuse no matter what the circumstances. When a war vet shakes because of a memory it’s PTSD and it is the same for anyone who has suffered a traumatic experience. Each traumatic event has it’s own set of circumstances you can’t judge based on the event because it is what is felt that counts. October 24, 2013 at 12:43 am Skin cancer to you may be felt as a burn to others. We all grieve and deal in our own ways. Rebecca says: October 24, 2013 at 1:24 am Again, please read the diagnostic criteria for PTSD. To meet criteria one MUST have the following….Exposure to actual death, threat of death, violent injury. Women in physically violent relationships do meet this criteria. And I could be wrong, but Kimberly was fortunate not to have experienced this. Abandonment, being lied to, cheated on, yes, even emotional abuse (sans death threats with a viable means) do not qualify one for the PTSD diagnosis. Death of one’s identity does not equal physical death. As far as the American Psychiatric Association defines it, a broken heart is not the same as a broken skull. I don’t make the rules, I am not invalidating the pain of your losses, I merely have a concern with what you label it. Your loss, no matter how hurtful, is not the same as the woman who I began working with after she spent 5 months in the hospital, first in ICU, and then eventually progressing to rehab ward to re-learn to talk, due to blows to her head by her husband. Many disorders have very similar symptoms, side effects as you said. But, the origin or biochemistry is different, thus different diagnoses. What if you came to see me for therapy and described your symptoms following the divorce, and told me about listening to your voice of intuition. I in turn, diagnose you with Schizophrenia. Internally stimulated. Are you schizophrenic? No! And if I did that, you could sue me, I could have my license suspended, I could be charged with insurance fraud, a felony, and you would not be able to obtain life insurance (and until Jan1st, not indiv health ins either). Diagnoses are not lightly given, ladies. We do all grieve in our own ways. That has nothing to do with the legalities of medical diagnosing. I think you may be missing my point…Yes, Skin Cancer may feel as a burn to others. Actually, a 2nd degree burn will hurt so much more than skin cancer. But a 2nd degree burn won’t kill you, Melanoma just might. Would you attend a cancer support group to talk about your burn? No, it would not be relatable to them. You could attend a burn support group. Have any of you ever attended a domestic violence support group? Find one in your area and go. Get to know the participants, hear their stories. Then re-read the DSM criteria and I think you might get what I am trying to say. October 24, 2013 at 5:52 am I understand where you are coming from, Rebecca. Being a doctor, you are obviously well educated. And as a doctor, when giving your prognosis, you are required to stick to a specific list of symptoms to give a proper diagnosis of your patient’s illness or injury. But, with the medical advances that are happening every day, you know – as well as many others in the medical field – that the symptoms, diagnoses, and treatment of known ailments change at a very rapid pace. What was at one time thought to be one condition, may be discovered to be two different conditions with similar symptoms. Or VICE-VERSA. It happens all the time. Take for instance the fairly recent “outbreak” of GLUTEN allergies. Has the physiology of those affected suddenly changed? No. Have their bodies just now, or in the past few years, lost the ability to properly process a basic protein that has been in our food for years? Again, No. The only other answer then is misdiagnosis. I’m sure you can see where I’m going with this. Yes, I understand that the American Psychiatric Association is very specific in the explanation of the criteria for PTSD. It is caused by: 1) The exposure to PHYSICAL trauma, such as physical abuse and/or near fatality. 2) The WITNESSING of physical violence and/or fatality. So, the APA will recognize emotional trauma as a symptom of PTSD, but ONLY if that trauma is specifically related to violence or death. Don’t you think that is simply the splitting of a hair? Couldn’t that also be considered a misdiagnosis? I know a few girls who had been abused both physically and emotionally by husbands or boyfriends. And each one of them has told me that the psychological attacks hurt far more than any punch in the face. Physical injuries can heal pretty quickly, but emotional scars last for a long, long time. Look at it another way. Say, hypothetically, that three patients are sitting in your waiting room, all with big gashes in their legs. One injured his leg while hopping a fence. One had an accident involving a power tool. And one slipped while using a kitchen knife. All three will be treated in basically the same way. All three have what would be referred to as lacerations. You won’t call the injuries by three different names, because they happened three different ways. A laceration is a laceration. So, in turn, emotional trauma is emotional trauma, no matter what horrible event may be the cause. The bottom line is that I’m trying to get you to see outside the box (or the medical text book). Just because someone may refuse to call an apple an apple, doesn’t mean it’s an orange. It’s still an apple. And just because one of the possible causes of a disorder has not been officially classified as such, does not necessarily mean that is not indeed a cause of that disorder. October 24, 2013 at 7:29 am Christopher – thank you for your post. I just saw this exchange this morning. As I read the posts by Rebecca I was about to post something similar to your post. I am a retired RN – I’ve seen so much change in the medical field just since I began working in 1968. The changes in attitudes towards so many diseases – including psychiatric diseases – never ceases to amaze me. I worked ICU for a number of years and experienced so very many new and exciting changes. I often came across physicians who didn’t want to or couldn’t change their thinking with the new “ideas”. If we look at it PTSD hasn’t been part of the lexicon for all that many years. My Father was in WWII and definitely suffered from PTSD but was never DX with this. I’m pleased that many in the medical field are more willing to look at possible causes for the bodies reaction to different stimuli, To anyone here who is upset by Rebecca’s comments regarding us not suffering from PTSD – that us referring to it as that somehow demeans those who are “truly” suffering from PTSD. Realize she is not living in your skin – not walking in your shoes. If it helps you to better deal with your emotions by naming it PTSD – you are hurting NO ONE doing so. Rebecca says: October 24, 2013 at 11:21 am Christopher, I am a psychologist, not a medical doctor, though I understand your example about the leg injuries. In my practice, I treat symptoms and also the underlying cause of the symptoms. Often I will use the same modalities for a client with physical abuse and one with emotional abuse. Often, though, I find that I must use quite different therapies and approaches for each. Emotional abuse affects one’s identity (sense of self) far more than physical abuse. I spend much time building self esteem, helping an abandoned, betrayed, emotionally abused person believe that they are resilient, and no one can hurt them without their permission. Because like it or not, this is true. what many abuse survivor specialists have found is that leading with the wound hinders healing. Women referring to one’s self as a victim or survivor of abuse do not recover as well as women who who do not use this title. Phyllis, you have not walked in my shoes either. Are any of you familiar with Louise Hay? She is a woman who has transcended the trauma and abuse of her past without ever referring to herself as wounded, a victim, having PTSD. And her past was horribly abusive. I found her as mine was similar, and seeing how she has overcome it and become the light she has inspired me to follow her path. She is full of light, full of internal power. I would encourage you all to soak up ever bit of writing this woman has ever done. I was fortunate enough to attend her “How to love yourself” week retreat years ago, truly a life altering experience that I today can draw from to assist my clients in transcending their part experiences without letting it define them. She also writes about body/mind connection, how our emotions and unreleased body memories can lead to illness and disease. Do look her up and check out her books and videos. You do not have to allow your past, or anyone in your life, to define you! Or, if none of this sounds in line with your investment in labeling yourself with a several psychiatric diagnosis, then please feel free to ignore my opinions. October 24, 2013 at 12:25 pm Rebecca – you are exactly right – I have not walked in your shoes – that was my point – none of us has walked in the other persons shoes and therefore should not judge the “other” I thought I was clear on this – though apparently you took it to mean I was attacking you. Instead – I was attempting to tell those who feel their reactions to what have happened to them are “wrong” should not feel that way. That many others feel as if it is PTSD. I’m glad you have found strength through another person – and I feel this is what Kimberly and others of us on this blog are attempting to do for ourselves and others – mainly so we don’t feel so ALONE. We hope to inspire others to find strength within themselves. I don’t think any of us are trying to stay in a state of victimhood – rather – we are trying only to heal in our own way. I truly do not understand why this so bothers you. None of us has walked in another persons shoes – we all must walk our own path in life – I ask that you please not put boulders in our way. We already have enough rocks we must walk over or around. If you cannot support us – please just move on. Unless your only goal is to cause us more distress. Lani says: October 24, 2013 at 1:46 pm Phyllis, I totally agree with you. I find (nothing personal, Rebecca – I do not mean you personally) that some psychologists find it hard to totally identify with people who “know” things but are unable to explain how they “know” them. We sufferers certainly do not feel automatically that we should give it the “correct” medical label because of previous research. If a person is so mired in heartbreak, guilt, anger and fear because of a divorce or break up, and each time their traumatic experiences and memories surface they are instantly back in that awful place – powerless, panicky and so afraid – it IS stress after the trauma they suffered – and they are entitled to liken it to PTSD. My sister is a psychologist – very well known and respected, and after what happened to me and how I felt my whole persona/life was disintegrating, I spent some time with her. All I wanted was my sister to help me make sense of it, not express an opinion or apportion blame, and all I got was a psychologist. She had a fantastic relationship with her husband, he was a rare human being, and when he died I found I could understand the sheer desolation she went through. She is one of these psychologists who operate on the basis that as fear, anger, heartbreak do not KILL you – you should sit with it until it goes, and it will. It did not help, and left me feeling that she just did not understand what I was going through. Upon reflection afterwards I realised that she meant well, and she had assumed the only way she could help was by putting her psychologist hat on. I told her how I felt and she got quite upset, and that did not help either. Almost two years after my trauma I find I still cannot tell her when I have one of my “wobbles”, because I am afraid that her reaction will “trigger”another downward spiral. That’s why fora like this are so important. It is like a breath of fresh air to know that none of us here approaches what is happening to us as if we suffer more than anybody else, and discussions like these lessen that terrible feeling of isolation that comes from being abandoned by the one person you thought you could trust. It is impossible to quantify how helpful it feels to know that there are other people going through the same thing – and they do not judge you, and you are not going crazy or losing touch with reality. October 24, 2013 at 2:15 pm Thanks Lani – I think the only thing this blog is meant to do is support one another. Kimberly does not profess to be a MD or a Psychologist – just someone who has and is dealing with a trauma. It is so nice to know we are not alone in our feelings – that we aren’t “going crazy”. I was lucky enough to have a counselor – my second one as my first one’s response was always – you are doing wonderfully at dealing with this – even as I sat sobbing on her couch. I could talk to her intellectually about how I knew what was going on with me but EMOTIONALLY I was a mess! Anyway – my second counselor told me that I needed to understand that while I would eventually get to a place where I was functioning more normally – I needed to understand that it would probably take 1 year for every 5 years of marriage before I would feel I was completely emotionally healed. That was the best thing I was ever told. Instead of trying to make me “get over it” – she helped me to understand that it was a process. That things would improve – but that there would be times I would again fall into the valley. The valleys would not be as deep or as wide – but that I needed to expect that it was now going to be a part of my life. Rebecca says: October 24, 2013 at 5:11 pm Phyllis, I replied to you that you have not walked in my shoes because often as a therapist I am told “you don’t know what it’s like.” I did not think you were attacking me. My point was, I am not writing from my ivory tower, telling others how to feel. I am as the old Hair Club for Men commercial went…. I’m not just a psychologist, I’m a person who was quite severely abused. I won the karmic reverse lottery, I got sexual, physical, and emotional. However, I decided long ago that these things were not about me at all, and I was put in this body to empower myself and others. I was shown this blog entry by 2 women in my DV group. It was shared with the group They felt sorry for the writers here who are investing in having a diagnosis, because as one said “If they want PTSD so bad, they can trade lives with me in a heartbeat!” The only thing that bothers me about the post and comments is that I can see how you are limiting yourselves with these labels. Our reality is what we believe it to be. However, please Kimberly, feel free to delete anything i have written if you choose. Have beautiful day! October 24, 2013 at 10:54 pm Hi Rebecca, no worries I am not one who deletes unless it is true spam! My soul purpose for my blog is to put information out there for who ever may be needing it and for any reason. I am grateful for your comments on this post because you have sited several valuable resources that can help my readers and anyone else that happens along the site. I will not argue that you are correct in the new criteria on the DSM 5, it is clearly stated that in order for one to be diagnosed with PTSD they must meet the specific criteria. I did a little research today and it looks like that change was very recent, possibly this year. I would like to site some references myself that I found, one is from the National Institute of Mental Health. Under the “Who is at risk?” section of the article it states “Anyone can get PTSD at any age. This includes war veterans and survivors of physical and sexual assault, abuse, accidents, disasters, and many other serious events. Not everyone with PTSD has been through a dangerous event.” What does this mean to me? Well I do not hold a license in counseling or in divorce but what stood out to me is, “abuse” it does not specify physical or emotional it’s just abuse; as well as the part that reads many other serious events, again not specific to physical abuse or the fear of death. I’m not an expert and I don’t argue that if a health professional needs to code PTSD, it must follow the criteria you mentioned. However, I do believe that someone can exhibit all the signs and symptoms of PTSD, no matter how traumatic their event. You mentioned the ladies in your group and how they were sad for me, and the other survivors that have posted on my site. You stated that one said “If they want PTSD so bad, they can trade lives with me in a heart beat.” I’m going to get very honest with you and tell you that my blog posts are just a snippet into my story, and I’m going to guess that those that have commented on my posts may not be sharing every detail of their experience either. In which case they would not need to trade lives with your group, because they are living their own version. I only know what is being shared. It is quite possible that one if not all of these people commenting did have a gun pointed to their head, or were beaten or sexually assaulted, and if that is true then they would be medically diagnosed with PTSD. I was surprised that you would leave your comment when you don’t know all the facts. If you could just reflect on the fact that people usually don’t share everything on an online forum, or they can’t. I for instance, leave out certain details in order to protect loved ones. Wagering a guess other’s have done the same. So, maybe the people on this blog and all the many other blogs in the world are the same as the people in your DV group, and should not be made to feel like they are any less than anybody else. When I originally wrote this post it was not to drown myself in my sorrows or tell the world that I am a victim of PTSD, it was the sole purpose of reaching out to even just one person who was feeling the same thing I was and to let them know that they are not alone, they are not going crazy, and that the symptoms they are experiencing may be true symptoms of PTSD. NIMH lists signs and symptoms of PTSD and I have experienced every single one because of what I went through. The level of my abuse may not even compare to what other’s have suffered but the point of my blog is not to say “Hey I have it worse than you”, it is to say “hey you are not alone”. I will brag and say that I have been able to help several people who have found my blog and in turn Several have helped me!! That means I have accomplished my goal, which was the reason for my blog. Rebecca, you have added to that with your resources and again I thank you. I also thank you for the work you are doing in helping survivors move on. Many Many Blessings to you, October 25, 2013 at 7:33 am Thank you for your gentle – loving and detailed explanation as to what your blog is meant to accomplish. For me – your blog saved my life! I was feeling so totally alone – in a terrible depressive state – not understanding what was going on with me – feeling like I was totally crazy. Reading your posts made me realize I was not alone. It came just at the right time. I feel God led me to your post – just as He has led me to other people and led other people to me at just the right time. Thank you again for what you do. October 25, 2013 at 8:23 am I will admit to being a voracious reader. After my separation – I purchased around 10 books to read that had to do with how to deal with separation and divorce. They all held some good tools for me – though some I began reading and put down until later – as I realized rather quickly – they were meant for when I was in a better place. I’ve tried in vain to find the book where a woman Holocaust survivor says that her separation and subsequent divorce from her husband of 20+ years was worse than her time in the concentration camp. I remember reading this because it helped me so much to feel that what I was feeling was not unlike what others had/were experiencing. I felt that if this woman who had endured such horrors as a concentration camp felt this event in her life was worse than her time in a concentration camp – then I wasn’t crazy to feel so terrible. I will continue to look for this so I can quote it – but it may take some time. It wasn’t in the book I thought it was in and I’m not sure which one it is in. Just felt I wanted to share this. October 25, 2013 at 9:04 am I found the quote I mentioned in my previous post. It comes from the book “Help and Hope for Hurting Wives When He Leaves” “Divorce, says Helen Richards, a World War II concentration-camp survivor, was worse than Dachau had ever been. “In the camp, I was young. It was not a personal thing. There was everybody else. I wanted to survive. But during my divorce, I wanted to die.” Richards, being interviewed by Dr. James Dobson, went on to say, “We had been married 24 years. I was afraid. I hurt. There was no place to go to hide. Nobody could understand what I felt.”” October 25, 2013 at 3:24 pm October 27, 2013 at 9:21 am The good that positive from what we may see as negative at the time. When I first saw Rebecca’s posts on this thread I was upset. I saw her posts as trying to negate my feelings. The feelings I had that I attributed to what I felt was PTSD. I don’t know whether or not I have PTSD according to some medical Dx. But I know how I feel when I get these terrible feelings that completely overwhelm me. Anyone who knows me will tell you I am the “strongest person they know”. I even posted something on here once about how upset that makes me when they tell me that. It’s usually when I’m in one of my “funks” or feeling completely overwhelmed. So – not the best time to be saying something like that to me. Rather – it is a time I just need to be held – to be understood – to feel bad. What I’ve realized over the last week – is that who I am today is due to what I have experienced. Not just what I’ve experienced over the last 2 ½ years – but what I’ve experienced over my entire lifetime. Each event in my life has shaped who I have become. And you know what? I’m proud of who I am! I’m proud of what I have accomplished! I’m proud of all I can do! Would I like to be able to do more? Sure! I think all of us would. Do I wish some of the things in my past had not occurred? You bet! But I am who I am today because of those very things that I may not be pleased occurred in my life. While I may at times not be able to see all the good/positive that has come out of the bad/negative. Upon reflection – with time – I can usually get to that point. I think it’s important for us all to remember that often – very positive things come out of very negative events. I think it’s also important for us to realize that while our journey is different than another persons journey. Ours is no more or less difficult than another persons journey. We all must learn to deal with what life throws at us. Some of us will be better able to deal than others – but that doesn’t make us stronger – nor does it make the other weaker. Just different! Blessings to all! November 19, 2013 at 8:19 am Over the last couple of weeks I have been dealing with what I term PTSD of Ending relationship. While for the most part – I am doing much better emotionally – November is always going to be a difficult month for me. My birthday is this month – but also the anniversary of “my” marriage. I’m working hard at saying my now whenever I refer to things in my life. I had always referred to the children as “our” children – not my children – and our whenever referring to anything to do with us as a couple. Changing this lexicon has been difficult for me – but I am getting better at it. This year – the anniversary of my marriage falls on Thanksgiving again. In a way I am lucky it does – as I will be hosting my Son-in-laws family for dinner on that day. This will bring laughter and joy into my home. Helping me to deal with the loss easier. The more difficult part of that is that I am reminded of other times when my anniversary fell on Thanksgiving. In particular – my 25th – when we went to Paris to celebrate. A place I had always wanted to go to but never thought I would make it to. I still wear the coat I bought specifically to go on that trip almost every day at this time of the year. I am beginning to think it is time to get rid of that coat – as it has begun to bring back too many memories. I do love the coat – so that makes it difficult – but am thinking that finding a replacement is in order. Sorry for going on about this – but needed to vent someplace and this is a safe space for me. November 19, 2013 at 10:31 pm Phyllis, there is no need to be sorry I’m so glad you brought this subject up and I totally understand. For me it is a black coach purse, that I use every winter and have for years. I’ve tried a few times to sell it but you know how that goes, it’s not worth its value once it leaves the store. Where it is worth its value is with me. This item was also an anniversary event for me so when I do use it, sometimes it brings up memories that I do not care to focus on right now. So we have some choices, put them away and wait for a time when we can handle the memories that come with using the item, if that time ever comes. Let them go completely and move forward with a new coat and bag. Or face our inner fear, live through that brief moment of memory remembering how good we felt and how happy we were and then wear that coat proudly knowing that you are creating new memories for something that was already dear to your heart. I hope that helps! November 20, 2013 at 9:11 am Thanks for you kind comments. Here is the scoop in the coat. I decided yesterday to go look for a coat to replace the one that is causing me pain. No luck finding one I liked – and I was indeed open to a new coat. However – I wanted one that was more for fall and spring – as I have others that are for winter. No luck finding anything that would work. Now comes the part of the day when God spoke and said – time to let it go. I returned home from shopping and received a call from my Daughter. She was at a second hand store and had found a jacket she thought I might like. Described it to me – and I thought – OK God – I get the message. I told her to go ahead and buy it. While the jacket wasn’t something I normally would have bought – and I needed to alter it a little to even be able to wear it – I took it as a sign that it was time to let the old coat go. After my Daughter left – I took the old coat – folded it – and put it in storage for donation. I told my Daughter when she was here that I had been looking for a new coat earlier that day as the coat I had been wearing was the one I bought to go to Paris for my 25th anniversary and it was causing me pain to wear it because it was bringing back memories. She said, I’ve never liked that coat anyway. I guess what I’m saying is – listen to the messages that come your way. Be open enough to let them tell you when it is time to “let go” and move on. I have done it and I must admit that I now feel somewhat freer than I did yesterday. The memories are still there as it is still November – a month I will always need to deal with – but there are some things that I don’t need to deal with. Things that I can change! I just need to find the courage to change those that I can. As I was writing this the Serenity Prayer came into my mind. A prayer I need to use more often. “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.” November 20, 2013 at 9:14 am Phyllis, THANK YOU!! I needed to be reminded of that prayer…God has perfect timing sometimes Jenn says: December 2, 2013 at 6:44 pm Thank you for posting this! I thought I was the only who felt you can feel this way because of a divorce.. I recently served my husband with a divorce summons in Nov.. I found out that he has been having an affair since October of last year he decided to leave me and our three daughters in July to be with this woman whom is now pregnant. The first month was the hardest I could not sleep eat or function I would wake up in tournament in the middle of the night at the time he was suppose to be coming home from work. I’m at 32 years old and have been with my husband since we were 13 years old we met in junior high school he has has been a part of my life a big part he was my first everything and I thought he would be my last. I still wake up each morning in shock and cannot believe how much he has shattered my life my marriage mention everything to me although we had many problems and he was emotionally abusive I held on and prayed for the healing of my marriage being the the good christian woman that I am but he wanted to live a completely different life style my husband is a nyc police officer and one he got the badge everything changed he started fishing around for other woman and started hanging out more and treated me as if I did not fit into his lifestyle . This whole ordeal has been so detrimental for me and my daughters I ask God when will the pain ever end and will it end? The pain you feel in your heart is so deep it reaches your soul my cry is even different I wish no one to experience pain like this although losing someone to death is tragic but I honestly feel I would have felt better if I’d lost my husband to death then having had lost him to another woman December 2, 2013 at 7:03 pm Dear Jenn, I’m so sorry for what you have had to go through and I’m glad that this site can offer a little help to you. It is hard at this point to imagine when the pain will go away or if it will and all I can offer you is that it will subside just a little each day as time goes on. There will be moments where it will kind of flare up and I’m going to assume that we will always have those moments. Divorce in itself is a death, but dealing with the other woman part is a chore of it’s own. I can relate to everything you are feeling and please know that you can reach out to me at any time. December 2, 2013 at 7:12 pm I too can empathize with your feelings. As Kimberly said – the pain does subside. The other woman part does make it more difficult – as it takes away the complete trust you had in another human being. I have also felt as if I was worthless due to him becoming involved with another woman. I did have low self esteem which did make it worse – but I can tell you that now that it has been almost 3 years since he first told me he wanted out of our 39+ year marriage – I feel I am on my way to healing. Luckily my children were grown so I did not have to deal with what you will need to deal with. I wish you the best – know that Kimberly is very understanding and can often offer you just the right words. Know that I too am here and CARE! Jenn says: December 2, 2013 at 7:51 pm Thank you Kimberly and Phyllis for your kind words. It has been a very difficult time for my children they have so many question my oldest just turned 13 last week and middle child turned 9 today and I have a 3 year old I never mentioned the affair to them but they found out in such a terrible way my husband apparently was bringing our 3 year baby around the other woman and she one day started talking about her and described what went on the day she met her. My oldest has mixed emotions some days she very angry and other days she is very sad and doesn’t want to know of her father .. My middle child is taking it very hard she texts him almost everyday asking him to come back home and she tells him how sad she is .. I try not to show my children how this is affecting me because I want them to be happy but they cannot help but to also feel abandoned by him .. This has turned ugly I went to seek child support something I didn’t not want to do but if this other woman is truly pregnant I feel I have to protect myself and my children I learned of her pregnancy because I just couldn’t understand why my husband would leave so abruptly and for 2 weeks straight after he left I just kept feeling this gut retching pain in my stomach that she was pregnant and I feel The Lord was talking to me and telling me she was pregnant. I went to sleep one night and God showed me the little features I know of this woman in a dream ( I know nothing of this woman or who she is I saw a glimpse of her in a picture in his cell one day as he slept he woke up and caught me so I had to throw his phone all I know is that he told me he met her the day after hurricane sandy last year October) so in my dream I saw this woman pregnant I asked my husband if it was true and he said yes. more pain was added to me once I heard him say yes I’ve lost a little over 25 pounds since he left me and my daughters in July .. Monday July 29 to be exact I can not Ever forget the day I remember every detail of it as if it was yesterday it replays in my mind everyday. My self esteem has been shattered I can’t believe the man whom I have loved so for long and given my all to could betray me in such a way I don’t even know who he is! How could the man I loved with all my heart my entire life do such a thing to his family. This week has been a little better for me I push myself to wake up each morning I recite psalms I read Declaration for my life from a book by Joel Osteen and my purpose for now is to tend to my children although many people tell me I’m still young and God has another man waiting for me in his time I just want to be healed I don’t think I can ever trust another man and that the last thing on my mind right now .. my husband has been in May life for 19 years I cant imagine being with another man and the thought of him not being around any more scares me I fear what the future has for me and anxiety kicks in will I be ok how will I mange alone with three girls I’ve never been this afraid in my entire life time December 2, 2013 at 8:54 pm Jen, again I’m so sorry for what your dealing with it’s not easy when the kids start to find things out. I feel it very important that you let them find things out on their own time and as events happen. Try not to give them the information your self. And if possible seek counseling for all of you. December 2, 2013 at 8:46 pm Jenn, If you are not seeing a counselor I urge you to find one now! I have been where you are – but did not have the added worry of young children. I went to a counselor within days. It turned out she and I were not a good fit. After 4 sessions with her – I realized it and stopped seeing her. I had wonderful friends – minister and Dr who got me through some very difficult times. After about 3 months – I found a new counselor through my Dr who knew me very well. She and I were a good fit. She helped me through some very difficult times. I ended up with serious physical problems because of all the stress – was hospitalized – had surgery. Again – I urge you to find a counselor! Friends are wonderful but it is best to find someone who can be completely objective. December 12, 2013 at 12:43 pm Thank you so much for posting this. I have been divorced for a year and a half. We were married 18 years and have two children. He left in the middle of the night on November 15th 2011 and moved in with his parents. We have had very little contact since. He has since remarried to a women he met less than a year ago. I didn’t understand my physical reaction until just recently. My doctor had prescribed ativan for anxiety and I thank God I have it to get me over the moments of terror. My life has changed completely in the past two years. I had to declare bankrucptcy on his debt, sell my house, change careers, and move into an apartment. My upbringing was a very ruff one. I figured that some of my life experiences would steel me for what happened but instead they made it all the more possible for me to have an anxiety ridden reaction to his leaving and our divorce. Reading your blog and researching the subject of PTSD and divorce these past two days has really helped to make me see that I am not crazy. I have had EMDR therapy about 10 years ago for child hood trauma but I am looking to go back after this experience. I can’t imagine being on Ativan my entire life. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for putting a voice to those of us that are utterly silenced from the trauma of a divorce. I have buried many family and friends to tragedies and life circumstances and nothing has come close to the pain that my divorce has caused me. December 12, 2013 at 11:39 pm Dear Samantha, You are Very welcome! My purpose for this blog and especially this post is so that we all know we are not alone in this. Divorce, especially messy ones, can be worse than an actual death as you pointed out in your comment. Hang in there and know that I am with you and here for you. January 7, 2014 at 12:13 am My therapist classified my experience as traumatic. And traumatic it has been. Recurring nightmares and triggers when he calls or texts. I can not even bring myself to see him and have cut off most communication with him. Advice from my therapist to minimise my reliving the experience as if it was the day it happened. So I would definitely have to say if our reactions are the same as a person who has experienced physical abuse or been in a war etc…..then I think it can be labeled as PTSD. I don’t want to be referred to or do I want to continue feeling like this. I don’t want to live the “victim mentality” But we are victims. Victims of someone elses selfish acts. I have learned through my experience though…….and I finally have a short way to explain it……. If you resist, it will persist! Very true in my experience. The more I try to stuff or redirect my gut feelings. It comes back stronger when it breaks through or a trigger happens. When I talk about it, write about it, scream about it, cry about it. I usually can handle the next text with less devastation. I am slowly finding some footing. Each day is different. Somedays I think I have it licked. And then…..the next day may have me so depressed I can hardly get up off the couch to use the bathroom. Grieving is not linear. And we are grieving. It is a death of a marriage. And so like some have already done here I will recommend a book that has helped me too. So much to say on this topic. So happy we can all come together and support each other through these difficult times. January 9, 2014 at 8:14 am Your comment really touched my heart. I thank you for being so open as to share your story on this very important topic. I admire your courage to continue on your path of healing in facing each one of these events that cause you distress. It is not an easy path we are walking as divorce survivors, but you are doing it and you will come out a stronger version of yourself. Keep up the good work! Keep working through those events when then pop up. I understand how hard each one of those events are. It’s been three years for me since the divorce and still, there are days when I too have events like those. The good news is when they happen it is a bit easier for me to get past them, after as you suggested, I let it all out. I had anticipated that by this point in my journey I would be done with the tears……I was wrong but it IS ok, because each time I let one go I am closer to moving on. And thank you for the book suggestion, I am ordering it today, it looks like a great tool in healing! Take Care, Blessings to you January 15, 2014 at 6:13 pm Check out another helpful post on this very important and sensitive subject. Robert says: January 17, 2014 at 6:29 am I thought I had everything, financial security a great job as an Engineer, friends, owned my own home, a wife that loved me so I thought for most of my life – I was 48 and all set for retirement. Then my wife told me on our 20th wedding anniversary she was leaving and it was all over. I just went into shock which was magnified when I realised that I was also about to lose my home that i’d built, my career job had also just ended because I’d been bullied at work and couldn’t cope – my ex took my boss’s side and then I realised that because of my age my chances of being attractive to anyone with no home or job were zero. Plus we never had kids so I didn’t have any family to fall back on and help me through it. I started having panic attacks which I thought were heart attacks. My doctor gave me meds but I started a new job and was having them on the way to work, the meds made me sleepy and that just upset my new boss so I got the sack from that, which just made things worse. I then withdrew at home, my ex and I still shared the same house as it was on the market to be sold, I was relegated to the spare room where I developed social anxiety issues and chronic fatigue set it. It got worse until I struggled to get out of bed in the morning. The insomnia was so bad it was painful and my whole body was in pain. I was a half marathon runner yet I couldn’t walk out into the back yard. I felt so incredibly alone and had nobody to help me though it just my ex in the house reminding me of what I’d lost and she said I was being lazy and should get out of bed. I made a conscious effort to walk one step further every day, and over one year I got to the point where I could run 10km a day. That was 2 years ago yet I still can’t work because my stress threshold is so low I can’t cope with normal stresses of life and work. Nobody wants to date a 51 year old guy with PTSD even if they are super fit. I have my house money from the divorce and no job, friends or family. I’m sitting in a hotel as I write this, I just move from city to city searching for stability and companionship which is like an elusive dream. I still have nightmares nearly every night. Sleeping on my own for the first time in 30 years was and is still a big issue and I can’t sleep without anyone next to me. I rent an Escort occasionally for an over night just so I can sleep properly. It’s the easiest $2000 she ever earns because I’m dead to the world for the whole time plus it gives me the intimacy that I desperately crave and have no hope in getting. I wish I had kids as they’d be a wonderful source of comfort and companionship right now. I just wish I’d wake up from this nightmare and be back at home in my old life giving my wife her nightly foot massage, instead I have to pay an Escort hundreds of dollars to rub her feet so I can imagine for a few blissful moments that I’m back at home with my love. I guess this is PTSD – either that or I’m crazy! January 17, 2014 at 9:03 am Dear Robert, please know that you are NOT crazy and I understand exactly what you are feeling and going through. A lot of us that have posted on this topic have also felt like we were going crazy, which is what prompted me to write this very important post. I was married just shy of 20 years and it’s been three years since the divorce. I was forced to live in the home with my ex during the divorce and I know how hard that was for you. Not knowing you or your story I will suggest that you seek out a support group, for divorce or any groups that deal with loss. They can help you put your feelings in some sort of a prospective so that you can begin to live in the now and try and get out of the habit of living in the past. That is not an easy thing to do and I often find myself living in my past as well. Please know that this blog is here for you to talk with others that have gone through and are going through the same thing you are. You are NOT alone!! January 18, 2014 at 5:45 pm Well, I am not quite sure how I deserve this, but my recently married exhusband and his new wife are off on a vendor trip with my brother and his wife to Costa Rica. Courtesy of a company my grandfather started and I gave money to my brother to get out of the hole. The same company that used my credit to rack up a credit card bill that I had to declare bankruptcy on. The saying “life isn’t fair” doesn’t begin to describe the horror I have been through the last two years. I just needed to vent. May God grant me peace. January 19, 2014 at 11:06 am Dear Samantha, you may certainly vent your little heart out but only if it makes you feel better. Sometimes when I get on a “venting trip” I find that it only adds to my pain and can even add some bitterness to my feelings. You have asked God for peace and I believe you want it. The way to finding peace is in acceptance. Now I know your situation is not one that can be easily accepted and I truly understand how hard that is. There are still many things that I have not yet been able to accept and hope to someday find peace in them. In order to not become bitter and enraged we must strive toward the peace in the situation. It may take some time but one day you may understand why this current situation is happening. It may have nothing at all do to with your ex or his new wife, it may just be something that your brother needs in order to kick start something that is planned for him. Also it is not easy to see our ex’s continue on relationships with those that were close to us, but on the same hand I felt extremely guilty when the relationship between my ex and my sister ended all because my marriage ended. Not only did I lose my best friend but she did as well. Vent when you feel you need to but try to turn that venting into your search for peace. Focus on those feelings when they happen and find something that can turn them around for you. Know that you can reach out anytime here, I have a great listening ear and will respond the best I can. Blessings of peace for you! January 19, 2014 at 3:18 pm I believe you have hit on something very interesting here. I was thinking of something like this – this very morning in the shower. I began to think about how negative my thoughts have become since my ex told me of his infidelity and wanting a divorce. Prior to this occurring I was a very positive person. While I would often prepare for the “worst case scenario” before leaving on a vacation. I did this so I would not become negative and not know what to do if the worst thing happened. This preparation helped me a few times when something unexpected and negative happened. I’ve realized that I never prepared myself for this “worst case scenario”. Perhaps that is why I have reacted so negatively. I am now determined to focus on the positives in my life – not the negatives – and there are indeed positives that have occurred due to the ending of my 40+ year marriage. I know there will again be down times – in fact – I’m just now coming out of one – but I am determined to become the positive person I used to be and let go of the negative. With the help of God I expect this to take place. Blessings to you – Samantha – Robert and all others dealing with this loss in their lives. Robert says: January 20, 2014 at 8:09 am Thank you so much for your support and advice Kimberly, it’s very much appreciated! Samantha I am very sorry to hear your story and I totally agree that life isn’t fair, I do understand this so I can also feel your pain! Phyllis, I was just the same as you, I prepared for the worst case scenario in every event, I am a great planner and I thought I had all my bases covered until my wife put divorce on me after 20 years. I had no plan for losing everything – partner, house, job, friends then having to try and start again at 51 with nothing… nobody want’s to employ me at my age and dating – I’ve been out of that since I was 25 and I have no idea at all! I sit in a romantic restaurant on my own as I type this surrounded by couples and wondering what I did to lose mine and deserve being alone? How do I even get another relationship? I’ve tried dating and it all seems so superficial and women my age see very suspicious of guys that don’t have kids. I’m used to having a very deep connection with someone – not talking about the weather. Also, I have a very high libido but my ex was asexual. How do I find out whether a prospective partner is also compatible in this way? I don’t really want to rush that side of a relationship, but I also don’t want to find that after a year of dating that she says like my ex oh I don’t really like intimacy – particularly sex? I don’t even know how to recognise someone in my age group? as I’d never considered having to understand this since I was 25. What if I ask someone out and she thinks she’s too young? It all seems so confusing. My ex looked a lot younger than her age – we both did, this has made it difficult. It’s like being in a nightmare and I keep hoping that I’ll wake up from it. January 20, 2014 at 10:44 am Dear Robert, I have found that what you are asking about, for me is one of the most difficult parts of being “divorced”. I married my high school sweetheart at the age of 19. The last time I dated was when I was 17 years old so it is like learning a new language, at the same time being deaf to it’s sounds and blind to it’s letters. I also have an issue with the fact that I never had a friendship with anyone of the opposite sex outside of my husband. This has been hard for me to know how to differentiate a friendship with a male versus a romantic relationship. It is human nature to want to be loved, touched, and bonded with someone. As divorce survivors I think we “crave” it. Our lives changed in the blink of an eye and we went from being loved and loving another to being totally alone. Like Phyllis, I can only offer what has worked or seems to be working for me. Just this past December I took myself away, on a weekend retreat, and my focus was accepting loneliness. I wined and dined myself, in a romantic setting just as you stated you were doing as you wrote your comment. Throughout the weekend I wrote affirmations on post it notes and placed them on mirrors to remind myself that I am loved as long as I am able to love myself. By the end of the weekend I felt so much better being comfortable with just being in a relationship with “me”. I’ve hit a couple of speed bumps since then so I know it is not going to be something that will be easy to get used to, but I have to try so that I am not miserable being with “me”. As far as the dating scene goes, I won’t lie, It SUCKS! Again, being that we are craving companionship and relationships we most likely have no idea what we are looking for in the person we want to have a relationship with. When I attended a divorce support group they recommended no dating until 5 years had passed. At first I thought they were crazy. Well it’s been three years for me and I totally understand the 5 year waiting period. We are still trying to find ourselves as Phyllis pointed out, and until we do we cannot fully give ourselves to someone else. At this point, I’m trying not to take dating so seriously. If someone comes into my life that I want to date, hang out with then I’ll go with it, but searching for the second love of my life is not as much a priority for me right now, as is searching for love for myself. I hope this helps. If you like you can check out my post By Myself…For Myself which is from my retreat. January 20, 2014 at 8:46 am I don’t know the answer to all your questions but I can tell you what has helped me. I ceased looking for a replacement for my ex! At this point – now almost 3 years into the separation and 2 years after the divorce – I have become involved in a number of groups where I am working on ME! I went to a site online called Meet ups. Luckily I now live in a metropolitan area so there are many different meet ups that I can choose from – over 400. Some are good fits others are not. The majority of the ones I attend are strictly for women. I do belong to one that is for Divorced and Separated people but I am thinking of ceasing attending those meet ups. It seems many are attending just to find a replacement for their ex. I joined for support from those who had dealt with divorce and don’t seem to be finding it there. While I am more than 10 years older than you – I’m not dead and I hope to someday find another person with whom I can again be intimate. But for now – I just want to find myself. I married at 22 – had a family by 24 and now I need to find out who “I” am without anyone else. Best of luck to you! January 20, 2014 at 12:53 pm Today, is a divorce day. Sometimes the betrayal is so intense, it crushes my heart. You know when you are pregnant and in labor, they say you will never have to do the last contraction you had again and that each one moves you closer to birth? I count each day that passes, hoping this will be the last time I will feel like I am dying. I have had to attend the funerals of many people and nothing compares to this emptiness The void is so deep and all encompassing that it feels like I can’t breath from the weight of it. It has been 2 years since he left and two years in July for the divorce I saw a picture of his new wife on my daughters facebook page yesterday and it completely deflated me. Once again, I am back in a place that is so dark, and lonely that it feels as if the air has been sucked out of the room. I would give anything to know when this pain was going to end. I have mastered the art of crying silently so my daughter can’t hear. I am so broken and so destroyed that I can barely more. I know there is an ending to this pain, but for the life of me, I just can’t see it from here. Please God, have mercy on me, and tell me that there will be peace soon. This road is so hard and my mind can’t see an ending. January 20, 2014 at 1:56 pm Dear Samantha, please know you are not alone in your grieving and that even though you cannot see it yet, YES there is a light and one day you will notice that it is getting easier. Find someone close you can talk to everyday to help you move through your grief and continue to use this space as a place doe comfort. I’m here and listening. Anonymous says: March 11, 2014 at 8:15 pm I’m going through it right now. First my business failed, and my wife grew weary of being the primary breadwinner, and our bickering all the time. (She has her own issues, can you say “emotional immaturity?” Her answer was to get on the internet and start having countless encounters as some sort of revenge tactic from her anger. No exaggeration.) Anyway, then I found myself financially cut off and struggling to find work as I reside in a rural part of southwestern Virginia, hard hit by the economic slowdown. It was only my love for my infant son that kept me going. I had no choice. Thankfully it looks like a light is finally at the end of the tunnel. I have a real shot at a secure job, at least as secure as jobs are today… tomorrows the interview. I don’t think I’ll ever allow myself to be in such a vunerable position ever again. I don’t know if I’ll ever marry again, but I have something I haven’t had in at least the last 8 months that I’ve been going though all this, trying to coexist with the crazy woman who once upon a time was my loving wife: Hope. For the first time in a long time… the sense of overwhelming fear, partially brought on by being in a location I didn’t grow up in, with few friends and no family to help me, has lessened. March 11, 2014 at 9:57 pm Dear Someone, I wish you the best of luck at your interview tomorrow. I also know what it is like to have to coexist with your “lost” love. I spent a year and a half in the same home while our divorce was going on. Hope was something that was very hard for me to find and it’s taken me almost three years to see a glimmer of it. It’s got to be hard being away from your friends and family, I encourage you to seek out people who can be your sounding boards, because there will be days that you will need, someone to listen. You are more than welcome to reach out on this blog, it’s the sole reason I have it out there. I will be here any day any time you need an ear. Many Blessings to you and Good Luck Tomorrow! Pingback: Dating After Divorce…….I know its been a while! \| Out of the Chrysalis August 2, 2015 at 2:12 pm I have been with my partner for 5 years, from the moment I met her I knew ( or I thought) I wanted to marry her and spend the rest of my life with her, I fell desperately in love.. I was 17 when we met.. I thought we’d be together forever.. A year after we met she fell pregnant and although I was so happy I knew everything would change between us.. And it did. I watched the girl I loved change into a different person ( and ofcourse I understand that having a child changes people, but that is not what I mean) I mean her whole personality changed.. We were argueing. Some arguments stayed in my head even when we was happy.. I felt awful.. Like I had failed.. Like I did not deserve a happy ending and I felt powerless.. My bond with my son Was the only thing that bought me joy..i proposed to her when she fell pregnant but through all the stress and fall outs nothing happened.. And it fell apart.. I was working one day and even though we were happy the memories of how good things used to be instantly angered me, I felt my heart beating out my chest like I could physically feel my heart breaking I changed from feeling depressed to feeling hostile.. I lost that job because I did not care about anything else but the pain that was penetrative my mind. I had to move out to save myself mentally..i genuinely felt like the girl I fell in love with had died… All I cared about is.my son, and our future I was in my flat that I fortunately recently moved into.. I was deciding what photo to put in a frame..one of me and my son ( which I see every day without fail) or one of me and her when we first was together.. As I was going through old photos of me and her I began to cry hysterically.. I was a mess.. Ever put your head in a pillow and cried?? I was hysterically crying.. Like the pain I had felt for the past couple years was concentrated.. The pain was new and raw.. I realised that the pain was not just break up pain… The memories are destroying me and now I feel that it must be ptsd.. August 2, 2015 at 7:31 pm Hi Daniel, I want to thank you so much for sharing your story. I know where you are coming from I married the boy not the man. I’m not an expert, I’m not a counselor but I am a survivor. All I can offer you at this point is to go through each emotion when you look at those photos. It’s not easy but it is healing because you will be getting yourself through it. We need to learn how to teach ourselves how to move forward, find something that makes you happy and when you are having one of those moments focus on it and don’t let it go. For me that image is of course the butterfly…she is strong, she is courageous, she is beautiful! Find your something to get you through those moments. Pingback: A look back at the PTSD post. \| Out of the Chrysalis M says: December 20, 2015 at 9:20 pm Thank you for this. It’s been ten years for me. I have a wonderful new husband, good job, and still suffer from nightmares, panic, attacks, and anxiety. My ex’s infidelity, the divorce, and his subsequent emotional and verbal abuse have left lasting scars. Knowing others suffer too, but we fight to keep going, helps. December 20, 2015 at 10:12 pm Dear M your comment is very much appreciated. I am sorry to hear that after so many years you still have residual moments. But I certainly can relate. My purpose with this blog post is to inform, encourage, and let others know they are not alone. Thank you for helping me do that by sharing your story. Summer says: December 30, 2015 at 4:54 am Thank you so much for writing this article/post. My divorce was finalized 2 years ago this month. I was married to my ex for 3.5 years, we were together a total of 5.5 years. And I am still in the deepest, darkest depression. I am 33, and although people keep telling me I am young and I will find someone else soon, I am sick of hearing it. But, this grieving….I just thought I would’ve been able to move past it by now. It just feels like such a terrible loss. And I can’t imagine how you, and some of the others who have posted on here, those who have been married for so long, 15-20+ years! And have children….how emotional that must be. Because you have to keep it together for yourself AND your kids. Omg, I have been crying the past hour reading everyone’s stories. Divorce is truly devastating. This is going to sound strange: although I am sad after reading all these stories, a part of me is relieved that I am not the only one who feels the PTSD aspect of the emotional recovery from divorce. I am triggered by anything that reminds me of my ex. Songs, restaurants we would frequent, movies we liked, tv shows, stores, buildings, smells, literally anything. After we separated, it took me a few months into the divorce process before I realized I needed a new wardrobe because anything I wore reminded me of him. I tried dating and hanging out with friends, and it doesn’t help me. I’m just too sad. I do not have one unattached friend. Everyone is married or partnered up. I only feel safe at my apt, alone. I also feel broken because my ex repeatedly was not faithful and continued to lie and cheat and was emotionally and verbally abusive. He was crazy making and passive aggressive and narcissistic. Anyways, sorry for the long comment. I just want to be optimistic again about love and marriage. I feel like I was completely misled. I truly thought I had the real deal, and in the end, it was all lies. He was a completely different person. And nowadays, dating is super difficult with so many dating apps and people shopping online for cuter people. When I am out with friends, at a restaurant, wine bar, tavern, wherever, everyone is on their phone! People don’t approach other people and have a conversation anymore. It bums me out. I fear I’m going to be alone forever. All I can do is hope and pray. December 30, 2015 at 8:03 am Hi Summer, thank you so much for sharing your story, and there is no need to apologize for the length of the post. You and everyone else are the reason I started this blog. So that we have each other to lean on. People who know what we have and are going through. I applaud you for taking the time to reach out and share a little bit of you with us. I agree with you that the dating scene is scary, and unfortunately in today’s world it seems that the only way to go is online. I just can’t bring myself to go sit at a bar and wait to find “the one”. By looking online at least I feel I am being somewhat proactive in my search. However, lately I’m thinking that I will take a break from searching and let him find me. You and I both know that God has a plan for us, he already knows who we are going to meet and when we just have to learn to trust that, as hard as it is. I’m no expert, but I think maybe you would benefit from a divorce support group. But find one for individuals who have already completed divorce, not a group for those going through it, trust me they are very different! It may help just to share your experience and listen to others who are feeling the same as you are. It can be very cleansing. Also look for women’s retreats they can be very spiritual and will help you to get reconnected with your spirit after such a devastating loss. I will be attending one next month and I can’t wait! If you need help finding groups in your area, I would be happy to help. December 30, 2015 at 8:04 am I have so much empathy for you and what you are going through, but I pray you look for a counselor to help you to deal with your terrible sadness. Please learn that you do NOT need another man in your life. In fact, I think it would be bad for you to get into another relationship until you are comfortable being on your own. I have found so much strength and comfort just finding and being the real me. For most of my life I was trying to be what I thought others wanted me to be. I spent 40 years in a marriage doing everything I could to make my spouse happy, only to have him throw me aside. I moved almost 400 miles from where I had lived with him for over 23 years. While it was difficult, because I left my friends, it was probably the best thing I did. I no longer have to deal with the daily reminders of our life together. I still visit my friends regularly and it is getting easier, but I realize how good for me it was to move and not face the daily reminders. A group I found here is Meetup. There are many different groups you can get involved with through this group. I have made some great friends through it. http://www.meetup.com I hope there are a number of groups close to you. Again, seek some help to get through this difficult time. Perhaps you will need a low dose mood elevator, anti depressant or SSRI. There is nothing wrong with needing a little help. December 30, 2015 at 8:44 pm Wanted to share this song with you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSATOECyIYw After my divorce I wrote and had a Divorce ceremony. This was the song I entered the sanctuary to along with my minister. I had photos that I found on my own that were different but this song has always helped me when I have found life difficult. February 26, 2016 at 11:46 am Ran across the following article today and thought I would share. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/what-to-know-about-ptsd_us_56cddb03e4b0928f5a6deb07? I realized recently how lucky I am that the biggest trauma I experienced was at our place in AR. A place I only had to visit once after the trauma. I still recall that one visit to retrieve the final items. As I got closer and closer to the house I began to hyperventilate, then began crying uncontrollably. I had expected to spend a few hours there, but instead, grabbed items, loaded them in my car and left in approximately an hour. After I got home to MN I realized I had left a few things there. Should have made a list of things I wanted. Did ask my real estate agent to send me one of the items I had forgotten but let go of the other items. I am so very thankful I am in a new place and no longer must daily face reminders of my time with my ex. I occasionally visit my friends but try to stay away from places that I know will bring back memories. Recently visited one of my friends. They decided to go out to dinner one night. They gave me a few options. I chose one because I knew we would not run into my ex and his woman. He didn’t like their food. I have such empathy for those who must daily face the memories. I still have some things that remind me but it is so much easier not being daily faced with those memories. February 26, 2016 at 2:14 pm May 22, 2016 at 11:25 pm PTSD, post traumatic stress disorder do I have it, oh yes. Sadly, for me I can’t tell which came first the chicken or the egg, it all scrambled to me. You see I was in the military and suffer from survivor’s guilt, I suffered a TBI from several concussions and on top of that my ex and his family were verbally, emotionally abusive to me and mine. He had committed adultery in the past and I had concerns that it was taking place again because he was accusing me of everything under the sun and he became more physically abusive in the last few years, till I finally was so scared I told my counselor and was told to file a restraining order. My ex was still in the military and threatened to divorce me if I didn’t drop it because it would end his career and negatively effect our family, I did. Bad move he continued with his separation and divorce….and the domestic violence and adultery were never brought up in court, my children and I are still fearful of him. He may not physically harm me anymore, but anytime we do talk he goes out of his way to throw blame my way,or rub my nose in it, so I do my best not to talk to him and ask him to email or text. But he doesn’t want to do that, after all he says that I’m trying to control him, so he talks to our kids about things he should discuss with me like visitation, child support, the sale of our old house and his girlfriend. He puts our children in the middle and gets angry at them because they don’t feel comfortable talking to him because he snaps at them or speaks down to them, and he badgers them or talks bad about family members. My kids where witnesses to his abuse to me and also suffered verbal and emotional abuse as well, we still feel like we are under his thumb and that he got away with murder. We feel we’ve lost a lot, I moved us out of the old house because he raised the rent I needed to pay and wouldn’t and still hasn’t repaired the roof leaks properly, the rotted floors caused by water damage, the AC or the mold or the moldy smells throughout the house that make me feel like I am about to be sick, not to mention not heat… only keroceen heaters for asthmatic kids, and that’s a small list for the house. We also lost friends and family, as he tried to turn others against me by telling everyone I was mental, a poor wife and mother and that my family would be better off without me. He told me this so often, that even I was starting to believe him, for years he threatened to divorce me and take our children. I was constantly living in fear, it has effected my health and my self worth/esteem and my children have been greatly effected too. Yet, he is honored, patted on the back for getting rid of me, the welcome him and his mistress/girlfriend with open arms…while my kids and I seem insignificant. I stood by my man for 26 years, through thick and thin, through wars and long separations due to his job in the military. My children grew up with absent father, I was not perfect, but I did my best to hold down the fort, to raise my children alone, not family, few friends, no military support close by, pretty much isolated, not allowed to go to school or work as it work ‘take away from the children and time from him’. So, now I’m cast off like a piece of trash, dishonored, disrespected, unloved, my children and I abandoned, no reconciliation as he already had a replacement lined up for he drew up the separation papers. Funny, he can’t understand why the kids and I are still suffering the effects of this. Because my children don’t feel comfortable around him or speaking to him because “He and his moods are unpredictable,” he is trying to accuse me of alienation. I am so tired, hurt, and angry as I have to go to court again and I’m afraid once again, that justice will be blind. So, flashbacks yes, he throwing me across the yard, picking me up by my throat so my feet are off the ground and holding me against the door and squeezing my throat to where I can’t breath and feels like I am about to black out, him pushing my backwards with his chest taunting me to ‘hit him’ so he can hit me back in ‘self defense’, his constant threats of divorce for any reason and of taking my children from me, telling me I would never see them again and that they were better off without me, or what about having to stand in the way to protect my kids from his rage, to pull him off my older ones, to hear him say the are dead to him, to look in his eyes and see only hatred as one of his final acts before he abandons us is to chock me to the point I truly believe I am going to die and the last thing I saw out the window before I started blacking out was my child crying inconsolably and I begged God to take care of all my children and then all of a sudden he stopped and I don’t know how but somehow I was able to get away. The sad thing is my youngest was hiding near where my husband was choking me and saw everything, it was so traumatic that this child has a mental block about the scene it acted it out on other children afterwards. Yes, we have gone to counseling, yes it helps at times and other times it doesn’t because the ex denies the abuses and acts like he is the only victim. So, we have to be careful not to incite him, as we have no recourse because there is no protection against verbal or emotional abuse, it must be physical abuse before they will act and not to mention its us against him, our word against his, which looks like alienation, which would sway the judge his way for custody and visitation possibly giving him more time with the kids which would be more harmful. Please pray for us for protection, for good and affordable legal council and a Godly Judge, as I want to do right by my children and stand up for myself without being hateful or ugly to their dad, and that maybe their dad can see the truth that his kids do fear him with good reason and that for their sake he would want to change and be a better dad, but until then, that there can be a safety net to protect all of us while we heal from the abuse, the abandonment, and the unwanted, unbiblical, high conflict divorce and its aftermath. I also pray for healing for all of us who suffer from PTSD, that we can break free from the triggers that cause us to relive those awful, traumatic moments that are burned into our memories. May we take care of us….Jules May 24, 2016 at 7:09 pm Jules, I’m sorry it took me so long to respond to your post. I read through it a couple of times and didn’t want to rush into a response. Let me start by saying that I have placed you and your family at the top of my prayer list. I know some of what you are going through and I know how hard it is to try to maintain a level of decency or “niceties” towards the man that has caused you so much hurt. I can tell that you understand the importance of trying to keep a relationship between your children and their dad and you are doing a great job by keeping the ugliness at bay. Continue to move in the right direction, which includes knowing what it is you need in order to heal. You have made great strides just by recognizing the need for counseling for you and your children. You seem like a strong woman but sometimes it takes more than strength to get us through some of what we have to endure. The power of God and prayer is remarkable and I will continue to keep you in mine. Blessings on your journey. Kimberly Chris says: June 5, 2017 at 2:09 am I am a male and father of 3 who just recently became divorced . The last year has been by far the most difficult of my life . My trouble started with severe anxiety , something I had never experienced before, and continued into depression , which I also had no experience with . I initially declined any counseling and was placed on a few medications but eventually agreed to counseling. I initially declined any counseling and was placed on a few medications but eventually agreed to counseling. Not sure either is working too well but I think the combination is helping a little bit . I believe most of my issues are related to my 3 I believe most of my issues are related to my children Whom I was initially not able to see very much. anyway hanging in there and trying to get by day to day. Hope your life’s going well these days!!! June 5, 2017 at 9:00 am Hi Chris, you may not realize it, but your comment is quite a step in your healing. Being able to recognize the symptoms in my eyes means that you are open to processing them and then moving past them. You know the root of the cause and you are not making any excuses for how you are feeling. Your words are genuine. Healing will take time, I suggest working through each moment as it comes, one at a time. It can be overwhelming to process too many emotions at once and working with your counselor on these will be beneficial to you. Keep your heart open and your courage will continue to grow. I’m happy to lend an ear anytime. And thank you things are going well for me. February 3, 2018 at 10:07 pm This is me right now. I’m so glad I found your article. I thought I was going crazy February 5, 2018 at 9:42 am Hi Sue, I’m so happy you found this post to be helpful! And YES! you are NOT going crazy! This is a real issue and the emotions you are experiencing are a true symptom of your loss. I will keep you in prayer and I hope that things calm down for you a bit. What would you like to share? Cancel reply Email (Address never made public) Connecting to %s Notify me of new comments via email. 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"Invisible Man" is a 1952 novel by the acclaimed black author Ralph Ellison. The novel was very well-received and won the National Book Award for Fiction in 1953. It has since been featured in Time magazine's 100 Best English-Language Novels of the 20th century and won the Modern Library ranking of the same name. It is considered a classic of 20th-century American novels and African-American literature. Its aim was to address intellectual and social issues of the black community during the 1950's as well as issues of personal identity and individuality. The narrator of the story, who is never given a name, begins by telling us that he is an "invisible man" who is invisible by nature of his race. As a black man living in America, he is looked past and ignored as well as treated like a child by white people. The narrator takes the reader through his life starting at the age of 17 when he is graduating high school and up to his time as a spokesperson for a association for the advancement of black people called the Brotherhood. Throughout the story, the narrator relates his experiences being treated poorly and even damagingly by white people. At the end of the novel, after being betrayed by the Brotherhood he reveals that he is living in a disused basement but that he feel freer than ever from his mental constraints. The book starts with a prolog where the narrator introduces himself and says that he is an "invisible man". He clarifies that his invisibly does not come from a super power but from the fact that he is a black man and that people are unwilling to notice him. The narrator says that this invisibility has both upsides and downsides. The narrator describes his life now. He lives secretly in the basement of a building which only allows white tenants and steals electricity. He listens to Louis Armstrong jazz records at full volume and prepares for some unnamed action. He remembers a recent incident where he was walking through the park at night and a white man stumbled into him. The white man insulted him and the narrator attacked the man in anger. The next day the incident was reported as a mugging. The narrator thinks this is interesting because he feels that, although the white man was the one being attacked he still had control over the situation. If he had called a police officer, the narrator would have been arrested immediately. In chapter one, a narrator is a man in his forties who is looking back on his life and reminiscing. He relates that there was a time when he had not yet discovered that he was an invisible man. He tells the reader that his grandparents were former slaves who believed after the end of the Civil War that they had achieved equality with white people. On his deathbed, his grandfather compared the lives of black Americans to a war and said that he felt like a traitor to his race. He advised his family to undermine white people by being agreeable and the narrator took this advice. He knows receives praise from the white people in his town for being meek. The narrator goes on to remember being asked to give a graduation speech at his high school commencement in front of the town's leading white citizens. He prepared a well thought out speech about the advancement of black people in America but when he got to the gathering it was revealed to be a 'battle royal' in which the white men were forcing many of his male, black classmates to wear boxing gloves and fight each other in a ring. The white men put blindfolds on the young men and ordered them to fight viciously. The narrator makes it to the last round where he is defeated. After the fight, the white men lead the students to a rug where gold coins (later found to be worthless painted brass) and crumpled dollar bills are lying on the floor. The students grab for them only to find that the carpet is fitted with an electric current that shocks them. The white men try to get the boys to fall face first onto the rug during the scramble. The narrator is actually allowed to deliver his speech but the white men heckle him as he quotes Booker T. Washington's Atlanta Exposition Address. The narrator accidentally uses the phrase, 'social equality' instead of 'social responsibility'. This angers the white men, who demand that he explain himself. He replies that he misspoke. After the speech, he is given a calfskin briefcase and the narrator is surprised to find a scholarship to a state college for black youth inside. That night the narrator dreams of his grandfather laughing at him derisively. The narrator goes to the college and soon begins his first semester. The narrator goes to the college and soon begins his first semester. At the end of his second year, he begins working as a chauffeur for one of the college's founders, a wealthy white man. The man, Mr. Norton, requests that the narrator take him to the countryside and he accidentally drives him to the black side of town where overworked sharecroppers live in former slave shacks stacked on top of one another. Mr. Norton is intrigued by the scene and even more so when the narrator tells him that a man named Jim Trueblood lives in one of the cabins. Jim Trueblood is regarded badly by the town as he impregnated his young daughter. Mr. Norton asks to meet Trueblood and listens in fascination as the man recounts that on the night he had an incestuous encounter with his daughter, he woke from a strange dream to find that he was raping her. Trueblood confesses that many white people of the town have wanted to hear the story and have showered him with money and help. Confirming this, Norton gives Trueblood a one-hundred-dollar bill before he leaves.The narrator brings Norton to a notorious black bar in downtown to get so whiskey to calm his nerves. While inside, Norton is propositioned by a prostitute, and insulted by a group of black veterans. The veterans also hound the narrator for being Norton's chauffeur and ferrying him around. The narrator brings Norton to a notorious black bar in downtown to get so whiskey to calm his nerves. While inside, Norton is propositioned by a prostitute, and insulted by a group of black veterans. The veterans also hound the narrator for being Norton's chauffeur and ferrying him around. When a fight breaks out, Norton collapses from shock and has to be dragged out by the narrator. The narrator brings Norton back to the college campus and drops him off at his rooms. After leaving him, the narrator goes to find Dr. Bledsoe, the president of the college to inform him of what happened. Dr. Bledsoe, after hearing of the night's events, becomes furious over the situation and scolds the narrator for showing the powerful white trustee a part of town that is so dangerous. Dr. Bledsoe instructs the narrator to leave and to attend a church service that evening. Later that afternoon, however, the narrator receives a note that Bledsoe wishes to see him in Norton's room and arrives to find that Bledsoe had to leave suddenly but will be in his office after the service. Norton says that he explained to Bledsoe that the narrator was not to blame for the incident that day and he feels that the president understood. The narrator apologizes to Norton again and offers to drive him to the train station. Norton turns him down, politely and reminds the narrator of his meeting with Bledsoe. The narrator attends the mandatory chapel service and listens to Reverend Homer A. Barbee speak about the founder of the college a black man who was born into slavery and almost died as a small child when a cousin splashed him with lye. After nine days in a coma, he woke up and felt that he had been resurrected. He later taught himself to read and escaped slavery after which he traveled north and gain further education. Years later she returned to Atlanta and founded the college. The narrator finds the sermon very moving. As Barbee finishes and goes back to his chair, he stumbles and loses his glasses. The narrator then realizes that Barbee is blind. After the service, the narrator has his meeting with Bledsoe who is still angry. Bledsoe insists that white people often give such silly instructions as Norton did that day and that having grown up as a black man in the south, the narrator should know by now how to lie his way out of such situations. Bledsoe insists that the narrator is punished. But instead of suspending him he informs him that he will be spending the summer in New York so that he can earn his tuition. Bledsoe also hints that if the narrator does well at this he will send a letter to some of the trustees recommending him for a job after school is over. The narrator assures Bledsoe that he doesn't resent his punishment but he hears his grandfather's dying words as he does so. The narrator takes a bus to New York where he runs into one of the veterans who mocked Norton inside the bar. He discovers that the man is being sent to a psychiatric facility in Washington D.C. by Dr. Bledsoe. The narrator is shocked by this but the veteran is not. He winks at the narrator and reminds him to look under the surface of things more often. He instructs the narrator to hide his real self from white people and the invisible man who is pulling his strings. Upon arriving in New York, the narrator is astonished to see black police officers directing white people in traffic. He sees a gathering in Harlem where a man with an Indian accent talks about chasing the whites out. The narrator, nervous that a riot may break out, quickly leaves and finds a place to rent a room called the 'Men's House'. The next day the narrator begins working for one of the men that Bledsoe arranged for him to meet. Bledsoe had given the narrator letters to give to these men but when Mr. Emerson's son reads the letter he appears to be agitated. The narrator then takes the letter only to see that Bledsoe has not written a recommendation, instead, he has written to all of the men saying that the narrator has been permanently expelled from the college and sent away to protect the school. Bledsoe requests that the narrator is allowed to continue on thinking that he is working toward coming back to school while remaining as far as possible away. Emerson's son tells the narrator that his father is strict and unforgiving but that he, himself will help the narrator get a job at the Liberty Paints plant. The narrator is angered when he leaves Emerson's office and wishes to take revenge on Bledsoe. He begins working at the Liberty Paints plant the next morning, despite his anger and his supervisor, Mr. Kimbro shows him what he is to do. The narrator's job is to open buckets filled with a foul-smelling brown substance and drip a black chemical into them. Then he is to stir the bucket until it becomes glossy white paint. Kimbro insists that Liberty Paints white paint is the purest white that can be found in any paint plant and that it can cover up anything. Later on, the narrator finds that he has run out of the black chemical and must go to get more from the supply room. Once there, he finds seven tanks filled with different chemicals and cannot distinguish which one he is to use. Going by smell alone, the narrator accidentally picks the wrong chemical and ruins some seventy-five buckets of paint. Kimbro is angered by this and sends the narrator to the furnace room to assist the engineer instead. Brockway does not take kindly to assistants and is hesitant to assign the narrator to any task. Finally, he instructs him to watch the pressure gauges on the boiler. When lunch time comes, the narrator goes back to the locker room to gather his things and accidentally walks in on a union meeting. Some of the men in the meeting accuse him of being a spy since he is Brockway's assistant. The men decide to investigate the narrator and send him away with his lunch. When Brockway hears of the meeting, he is enraged and threatens to kill the narrator if he discovers that he belongs to the union. The narrator denies this but the two being to fight until Brockway bites the narrator and loses his dentures. The boilers begin to hiss and Brockway realizes that they have not been watching them while they were fighting. He instructs the narrator to turn the valve but the narrator cannot do so in time and the boiler explodes. The narrator is knocked unconscious during the explosion. The narrator soon wakes in a hospital and is unable to answer any of the doctor's questions. He begins receiving electro-shock treatment and overhears the doctor's arguing about whether or not it is a good idea to continue to treatment. The narrator receives more electro-shock treatment and when asked by the doctor's what his name is, he realizes that he cannot remember. Eventually, he is released and the doctors tell him that he is cured. The narrator discovers that he is to receive a compensation check from the factory for being injured while working. The narrator leaves the hospital feeling very different. He realizes that he feels like he has gotten over his fear of important men like Norton or Bledsoe. As he is walking, the narrator collapses and some men help to carry him to the house of a kind black woman named Mary. He stays there for a few hours until he feels recovered and Mary tells him that he should come back sometimes if he wants to rent a room. The narrator returns to the Men's House and inwardly scorns those around him. He finds that he feels angrier now and when he sees a man that he initially mistakes for Dr. Bledsoe he empties a spittoon on the man's head before realizing that he has mistaken the man's identity. The man is a prominent Baptist preacher in the area. The narrator narrowly escapes the situation before he is caught. He later learns that he has been banned from the Men's House and asks a porter to retrieve his things from his room. He goes back to Mary's house and takes a room with her. The narrator begins to feel a "spot of black anger" within him and longs to take up activism for the black community. Soon, the narrator stumbles across a black family being evicted from their apartment and delivers a rousing speech to the bystanders that incite them into resistance. The crowd carries the black families belongings back into their house to the chagrin of the white landlord. When the police arrive, the narrator runs only to be approached by a white man who tells him that the speech was a: "masterful bit of persuasion". The man takes the narrator to a coffee house and tries to persuade him to become a paid spokesperson for a political organization in Harlem. The narrator turns him down and the man, named Brother Jack, accepts this, but gives him a phone number to call in case he changes his mind. The narrator does change his mind within a few hours and calls Brother Jack who comes to pick him up in a car with several other men. Jack takes the narrator to a cocktail party where he introduces him to his mistress a woman named Emma who asks Jack if he doesn't think the narrator should be: "a little blacker". Jack explains to the narrator that the organization is called the Brotherhood and it's main focus is social activism for black people who have been: "dispossessed of their heritage". He begins to talk about Booker T. Washington and changes that have to be made before an impending world crisis. Brother Jack tells the narrator that in order to accept the position he must move to a new apartment that will be paid for by the Brotherhood and break all ties with his past. Jack gives the narrator a new name and three hundred dollars in order to pay off his back rent. The next day the narrator pays off his debt to Mary and leaves the house without telling her that he isn't planning on returning. He then contacts Jack who wants him to give a speech at a Harlem rally that night. The narrator attends the rally and becomes so nervous on stage that he forgets all of the catchphrases that the Brotherhood has told him to use. He manages to create a moving speech on the spot but the Brotherhood are unsatisfied. They feel that he is a good natural speaker, but that he needs more of their influence. Months pass as the narrator studies the Brotherhood's rules and ideology. The Brotherhood eventually votes to elect him as chief spokesperson for the Harlem branch of their operation. After this, the narrator is given an office and introduced to a black member of the executive committee, Tod Clifton. Tod informs the narrator that the Brotherhood's main opponent is a man named Ras the Exhorter, a black nationalist who is bent on complete distrust of all white people. At a protest against Ras shortly after, a fight breaks out between his people and the Brotherhood's and the narrator sees Clifton and Ras locked in an intense fight. Ras asks Clifton why he works for the Brotherhood since he is one of the few black people in their ranks and assures him that his comrades will turn on him one day. The narrator becomes well known in the community and works hard for the Brotherhood. However, he is still plagued by nightmares of his grandfather. The narrator is soon interviewed for a magazine but this upsets another member of the Brotherhood who accuses him of trying to use the group to further his own interests. The Brotherhood removes him from his post and transfers him out of Harlem to work as a women's rights spokesperson during the investigation. The narrator chooses to fully dedicate himself to this assignment. Soon the investigation is completed and the Brotherhood informs him that he has been cleared of the charges laid against him. They also inform him that Clifton has disappeared. Ras has been gaining many followers while the Brotherhood has been losing them. The narrator discovers that many of the jobs that the Brotherhood promises to Harlem residents have disappeared. The narrator returns to the office one day to find that he has been excluded from a strategy meeting and furiously storms out. He finds Tod Clifton on the street peddling dolls that represent a racist stereotype. The narrator is angered by this, too. Some police officers come to break up the demonstration that Clifton is giving and in the confusion Clifton strikes one of the officers. The officer then shoots the man dead. In shock, the narrator returns to his office. Several crying Brotherhood members ask him if it is true that Clifton is dead. He confirms that it is and tries to call the headquarters to report this but receives no answer. The narrator organizes a funeral march for Clifton and claims the body from the morgue. Hundreds of former and current members of the Brotherhood show up to march and the narrator delivers a somber speech. He senses a deep running tension in the gathering and hopes that the tension will be harnessed into the Brotherhood reclaiming their influence in Harlem. Brother Jack and the other executives in the Brotherhood call the narrator out for associating their organization with the protest of Clifton's death. The narrator defends himself by saying that the black community is against the Brotherhood for the moment and that he thought this would help. The two argue for a while before one of Jack's eyes - a fake one - pops out of his head and falls onto the desk. In the shocked silence, Jack informs the narrator that he lost the eye while doing his duty for the Brotherhood. The argument dies down after this and Jack tells the narrator to consult with Brother Hambro to learn about their new program. The communities anger over Clifton's death reaches a peak and Ras, (now calling himself 'Ras the Destroyer') begins swaying more people to his side by disparaging the Brotherhood. The narrator consults with Hambro who tells him that the Brotherhood is going to give up its influence in Harlem in order to pursue change on a more national scale. The narrator is enraged by this and makes a plan to follow his grandfather's advice and "yes them to death". He plans to fill out fake membership cards to convince the Brotherhood that their Harlem membership is bigger and to make the Brotherhood believe that the community is on their side with this decision. Riots begin breaking out in Harlem and Ras incites them further. The narrator sends out Brotherhood members to try and calm the crowds and convince them that they are planning on instituting clean-up campaigns around Harlem. In the last chapter, a large riot breaks out with Ras as the leader. This makes the narrator realize that the Brotherhood has been planning race riots all along by deliberately giving up Harlem to Ras and allowing it to fall into chaos. During the riot, the narrator becomes trapped in the fray and Ras sees him and calls for the crowd to lynch him. The narrator barely escapes and runs into two police officers who only ask to see what is in his briefcase instead of helping him. The narrator runs from them and falls into an open manhole. The police laugh at this and put the manhole cover back on so that he will be trapped underground. Underground and in complete darkness, the narrator burns the items in his briefcase one by one for light. This includes his high school diploma and the paper that Jack gave him with his new name. He sleeps eventually and has nightmares about all of the white men he has known mocking him. He wakes, screaming and decides to stay underground to escape them. In the epilog, the narrator ends the story by saying he has included all of the important parts of the story. He says: "I'm an invisible man and it placed me in a hole - or showed me the hole I was in, if you will - and I reluctantly accepted the fact". He wonders whether his decision to separate from society has put him behind in social activism or ahead and decides to leave that question up to people like Jack. He decided to embrace his invisibility and lives in a secret room in a closed off the basement. He begins thinking of his grandfather's last words and wonders if he got them wrong all along. If his grandfather, in fact, meant by saying "yes" that he should accept the evils of society and attempt to transcend them. He recounts that he recently bumped into an older white man on the subway and realizes that he was Mr. Norton. Norton didn't recognize him and seemed to think that the narrator was insane. The narrator says that he wonders why he decided to write this book and that the process of writing it has not made him any less angry. He decides that he is going to end his seclusion and announces that even an invisible man has a social responsibility. The Narrator - the main character of the story. The narrator never gives his real name in the story although he dominates the narrative and tells it from his own perspective. The choice to keep his name absent is a stylistic decision that plays into the idea of him being an 'invisible man'. If he does not matter because he is a black man then, he concedes that his name does not matter either. He considers himself merely the vessel for his story. The narrator is given many different names throughout the story (by the hospital, the Brotherhood, etc.) but none are ever presented in the text. The story is a chronicle of the moral and psychological growth of the narrator and the themes revolve around his growth as a person and the development of his character. In the beginning of the novel, the narrator is a very innocent and naive young man who likes to believe the best in people and is respectful of authority. For instance, after he is included in the 'battle royal' in chapter 1 and physically assaulted at the behest of brutish white men he accepts their scholarship with gratitude and feels grateful. In this way, the narrator is unreliable and the reader is asked by Ellison to look past what he is relating and make your own assumptions. Later on in the novel the narrator transforms into a more savvy but bitter man and forms his 'invisible man' theory. By the end of the novel he has rejected society and lives underground but a hint of his youthful exuberance still remains as he plans on rejoining society soon. Brother Jack - the head of the committee in the Brotherhood. Jack propositions the narrator with the idea of him becoming the Brotherhood's spokesperson in Harlem after hearing him deliver a rousing speech on the street. Ellison uses Brother Jack as a demonstration of the flawed ideologies that fail to address the real issues in the black community and instead cloud the issue. In particular, Jack portrays the Communist Part in the 1930's who seemed to the black community like allies but later shifted their focus and betrayed the cause. Initially, Jack seems like a kind ally to the narrator but he is revealed to be just like all of the other powerful white men in the book who is using Jack to meet his own ends. When the tone of the Brotherhood's idea's change, Jack abandons the black community of Harlem without looking back. Jack's glass eye symbolizes how his commitment to the Brotherhood's ideas has blinded him in a literal way. Ras the Exhorter - a powerful man in the activist community in Harlem. Ras' main goal is to further the advancement of black people by distrusting and oppressing whites. He is a black nationalist who possesses an almost god-like power over the rioting in the book. Although he does not show much instinct for planning, Ras still manages to control many of Harlem's activists. It is later revealed that the Brotherhood was letting him take control so that they could shift their focus. Regardless of this fact, by the end of the book, Ras does indeed have the control he wanted. Mr. Norton - a white trustee of the college who has a bad experience in the black part of town while being chauffeured by the narrator. Mr. Norton initially seems to be a supporter of the cause and an ally to the narrator but reveals himself to be a closet racist. He treats the black people he encounters on his short trip with the narrator like animals in a zoo and insists on hearing the horrific tale of Jim Trueblood's rape of his daughter from the man himself. After ward, Norton gives the man a hundred dollars as if he has just been entertained and is paying for it. Norton becomes so overwhelmed by the black crowd in the bar that he faints and has to be revived by the narrator. Years later, when the narrator encounters him on a train, Norton does not recognize him and assumes that the man is insane. Tod Clifton - the youth leader in Harlem for the Brotherhood. Clifton is committed to helping black youth in the area and very kind and protective of the narrator as a result. At one point, Clifton disappears suddenly and reappears having left the Brotherhood and started selling racist caricature dolls on the street. He is accosted by policemen for this and ends up getting shot by them. It is his death that begins sparking riots in Harlem. Ralph Ellison was a respected American novelist and leading figure in African-American literature in the pre- Civil rights era. Ellison was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on March 1st, 1913. One of three brothers, Ellison faced much hardship growing up as a black man in the early 20th century.He struggled to find a job to help support his family and worked as a shoeshine boy, a busboy and a hotel waiter among other things. As a He struggled to find a job to help support his family and worked as a shoeshine boy, a busboy and a hotel waiter among other things. As a child he developed a love of music and received free saxophone and trumpet lessons from the father of a friend.Ellison attended Tuskegee Institute, a respected black college in Alabama founded by Booker T. Washington. He was admitted to be the trumpet player in the school's orchestra. Ellison attended Tuskegee Institute, a respected black college in Alabama founded by Booker T. Washington. He was admitted to be the trumpet player in the school's orchestra. In 1934, Ellison began working in the Universities library where he began reading classic novels. Ellison left the University in 1936 without graduating and then moved to New York City.He began living in Harlem and met Langston Hughes He began living in Harlem and met Langston Hughes a influential black author of the time who introduced him to Richard Wright another renowned black author. After writing a book review for Wright, the man encouraged him to begin trying to write as he thought he had talent.Ellison's first published work was a story called 'Hymie's Bull' that was published in 1933. For the next few years, Ellison continued to write book reviews and articles. Ellison's first published work was a story called "Hymie's Bull" that was published in 1933. For the next few years, Ellison continued to write book reviews and articles for magazine. In support of the Communist party, he also wrote some literature espousing their beliefs. During World War II, Ellison and Wright lost their faith in the party as they felt that it had shifted it's focus and betrayed black Americans. In 1938, Ellison met Rosa Araminta Piondexter whom he married that same year. They split up in 1943 after Ellison had an affair with another woman. Ellison enlisted in the Merchant Marine Service during World War II and it was while he was doing this that he wrote his most famous work, "Invisible Man". His second wife, Fanny McConnell helped him with editing the book. The book was a success and won the U.S National Book Award for Fiction the next year. Ellison began working as a respected, recognized author and touring other countries to lecture and give talks. In 1958, Ellison wrote a second novel, "Juneteenth" and followed it in 1964 with "Shadow and Act", a collection of essays. Soon after he began teaching at Yale University and Rutgers University. Ellison lost most of his work on his last novel in a fire and never managed to finish it. He passed away from cancer on April 16th of 1994 and his ashes were interred in a crypt in Trinity Church Cemetery in Manhattan. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. The Princess and the Pea Characters Characters Books Index of Writers The largest collection of book summaries, analyses, books, study guides and educational resources for students and teachers. Here, you'll find works from more than 250 greatest authors of all time. [more]	31,639
MMA India Exclusive: Roshan Mainam Luwang opens up about becoming the first Indian fighter to be part of EVOLVE MMA January 29, 2019 Indian MMA: Himanshu Kaushik a gets huge victory at ONE Championship: Hero’s Ascent January 27, 2019 John Kavanagh posts his hilarious New Year’s Resolutions December 28, 2018 An engineer by luck and a sports writer by passion, Renjith has been covering various sports for almost half a decade. He has received praise from the likes of WWE superstars Paul Heyman and Natalya for his work and has also interviewed some notable names from the business. He is constantly looking out for creative challenges that excite him and finds beauty in the art of Combat Sports. ‘MMA in India is still at a nascent stage’ You would’ve probably heard this statement a million times by now. But then again, it’s hard to tell otherwise at the current point of time. Is the conflict of interests holding Indian MMA back? A perfect environment is required for any sport to grow. MMA is no different. It requires the right mixture of fans, coaches, promotions, governing bodies, gyms, media, and sponsors among others. These factors hold the responsibility of supporting the fighters. At the moment, the sport is indeed growing by leaps and bounds in India, but we are still miles away from being the ‘perfect environment’ that a fighter requires. The blurred line between promotions and governing bodies One of the major issues that mar our march towards such an atmosphere is the conflict of interest that arises as different levels. The blurred line between promotions and governing bodies is perhaps the biggest one from the lot. People who are holding top positions in governing bodies are mostly involved with promotions. This raises many questions. All India Mixed Martial Arts Federation (AIMMAF) president and former fighter Aditya PS is someone who was always vocal about the issue. He, however, was under the scanner recently due to his association with the Kumite 1 League and KHK MMA. Aditya PS with Mike Tyson (Pictured ahead of the inaugural K1 League Event) We decided to reach out to him regarding the issue and he mentioned that he is still sticking to his opinion that promotions and governing bodies should not have same people at the helm as it raises a conflict of interest. He also insisted that he is not on the payroll of either KHK MMA or K1 League and went on to add that all the help that he gave to the promotion was as the president of AIMMAF. He did, however, admit that he was involved with KHK holdings which according to him has nothing to do with KHK MMA. Not being involved with KHK MMA officially is one thing, but doesn’t a conflict of interest – at least in principle – arise with involvement with KHK holdings? “My involvements with the promotions were only as the representative of the federation. MMA is still at a nascent stage in India. And the number of experienced people in the nation is quite less when it comes to the sport. So we have tried helping the promotions to conduct their events in a more structured way and at the same time, we have made sure that the fighters are secure,” Aditya said. An article on the official website of IMMAF has also mentioned Aditya as the promoter of K1 League. During the interview with us, Aditya said that this was a mistake from the IMMAF team and that he had pointed it out to them when he read the article. The involvement of Hon. General Secretary of AIMMAF Mayur Bansode with Zen Warriors Fighting Championship is another potential conflict about which the fans can raise questions about since Mayur is also the owner of Zen Fitness Studio and Zen Kickboxing and MMA academy. The Facebook page of Zen Kickboxing and MMA Academy in fact has the AIMMAF nationals as it’s cover photo. When asked about how Abdul Muneer, who is an active fighter, can hold an office position in AIMMAF, Aditya had the following to say. “Abdul Muneer is in the Federation for the technical reasons and as a represenative of the fighters. He was taking a break from MMA when he started working with AIMMAF. And now that he is returning to fight, we will make sure that there is no conflict of interest that arises out of this. Because he is a veteran fighter and has done a lot for not only the fighter community but also for the fighters through expanding MMA through the Federation. It’s like Fedor Emelianenko situation with WMMAA. He was the honorary president of WMMAA. So when he came out of retirement to fight actively, he moved out from the position. The most important thing to understand is this: in terms of the body supervisors be it amateur or professional if any situation arises where there can be a conflict of interest, we make sure that the particular person is separated from the duties in the scenario. So if a fighter who is holding a position now decides to go full-active again rather than returning for a one-off fight, then he will have to step out from the position,” Drug Testing is another issue that required addressing from Aditya. He has always advocated for the same and when quizzed, he revealed the practical difficulties and the future plans that AIMMAF had. “There was no drug testing for K1 League, the reason being that, A, the drug testing is a very very costly affair. We haven’t done that. Even from the world organisation also, it will take some time as we are still getting recognised under sport accord. Once we get recognized, WADA would come and do it. Otherwise, we will have to approach it in a separate manner then it would cost a lot of money and then again, Drug testing is not a one-off affair. It’s a complete program for an entire year. Because athletes can just get away with that. You need to do random testing. So the program has to be done for the entire year rather than for a particular event. So if the implementation is there, it should be there for a year around program,” he notes. An understanding between MMA India, which is recognised by the IMMAF – WMMAA body, and AIMMAF will be crucial for implementing this. And we have learned that talks are currently going on for such an agreement even though an initial MOU was apparently signed but now it seems there is some discomfort with some newly inducted members into MMA India. Let’s see whether their partnership/agreement goes through as the more MMA associations/federations join hands in India, it will be better for the sport as presently there are 4-5 associations/federations in the country. Another person we approached for the article was Avi Mittal who recently succeeded Raj Kundra as the Honorary Chairman of All India Mixed Martial Arts (AIMMAA). Prior to this move, Avi served as the Director of Super Fight League. Whether or not he is still involved with the SFL remains a confusing question. A report that came out on the Mumbai Mirror tagged him as the ‘former’ director of SFL. As we wanted to hear his take on the issue and clear the confusion, we reached out to him. Avi, however, wanted the MMA India Show to answer some transparency questions first, which we did but as for his response, we are yet to get the same. He did reply stating that there will be a delay in answering due to his travel schedule. We did wait for his return but since there has been no reply yet we will be updating the article once/if we get the answers from him. While the explanations given might be digestible at the moment, the blurred lines between factors that contribute to the fighter welfare need to be darkened at the earliest. This is mandatory if we are to create an environment where fighters will not be exploited or put at risk. And one of the biggest things that we need to do is bring transparency into the functioning of MMA in the country. As we have mentioned many times in the past, the MMA India Show and mmaindia.com will be at the forefront of this to make sure that we point out any apparent issues.	8,102
Now you can impress your family,friends and customers as well by producing the very same delicious food and beverages as they do at Starbucks.This is a digital recipe book that has 32 pages filled with all the deserts and coffees that are sold every day at your local Starbucks Coffee Shop.This is easy to follow instructions with the list of ingredients and the amount to put into each and every item.Everyone will be amazed at your new skills and you will recieve lots of compliments as well.Get your copy the very instant that you purchase it as it will be forwarded to your email address. Ratings by Members Item Rating by any Members Member Rating Exchange Rating This Item was Not Listed by a Top Trading Partners & MaxCard Barter Partners LLC member. Pre/Partial-Payments in Cash NO Member can collect a Pre/Partial-Payment in Cash from another Member sooner than 48 hours prior to shipping!	960
Published in 20th-century / Contemporary History, Features, Issue 1 (January/February 2015), Volume 23 The centenaries of the third Home Rule bill and the outbreak of the First World War have sparked debate on how Irish Parliamentary Party leader John Redmond was allegedly wiped from the historical memory of independent Ireland. In fact, the early 1920s saw major national tributes paid to Redmond, with thousands of old supporters in attendance. Above: John Redmond (centre) in 1912, with his brother Willie (left) and son, Capt. W.A. Redmond (right). Memorial events to John Redmond began the year after his passing. (NLI) Given his family’s years of service, it is perhaps unsurprising that John Redmond’s anniversary would be marked in his heartland of Waterford and Wexford. What is perhaps more interesting is that for a few short years such commemorations reached far beyond local gatherings. Dermot Meleady is correct that ‘fears of hostile demonstration’ denied the Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP) leader a public funeral in Dublin in March 1918. Redmond had passed away a deeply unpopular political leader and was instead laid to rest in the family vault in his home town of Wexford. Memorial events to John Redmond began, however, the year after his passing, when a tribute was paid at St John’s Cemetery, Wexford. Just months after the IPP’s electoral defeat to Sinn Féin, this was a well-attended affair, with supporters from various parts of the country present. IPP MP Joseph Devlin delivered an oration in which he argued that if it had not been for the extraordinary events leading into the Great War Redmond would by 1919 have been leading a unified self-governing Ireland from College Green. Devlin was setting the scene for future commemorations where the IPP was staunchly defended, often with Redmondite evaluations of past events and the invocation of the dead leader’s memory as that of a heroic figure. Although the War of Independence and Civil War saw the Redmond anniversary become a muted and local affair, in 1924 and 1925 the anniversaries became national tributes and major social occasions where practices of collective memory and ideas of political organisation could sometimes overlap. It would become clear that fidelity to Redmond and his party had not disappeared. One of the c. 30 bands that marched at the John Redmond anniversary event in Wexford on 9 March 1924. The Irish Times recorded a crowd of 20,000 and added that the demonstration ‘seemed to warrant the assumption that one was watching the renewal of a pledge of faith in the political beliefs and methods discarded by the electorate only a few years before’. (British Pathé) However great an event the Waterford anniversary, held on the first Sunday in March, was for the Redmondites in that city, the event the following week in Wexford was the official one and, as peace returned to the country, 1924 was developed into a national event. In November 1923, at the first meeting of the Dublin committee set up to organise the following year’s John Redmond anniversary, the chair was taken by the IPP’s last leader, John Dillon. The committee contained numerous ex-IPP MPs and other figures associated with the old party. This committee liaised with the chief organising committee in Wexford and committees around the country to plan and prepare for the event to be held on 9 March 1924. While the IPP may have been no more, the scale of the event showed the breadth of support—or at least admiration—for the Redmonds. The Irish Independent described it as a ‘remarkable revelation of the depth of affection’ that still existed for Redmond. The Irish Times recorded a crowd of 20,000 and added that the demonstration ‘seemed to warrant the assumption that one was watching the renewal of a pledge of faith in the political beliefs and methods discarded by the electorate only a few years before’. Local politicians from Wexford and Waterford were present and, in addition to those ex-IPP members in the Dublin anniversary committee, other ex-MPs and current TDs with IPP backgrounds attended. Such was the success of the John Redmond events in 1924 that committees from Dublin and Louth called for the 1925 memorial to be held in the capital. The decision of the Wexford committee to keep the event in the south-east was, however, accepted by followers all over the Free State. Although this may have perhaps hinted at a continued regional bias in affairs, the 1925 event, at which Devlin again spoke, was almost as big as the previous year, before the regression towards a more local gathering in 1926. Who took part? Former IPP leaders—facing forward in the carriage—John Dillon (left) and Joe Devlin (right) at the 1924 event. Dillon gave the oration in 1924 and Devlin in 1925. (British Pathé) Assessment of the attendance at the Redmond anniversaries reveals members of the groupings once associated with the IPP which had persisted into the 1920s, such as the Ancient Order of Hibernians and Irish National Foresters, as well as branches of the Legion of Ex-Servicemen, of which Redmond’s son, Captain William, was a prominent member. In Waterford local groups loyal to Redmond may be added to the list, like the Women’s Nationalist Association and the Ballybricken Pig-Buyers’ Association (devoted followers of the Redmond family from the 1880s), and in Wexford the Mechanics’ Institute and the YMCA. The proliferation of bands was another feature, with over 30 attending the events in 1924 and 1925. Bands of the various Legion branches had clear lines of Redmondite loyalty, as did the Waterford-based Barrack Street Band and Willie Redmond’s Own Brass and Reed Band from Ennis. Many followers travelled by specially arranged trains. In 1924 the Dublin anniversary committee organised trains from Harcourt Street to Wexford. Arrangements were also made for excursion trains from the midlands, Limerick and Tipperary. The journey from Belfast was the most arduous, with a train leaving the city at 7.15am. In fact, the vast attendance in both years also included parties from Cavan, Louth, Clare and Cork joining the local contingents. The Wexford committee coordinated with local hotels and restaurants to cater for the crowds coming from around the country. These Redmondite events allowed those of similar opinions to offer strident defences of the party and its record while paying their respects to a man whom they held in the highest esteem as a patriot. Symbolism and ritual ‘Faithful Waterford mourns the loss of their beloved and gallant member, Captain W.A. Redmond. God rest his soul’—the funeral of John Redmond’s son in 1932. The large crowd belied the fact that by then Redmondite commemorations had lost momentum. (NLI) Taking their lead from the 1919 event, the anniversary events typically began with Masses celebrated for the repose of the soul of John Redmond in the churches of Wexford, with a procession in the afternoon. In 1924 this began in Wexford at the Redmond monument and wound its way through numerous streets before returning for John Dillon’s oration. Afterwards, the contingent could then visit the former leader’s grave in St John’s Cemetery. The Last Post was played by buglers at the site before wreaths and flowers were laid at the tomb. In 1925, after Devlin gave the oration at the Redmond monument, the bands played the Dead March in Saul before the sounding of the Last Post, when all heads were uncovered. Heads were once again uncovered as they passed by the cemetery, at which bands would stop playing until they reached Rowe Street. Another part of the ritual and symbolism for the Wexford occasion was the wearing of the violet, John Redmond’s favourite flower, recommended by the Wexford organising committee. This constituted the donning of a mark of respect for the former party leader, just as those attending Parnell events tended to wear ivy. In Waterford violet rosettes were available from the local Hibernian Hall, and in Dublin there were Redmond violets for sale on 6 March 1924, the actual anniversary of his death. Local groups also carried banners in the processions, such as ‘Faithful Waterford mourns Ireland’s dead leader’, while others carried a huge oil painting of Redmond. In 1925 there were also two flags, ‘one emblazoned with the sunburst and the other with the harp’. Captain W.A. Redmond in British Army uniform. (NLI)) For some who attended the Redmond anniversaries it had been enough to resuscitate the memory of the man and the party. Looking ahead to the 1924 event, J.P. Gaynor stated that ‘they were not there for a political purpose, but to perform an act of national duty . . . and in some sense a penance for the wrong that their country had inflicted upon him’. Yet there was an apparent contradiction between paying tribute to Redmond and not being there for a political purpose. Dillon’s 1924 oration appeared to occupy the same territory. Dillon claimed that the people now realised the mistake they had made in disposing of Redmond and referenced how ‘even Parnell’ failed to win self-government. Dillon criticised the Treaty, the slow progress of the Boundary Commission and the performance of the new government, which, he complained, excluded ‘a large section of the Nation’s representatives from the National Parliament’. Dillon even declared that ‘so far as I can see his [Redmond’s] Imperialism was faint compared with the Imperialism of the men who are at present in control’. The speech by Captain William Redmond was less openly critical of the government, though he disputed the claim that his father had ‘failed’, arguing that he could only be said to have failed if failure meant ‘failure to betray his country, selling a portion of it for a name, or accepting a truncated Ireland’. While the success of the 1924 event seemed to surprise many old IPP followers, by 1925 the comments of the Times about a resurgence of ‘old nationalism’ were beginning to look less mischievous. Captain Redmond took the lead in telling the crowds in Wexford that, were his father able to speak to them, he would tell them to ‘carry on and close up the ranks’. Redmond also appeared to go further than simple allusion to his Dáil seat when he claimed it a part of his inheritance to participate in the government of his country. In 1924 Dillon had defended a historical party and, despite occasional rumours, had no intention of future political activity. Redmond’s speech, however, was a statement of ambitious portent, furnished with a call to the old constitutionalists present to join him. Behind the scenes, Redmond, fellow ex-MP Tom O’Donnell and other old members were planning to form a new political party. Such moves can be traced through Redmond anniversaries, and at an anniversary for Willie Redmond at Ennis in June 1926 Captain Redmond declared the work of his uncle ‘yet to be completed’ and called on the crowd to ‘come with me and we will fight as we fought before’. Redmondite commemorations lost momentum after the decision to have a local commemoration in Wexford in 1926, but many of the old nationalists in each area who formed committees for Redmond anniversaries instead worked to organise the new National League party. Indeed, the League launched itself with two major rallies, including processions of many of the same individuals and groups, in Waterford and Wexford in September and October 1926. The Redmond anniversaries highlighted the persistence of an ‘old nationalist’ constituency of opinion not just in the south-east but also in the wider Free State. It was not the only nationalist anniversary held at the time. Unlike the Wolfe Tone or the Griffith–Collins commemorations, however, the Redmond anniversaries were paying tribute to a nationalist tradition seemingly denigrated just a few short years earlier. The closest comparison might be the Parnell commemorations organised by William Field, but by the 1920s that was a diminishing event with just hundreds in attendance. The organisation, ritual and rhetoric of the Redmond anniversaries seemed to reinforce the sense of followers of the old party wishing to restore its memory in the new state. It provided a form of vernacular memory for such people to remember John Redmond. It would be for others, like Captain Redmond and O’Donnell, to look at the crowds and see ‘inspiration in the great nationalist movements of the past’. The John Redmond events lost national prominence after 1926. The emergence and collapse of the National League damaged their potential, as ‘Redmondism’ was resurrected only to be defeated again by 1927. Nonetheless, these events had a collective significance for those old IPP members sidelined in the early 1920s and were the chief reminders of the older political tradition in the vastly changed landscape of the early 1920s. Martin O’Donoghue is an IRC postgraduate scholar at NUI Galway. Read More: Willie Redmond events Redmond family Further reading Personal Histories is an initiative by History Ireland, which aims to capture the individual histories of Irish people both in Ireland and around the world. It is hoped to build an extensive database reflecting Irish lives, giving them a chance to be heard, remembered and to add their voice to the historical record. December 5 1922 The Irish Free State Constitution Act and the Consequential Provisions Act received the royal assent; the king approved T.M. Healy as governor-general designate of the Free State. Saorstát Éireann (the Irish Free State) came into existence the following day. 1967 Michael P. O’Connor, writer and broadcaster, died. 1914 The Endurance, captained by Sir Ernest Shackleton with Tom Crean as second in command, set out from South Georgia with the objective of crossing the Antarctic continent. Copyright 2022 History Ireland. All rights reserved.	14,377
The memorandum of understanding addresses best management practices, sustainability and improvements to air and water. September 19, 2022 \| GCM Staff Filed to: News Release 2022, Advocacy, sustainability The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency signed a partnership agreement today with the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) pledging a commitment to environmental stewardship and environmental sustainability on golf courses everywhere. “Our biggest advances in protecting human health and the environment come from working together,” said EPA Mid Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz. “This partnership with GCSAA will go a long way in benefitting surrounding communities while also enhancing our ongoing dedication to greenspaces, clean water and healthy air.” During an event at the Langston Golf Course in Washington, D.C., officials from EPA and GCSAA signed a Memorandum of Understanding that enhances their joint commitment to share information on environmental issues, best practices and industry challenges to promote best management practices on golf properties to protect and enhance the environment. “This partnership between the EPA and GCSAA is the culmination of decades of collaboration and environmental stewardship on golf courses,” said GCSAA Chief Executive Officer Rhett Evans. “By implementing science-based best management practices, golf course superintendents have made theses public greenspaces more sustainable than ever before.” The MOU outlines partnership opportunities for the following priority EPA areas: Environmental Stewardship, including controlling storm water run-off and sustainability Environmental Justice Improved pollinator sites Children’s and Public Health Environmental and STEM Education GCSAA is the professional association for the men and women who manage and maintain the game’s most valuable resource — the golf course. With 19,000 members worldwide, the association’s mission is to serve its members, advance their profession and improve communities through the enjoyment, growth and vitality of the game of golf. Some of the key practices golf courses engage in include controlling stormwater runoff, establishing more pollinator sites to improve bee habitats, preserving public greenspace and sustainable pest management. Well-managed golf courses provide substantial ecological and community benefits by creating community greenspaces that provide recreational opportunities, offer and enhance wildlife habitats, and help prevent destructive stormwater run-off into neighboring communities.	2,578
Our house is semi-detatched 3 bedroom home and we wanted to make it warmer and were concious of the amount of heat we were losing. What made you think or consider External Insulation for your home? The house was very cold and very damp. We were losing a lot of heat through the walls as the house has not been insulated properly. We have sub floors a lot of heat was being lost through house. Did you avail of the SEAI and Credit union 35% grant scheme? Yes we did. Do you feel that the SEAI and Credit Union 35% scheme was financially worth- while? Absolutely, basically meant for us, we were able to get more work done otherwise we would not been able to afford all three – the external insulation attic and boiler up-grade done without the aid of the finance scheme from the SEAI and the Credit Union at that time. Did you have to complete all the paper work for the Grants? No. The Credit Union took care of all the necessary paperwork for us. What measures did you have installed, External Insulation, Attic Insulation, Boiler and Heating System Up-grade? We had all three done – External Insulation, Attic and our boiler upgraded. How do you feel the project was supervised and the overall standard of workmanship? The job was very well organized. The workmanship was excellent. The men were very reliable. Good communication skills. Overall, we were very happy with the work and workmanship of Absolute Acrylics. Can you feel the difference in your home? Absolutely! We have no more dampness in the house. No more loss of heat. We can actually feel the warmth in the house. Rarely turn the heating on anymore. The draft and dampness are totally gone from the house, which was a big issue for us! Did you receive a Guarantee? Absolutely and if I am totally honest would not recommend any other Company to do the External Insulation. We take care of all electrial aspects of the build such as exterior lighting and alarms We have qualified plumbing and heating specialists to look after any aspect of pipe work or gas installation	2,116
Every year, Neighborhood Scout publishes a list of the nation’s safest cities. All kinds of numbers are crunched to come up with the top 100 safest cities in America. They study and survey professionals from all walks of life. They analyze trends. Data is gathered regarding crime rates, medical services, school ratings, lifestyles in the region, home appreciation rates and so forth. The new list just came out, and the good news for Ridgefield residents is the town is still in great standing. The bad news is, it’s no longer number one. It has fallen from the number one spot, which it claimed last year. The new number one is Oakridge, Tennessee, followed by Shoreview, Minnesota and then Ridgefield. Neighboring towns in Connecticut that made the list are: Greenwich coming in at number 17 Cheshire showing at number 19 Westport appearing at number 69 and finally Glastonbury hitting the list at number 75 All things considered Ridgefield’s bragging rights are still in tact. Being number three on the list is still pretty impressive. Related: Ridgefield Named Safest Town in Connecticut, Top 10 in U.S. Listen to Mr. Morning & Suzy weekdays from 6:00-10AM on 105.5 FM, online at kicks1055.com/listen-live/ or by downloading the radioPup app for your mobile device.	1,271
European first contacts with Australian indigenous peoples began with Willem Janszoon in 1606, Dirk Hartog, 1616, William Dampier in 1688, as well as rumours of Portuguese before that. Most reports gave negative views. In fact the view from the shore, by Australia’s first inhabitants is quite contrary. They see white men as the mythical bogey man embodying all the destruction caused by 250 years of white settlement. Their ancestors had taken good care of the land for more than 65 thousand years, only for Joseph Banks to declare, “these are the most uncivilised savages of the world because they can’t make proper use of the land”. On the contrary, James Cook’s impressions were quite positive. Here is a summary of his observations: “The natives of New Holland may appear to some to be the most wretched people on the earth, but in reality they are far happier than we Europeans, who are wholly unacquainted with the superficiality of the necessary conveniences so sought after in Europe. They are happy in not knowing the use of them. They live in a tranquility not disturbed by inequality of condition. The earth and sea of their own accord furnishes them with all things necessary for life. The care not for magnificent houses or household extravagances. They live in a warm and fine climate and enjoy wholesome air”. Cook was under strict express orders “to look for signs of occupation and negotiate with any natives they encountered”. he was further ordered “to open dialogue and establish friendship”. Thomas Morton, President of the Royal Society added: “any natives you encounter are to be considered natural and legal possessors and no European nation has the right to occupy or settle among them without their consent. The natives made it quite clear all they wanted is for the White people to be gone and leave them alone. Cook eventually decided to disobey his orders, by declaring the country “terra nullius” allowing him after three months of mapping the coast, planting a British Flag on Possession Island laying claim with his lie, to all of New Holland, renaming it New South Wales. And this man is made a hero? Busts and statues of Cook abound – even the French, however recently, several statues in honor of Cook have been defaced in protest. “Take care that a falling statue does not strike you dead!” (Nietzsche ) Original inhabitants are demanding a bit of truth in memorialising our foundations. Paul Daley claims the toppling of statues overseas might give Australia pause to reconsider who we celebrate. Indigenous Australians and their supporters have for over a century been perplexed about some statues and place names that make false assertions about white European achievement and celebrate the murderers and murder of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Curiously, it was not until 2017 when a debate broke out over the removal of Confederate statues in America, that a broader cultural and media awareness gave rise to the so-called “statue wars” here. When the first ships of the first fleet arrived in Botany Bay, it was closely followed by the Gweagal clan, wondering why the huge clouds of ships with white people had returned. Two natives awaited the tender sent out from the Endeavour. There were many indications that all they wanted is for the whites to leave. Phillip knew from Cook’s diary to be wary and conciliatory. When that humble-headed elder, the sea, gave his wide And the sail and the black yard Of unknown Endeavour towards this holy beach, Heaven would be watching. And the two men. And the earth, It must break-on sacred water this swindle of a wave. Heaven did not move. Two men stood safe: even when the prying, peering Longboat, the devil’s totem, cast off and grew, No god shifted an inch to take a bearing. It was Heaven-and-earth’s jolting out of them shook the men. It was uninitiate scurf and bone that fled. Cook’s column holds here. Our ferry is homesick, whistling again and again; But still I see how the myth of a daylight bled Standing in ribbons, over our heads, for an hour. Arthur Phillips’s instructions attached to his commission from the Crown were clear: “You are to endeavour by every means to open an intercourse with the natives, and to conciliate their affections, enjoining all our subjects to live in amity and kindness with them, and if any of our subjects shall wantonly destroy them, or to give them any unnecessary interruption in the exercise of their several occupations, it is our will and pleasure that you do cause such offenders to be brought to punishment”. On January 22, a fishing net hauled in a large quantity of fish. The natives came by, made a large shout and took some of the fish as their privileged ownership. The English saw it as primitive pilferage. The next day, the natives came back, struck the fishermen with spears, and ran off with more fish as an assertion of native ownership. There is no evidence that Phillip made any effort to establish a treaty with the natives to cede their lands with any offer of reciprocity. William Wentworth, in 1820, reflecting fallacious white views about the inferiority of Aboriginal people and lack of affinity with cultivation and domesticity, wrote: “The aborigines of this country occupy the lowest place in the gradatory scale of the human species. They have neither houses nor clothing; they are entirely unacquainted with the arts of agriculture; and even the arms which the several tribes have … and the hunting and fishing implements with which they administer to their support, are of the rudest contrivance and workmanship.”	5,846
Angela Scaletta, principal of Angela Grace Design in San Francisco is used to tackling renovation projects. But, when it came time to redesign her own home, built in 1903 by Bay Area architect Edgar A. Mathews, she knew it would be well worth it. “It was outdated and fairly basic,” says Scaletta of the two-bedroom home she shares with her husband. “The flooring hadn’t been refinished in years, the cabinetry and appliances were clunky and old, and there were so many opportunities to improve the flow of the space to make the layout more practical.” The light and bright entry After the four-month transformation with emphasis on the kitchen, bathroom, and living areas, the result is a fresh and updated space with more cohesion and functionality. “There isn’t an inch of our home that I don’t love,” explains Scaletta of the 1,250-square-foot dwelling. “Every element truly makes me smile every day. I’m very proud that we achieved our functional goals while still creating a beautiful, bright space.” Here, Scaletta tells us about the entire process and offers her best advice. Why did you decide to embark on this project? AS: When we purchased the home, we knew that it needed updating but everything was functioning perfectly well. We essentially waited for something major to break, which ended up being a combination of our gas line, dishwasher, and washer/dryer all at the same time. It was fate. And, then we went full steam ahead with a remodel.” The kitchen before the remodel The updated kitchen with a rug found on Etsy and cabinets appointed with hardware by Emtek Tell us about the process and vision. AS: The overall goal was to create something beautiful that made us happy but also felt practical in the long-term. For us, that meant durable materials in case we were to ever move and rent out the home, as well as classic finishes that any future resident would hopefully love and appreciate as well, without being too specific to our personal style. Building materials include Silestone quartz, Fireclay tile, brass hardware, reclaimed redwood, along with the original hardwood oak floors and wavy glass windows. The home itself gets a lot of light but isn’t large, so I felt strongly about a white and light foundation that you could always pop with color through decor. The kitchen before the transformation The all-white renovated kitchen What were the highs and lows? AS: Unfortunately, we demoed the home in early March 2020, so you can imagine the headaches that followed. Work quickly ground to a halt due to Covid, and the project just took much longer than anticipated. The new safety measures in place meant things moved much more slowly than they would have otherwise [limited number of crew on site at a time, a backlogged permitting and inspections process] but the result was worth it. You never know what to really expect until you open up walls, especially in older homes, and sure enough, we got a call from our contractor one day that all of our electrical in the entire home needed to be replaced and brought up to code. It was an extremely significant expense that we weren’t prepared for and added another few weeks to our timeline. That aside, the best part of the remodel was being so deeply involved. I checked in on the project multiple times a week and was able to keep things moving as much as I could. The living room with natural pops of color Your favorite design element now? AS: We intentionally designed the kitchen to have a classic, neutral foundation. However, I added pops of color and personality with the vintage rug (an Etsy find); a woven light fixture; and some more bohemian textiles in the banquette. The kitchen nook is probably my favorite place. Our cabinetmaker created a built-in bench with storage (a bonus) and I had a custom cushion made. It’s the cutest little corner of the home, and it is the best place for that morning coffee or afternoon tea. The transformed dining area just off the kitchen replete with a “Modway” table paired with Wishbone chairs from Rove Concepts; “Luster Double Rounded” sconces from Pottery Barn; and a “Flora” rattan pendant lamp from Pottery Barn Pay Attention to Detail “Be extremely clear and detailed with your scope when working out your initial contract,” says Scaletta. “Scope creep is real and the more you include on the initial contract, the better you can budget, and the fewer surprises there will be.” “Always, always work with a designer,” explains Scaletta. “They have a 10,000-foot view of the process and design and will ensure that everything feels cohesive. Get them involved at least several months before starting the demo, and depending on the size of the project, maybe even sooner.” “Work with your contractor directly on tile calculations,” says Scaletta. “Depending on the type of tile, you will need a 15-percent or more overage, and the contactor always has a strong point of view on how much extra tile they would like to have.” “Layer and be intentional with your lighting,” explains Scaletta. “Think about where you need functional lighting [a can over the sink, or undermount cabinet LEDs] versus where it adds to the design. A pendant and sconces in our kitchen nook added so much polish to that space.” “When thinking about kitchen cabinets and vanities, take inventory of what you need to store and how you prefer to store it,” says Scaletta. “When you get your cabinetry plans, go through the exercise of determining where everything will go and make sure you have a home for everything.”	5,728
The NBN would not exist but for the work of university presses. So every year we celebrate the efforts of our colleagues at UPs during "University Press Week," which happens to be November 14 to 18. This year I talked to Charles Watkinson, director of the University of Michigan Press and president of the Association of University Presses. We discussed what UPs do, what makes them different from other publishers, how UP books are priced, and the future of open access publishing. We also talked about how to make a career in UP publishing. The AUP has a wonderful resource that will answer all your questions about UPs here. Marshall Poe is the founder and editor of the New Books Network. He can be reached at [email protected]. Listen to more episodes on: Marshall Poe is the founder and editor of the New Books Network. He can be reached at [email protected].	946
Everything in life is seen from a perspective, what I perceive as awesome and amazing, you may not see or feel the same way. How I react in a situation can completely change an outcome to a situation. I know everyone has been waiting to know about my life here in China, but I guess I was trying to grasp the correct perspective on how I feel about China. China is a big busy country, and the city/provenance that I live in, Huadu, is much bigger than I thought. Life in china is very different, but also similar. I didn’t know anything about Chinese culture, or how people act, or how people perceive foreigners before arriving. I arrived with a clear slate ready to conquer China. While that ship sank really fast, I had to grasp how I felt about china. Here are two times were perspective was key: When I first arrived in Guangzhou, I was going to stay in a small one bedroom flat. The toilet was a hole in the ground with the kitchen in the same room as the bathroom. As soon as I saw my “apartment” and 5 bugs came walking across the floor to greet me, I cried. I felt like I wasn’t made for this life, I felt defeated. I was ready to pack my bags and go home. (I get this feeling often in new places.) Everyone I talked to simply said, “But didn’t you live in Africa why is China freaking you out? ” That was their perspective on how I should have felt.Now almost 2 months later, when I think back to those moments there were many factors that lead to those feelings. The larger view of that day was: Earlier I had missed my flight, due to not looking at the correct airport. I spent 10 extra hours at the airport and I didn’t get to my “apartment” until 4 in the morning. I was sleep deprived, and emotionally drained. My judgement was clouded, and it made me emotional. Although I only spent less than 6 hours total in that apartment, I moved out, found a completely new apartment and moved in immediately. I was dramatic, the first apartment was okay, it needed some fixing up, but I would of survived. I simply reacted. Instead of looking at all the factors in the equation. My experience teaching. The first time I taught a class I realized teaching English in China is flashy and showy. There isn’t a lot of substance being taught. We play games, read a flash card and sing songs, but everything is memorization. I started to feel depressed, and that I wasn’t walking in my purpose. I didn’t know how to teach to strictly memorization, or exactly what the schools wanted from me. All these emotions were ranging through me, causing me to question my move to China. I needed to take a step back to gather my thoughts. I had to remember why i came to China. I didn’t come to conquer the world or change educational policies here. I simply came to make money and experience a new culture. Once I grounded myself life became easier. The first few weeks I hated everything about China, there weren’t any trees, I never saw the sun, I didn’t understand anything, the grocery store was overwhelming, no one sold chicken. It was all too much. But this was my perspective because everything was new and insanely different. After slowing everything down, making a few friends, life became easier. I’m not stressed about much and I can plan travels for the future and just enjoy life for once. I can just focus on Jill for a little while and figure out my next moves. I know this blog may have taken a while but there will be many more to come. But life is still new and exciting. Posted on August 5, 2018 August 5, 2018 Categories Saving the WorldTags china, china expat, teaching, teaching abroad, Travel, young4 Comments on It Takes a Little Time Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.	3,938
[Note: though I primarily refer to college or university students in this article, the emotional impact of high school closures on teenagers, particularly for seniors, will be similar in nature and intensity.] I was surprised at how viscerally I felt the announcement that colleges around the nation would be closing their doors and going virtual for the remainder of the semester. I’m not a student and only tangentially associated with the school down the road from me. Yet the news caused a physical reaction in me, one I only understood once I took the time to ponder how such a sudden, drastic (and wise) measure would have impacted me when I was a college student—and particularly a senior, just weeks from graduation. (Some non-seniors will probably also experience some form of what I’ll outline below, though without the exacerbating graduation elements. It will feel just as real to them and deserves the same attention and sensitivity.) Some factors are fairly universal in the minds of most of those who have suddenly had life-as-they-know-it turned upside down. Others are more specific go the people group I work with, MKs or Missionaries’ Kids. I’ll address the impact of school closures on both the broader population and this micro-population below. My hope is that you’ll find the following information useful in understanding what some recently-released young people will be feeling as they absorb this new-normal and that you’ll be able to step in to help them process well. There are few things in life as predictable as one’s college trajectory. From the dreaded freshman-fifteen to changes in academic majors or finding out last minute that you’re two credits short… It all plays out according to an established timeline. Then comes a virus that upends everything and predictability—one of the primary stabilizing factors of our lives—suddenly morphs into a whirlwind of shifting unknowns. With the dire warnings saturating media and urgent instructions from school administrators, it feels like more than the proverbial rug being pulled out from under college students. It’s the rug being violently shaken, with them still clinging to it, knowing they’re going to have to let go. Overarching the practical concerns of such cataclysmic change is a deep, sometimes still subconscious sense of loss. This is particularly acute in seniors who are three quarters of the way down the final stretch. They’ve made it through the years leading up to this last semester, this last quarter—the victory lap that would end with a ceremony celebrating their accomplishments. It’s in these months, now taken from them, that they were going crystalize their years of education, the relationships they formed, and the person they became as they learned and developed. Those landmark events like senior recitals, final projects, crucial games/matches, pre-grad celebrations and goodbye parties… All undone with an email from the college. It’s hard to define the seismic shift of such an unpredicted, abrupt ending. In many cases, as graduation approached, there would have been a subconscious countdown of “lasts” in the students’ minds—a sacred series of endings that would have gently ushered them toward that cap-and-gown day that stamped The End on this phase of their lives. Note: To many of them, it’s not just an educational interlude or a four-year parenthesis. It’s a universe of experience, relationship and learning that will never be reproduced. That’s how brutal these closures will feel to some young adults: being robbed of an ending that felt crucial to encapsulating years of hard work, loving and becoming. An essential and galvanizing springboard to the still-a-bit-scary new life that lies ahead. It could take a while for destabilized and shocked young adults to fully comprehend and process the enormity of their loss. They’ll likely feel it, but they may not be able to put words to it yet—the emotional impact of amputated time. The abrupt end of treasured relationships that didn’t get those “closure weeks.” The cancelled milestones they spent years investing in and anticipating. I’ll list below some ways those who love these students can help them, but first, I’d like to zoom in on one particular people group—the one at the center of my life and ministry: Missionaries’ Kids (MKs). Skip to the *** below if this doesn’t apply to you. Why MKs might feel these closures more intensely: I’ve written and spoken fairly extensively about the frequency and intensity of loss in the lives of MKs. (See this article for a more in-depth analysis.) We grow up in the constantly shifting world of ministry, where either our family moves every few months or years, or those around us come and go just as frequently. We live with the gnawing awareness that at some point, someone we love will be called elsewhere, run out of finances or have to leave for myriad other reasons. It’s a simmering sense of loss—current or anticipated—that affects broad areas of our lives. One of those is the way we enter into and experience relationships. (See this article for a more in-depth analysis of this phenomenon.) When we choose to love, we know it will likely end with pain, because the majority of friendships we’ve known have been severed by early goodbyes. So we attach intensely—we make the most of the time we have, knowing it’s limited and unpredictable. It’s the nature of living and loving in the highly-mobile world of ministry. Because of this, there’s a certain comfort to a four-year college career. We can measure its increments because they’re written into the academic calendar. We enter senior year knowing exactly how and when it will end. We pace ourselves, spreading the memory-making over the months that lead to that walk down the graduation aisle, grateful that this time we see the end coming. Then COVID-19 sweeps across the world and obliterates what feels like everything. And the measured, metronomed process of goodbye’ing gets brutally cut short. We may have experienced it before—the destabilizing, anxiety-saturated frenzy of packing up and getting out. Fast. With little notice. With no time to absorb. With no planning possible further than tomorrow or next week. But this time was supposed to be different. This is college. I was supposed to see this ending coming. For seniors, these closures might feel life-shattering and world-upending. (Even more so for MKs, whose lifelong, accumulated grief already runs so deep.) They were going to go on that camping trip with their roommates to cap off their years together. They were going to give their final performance in front of their peers, professors and family. They were going to interview for that local job. They were going to walk through each ending as it appeared on their calendar and have their farewells said by the time graduation came around. Not anymore. College students might not even realize how intense their emotions are right now because they haven’t had the time to think about anything other than packing up and getting out. If you love one of these young adults, be aware that the following—though some of them are contradictory—may be external expressions of grieving. Offer grace, express empathy and extend love as you see them manifesting: Lack of motivation Lashing out Exaggerated emotional responses Fixation on numbing activities (social media, video games, shopping, etc.) Elizabeth Kubler-Ross said, “Grief needs to be witnessed in order to be healed.” It’s a truth that wholly applies to those whose endings have been shockingly canceled. If you have a good relationship with these young people who have just been robbed of so much, help them to identify the losses and disappointments, the sadness or frustrations they’re feeling. If they’re word- or list-people, help them to write down and talk through their emotions. Give them ample space to process and frequent occasions to speak. Invite self-disclosure, but don’t force it. And if you don’t have that kind of relationship, enlist those who do to walk alongside the hurting people you love in this season. Perhaps most importantly, pray for them and with them—for comfort, for clarity, for community, for peace and for the courage to step into this unknown moment in their lives. Courage can be the first victim of upheaval. There’s so much more to say…and this is certainly an incomplete overview of how some of our college students might be processing these events. Nonetheless, I hope it offers a place from which to launch an ongoing conversation with those who have suddenly lost so much. The following articles further explore healthy ways to address and live with grief—because it may take a while for it lessen. You may find them useful as well. Tips for MKs in a Season of Grief Please join the conversation! Contribute your thoughts in the comments section below Use the social media links to Like and Share this article Many of these articles are now available in podcast form. Simply search for “Pondering Purple” on your usual pod platforms, or click this link to be taken to its host page. To subscribe to this blog, email [email protected] and write “subscribe” in the subject line Pick up Of Stillness and Storm (my novel about a missionary calling gone awry) on Amazon Comments […] Do you know an MK who will not be able to graduate as planned? How about anyone going to college or university and been asked to leave campus? Michele Phoenix, MK advocate and fellow TCK, offers some insight into how they might be feeling, and what you can do about it. […] […] The Emotional Impact Of Campus Closures (Michele Phoenix, personal blog): “There are few things in life as predictable as one’s college trajectory. From the dreaded freshman‐fifteen to changes in academic majors or finding out last minute that you’re two credits short… It all plays out according to an established timeline. Then comes a virus that upends everything and predictability—one of the primary stabilizing factors of our lives—suddenly morphs into a whirlwind of shifting unknowns.” […]	10,372
An Implant acts like a natural tooth root and is finished off with a restoration such as a dental crown to help restore the function of your teeth, look good and feel natural. Request an Appointment What are dental implants? An implant is a small metal screw that replaces an entire tooth. In a brief surgical procedure, the dentist inserts an implant into the bone beneath your gums right in the spot where a tooth should be. The implant acts like a natural tooth root and is finished off with a restoration such as a dental crown to help it look and feel just like a real tooth. Getting dental implants is a big deal. You think you might like an implant, but you aren’t sure what to expect. We explain everything here so that you can make an informed decision about your dental treatment. Learn of the many ways we've enhanced the smiles and dental experiences of so many clients! Tyler J I just started going to this dentist recently and I'm in love. Every staff member is amazing, kind and knowledgeable. I've had lots work done so far, including a root canal and they've all been excellent experiences. Staff are patient and kind and I never feel patronized or talked down to like I had been with other dentists. For once in my life, I look forward to going to the dentist. Ashish P Such a wonderful experience! I was very happy with the cavity filling experience I had. I would definitely recommend visiting to anybody searching for a dentist! Best dentist visit ever! Everyone was kind, friendly and went above and beyond! Very happy with my entire visit and this is where my entire family will be going from now on! Why you might need dental implants Your natural teeth provide support for the height and shape of your smile, and they allow you to eat and speak comfortably. A gap in your smile could allow your other teeth to drift out of healthy functional alignment. If that happens, your risk of developing oral health problems increases. Losing just one tooth can trigger a chain of events in your mouth that negatively impact your oral health, the appearance of your face, and your overall quality of living. Even if you don’t experience these effects of missing teeth, there’s one problem you can’t avoid: bone resorption. This is a natural process in which your body breaks down non-essential bone tissue to use the minerals elsewhere in your body. When you have teeth in your jawbone, they push against it and stimulate the production of new bone tissue. But once those teeth are gone, that bone tissue serves no useful purpose, so it slowly dissolves away. The result? A shortened jaw and chin that cause wrinkles and give your cheeks and lips a sunken appearance. Having dental implants is the second best thing to having natural teeth. You can prevent or correct the issues listed above by replacing lost teeth with implants. Having dental implants is the second best thing to having natural teeth. You can prevent or correct the issues listed above by replacing lost teeth with implants. Losing a tooth can be devastating. A missing tooth can make us feel self-conscious about our smile and may lead to a variety of health problems. Gaps can make your bite feel uncomfortable, cause difficulties eating the food you love and may lead to bone loss or shifting teeth. Restore your natural appearance - Dental implants look and feel like your own teeth. They become permanent, “perfect” teeth as they are custom made to blend in with your smile. Implants look natural because they are sized, shaped and coloured to match your unique bite and natural enamel colour. Feel confident in your comfort - When a dental implant is placed your jaw bone actually fuses with the titanium post as it heals. A crown or bridge can be permanently affixed to the post or the implant may be used to secure implant-supported dentures but one thing is certain: That dental implant is not moving. Laugh, smile and eat your favourite foods. Shifting teeth or sudden pain won’t even cross your mind. Improve bone strength - When teeth are lost, the bone that supports those teeth can begin to atrophy and weaken over time. Dental Implants stimulate new bone growth around the implant, strengthening the bone structure. Dental implants are a long-term solution that feels natural and lasts decades with proper oral hygiene. A restoration is the “false tooth” that covers the implant. The implant is not visible when you smile, but the restoration that covers it is what makes it look like you have a new tooth. Dental Crown - This is the most common implant restoration, and it covers a single-tooth implant. Dental Bridge - A bridge spans the gap in places where multiple teeth in a row are missing. You can replace several teeth with just one or two implants that support a dental bridge. A full implant-supported bridge is an entire arch of upper or lower teeth that are fixed to four or more implants. Implant Denture - Give a removable denture more stability by clipping it onto two small implants. Your smile won’t be the same after you get a dental implant; it’s going to be much better. Dental implants are easy to maintain and care for. Gently brush and floss your implant daily and protect it from injury while playing sports. Visit us periodically for checkups so that we can make sure your implant is staying healthy. In return, your dental implant could reward you with many years of strong, happy, and beautiful smiles! Start today by booking a consultation Request an Appointment How it feels Although having a metal implant inserted into the bone of your mouth sounds painful, the procedure is far more comfortable than you might expect. We will numb your mouth with a mild anesthetic so that you don’t feel any pain during the surgery. Advanced dental technology allows us to place implants quickly, accurately, and conservatively. This means less discomfort and downtime for you during recovery. Some implant patients report feeling bored and even sleepy during the brief half hour it takes to place their implant. The most uncomfortable part for you may be having to hold your mouth open for a few minutes at a time, but that’s all. It is normal to experience some swelling, discomfort, and even bruising in the next several hours after the procedure. The pain is mild and very easy to manage, however. We will give you specific instructions so that you can start minimizing the discomfort before the anesthetic wears off. Your surgical implant site should start feeling better within a week. It might help you to know that dental implants have a success rate of nearly 95%. Getting an implant is one of the safest and most predictable procedures in dentistry. What to expect on your dental implant treatment journey The actual implant placement process is much more comfortable than you might imagine. Assessment First, you’ll have a dental implant consultation to find out if implants are right for you. Your dentist will take X-rays and a 3D cone-beam CT scan of your jaw to evaluate the bone tissue and plan your treatment. The dental team will take a scan or impression of your teeth to help them plan the angulation of your implant. We administer an anesthetic so that the surgical site will be completely numb. The dentist creates a small hole in the gums and bone of your mouth. The dentist places the implant post in the hole. Sometimes (but not always) sutures are needed to close up the gums. Finalizing the restoration You go home to let your implant heal over the course of the next few months. You come back to the practice where we will have your dental restoration ready to go. We will place the restoration and you will leave with a brand-new and fully functional tooth. Your consultation will include an examination of everything from your teeth, gums and soft tissues to the shape and condition of your bite. Generally, we want to see how your whole mouth looks and functions. Before we plan your treatment we want to know everything about the health and aesthetic of your smile, and, most importantly, what you want to achieve so we can help you get there. In Napanee you can expect to pay approximately $3,000 - $6,000+ for a single implant. Full-mouth reconstructive dental implants can cost anywhere from $6,000 to $60,000 and up. The cost for a full set of implant-supported dentures averages out to about $30,000. Keep in mind that no dental practice can provide you with an accurate quote over the phone. The dental implant procedure is very complex and depends on many factors that are unique from person to person. How is the cost of dental implant surgery determined? Here are some important factors: The type and number of implants you need. The materials and supplies that are used. The time and experience of the dental team that will be with you every step of the way. The location and complexity of the surgery. Your recovery time. We will be here for you for as long as you need us. Every case is different so it's important to speak with a dentist and to have an oral exam to allow us to evaluate your unique situation and provide you with different treatment options to consider. We would be happy to provide you with a more accurate quote. Are there other solutions for missing teeth? Gaps caused by 1 to 3 missing teeth can sometimes be repaired with a dental bridge. A lot of missing teeth on the top or bottom or the whole mouth may be repaired with a dental prosthetic or removable dentures. When comparing the cost of dental implants to other tooth-replacement options it is important to consider the pros and cons. Dental implants may require a steeper initial investment but they are more secure and durable than bridges or dentures. Removable dental prosthetics require different care and maintenance and you may need to have them adjusted or replaced as you age. By contrast, you take care of your dental implant like you would take care of your natural teeth, with routine oral care at home and routine dental exams. With proper care, a dental implant can last a lifetime. Frequently Asked Questions Will anyone notice that I have dental implants? Absolutely no one ever has to know that your implants are not your natural teeth. Dental implants are made of metal screws, but these are hidden beneath your gums and covered with lifelike restorations that blend in naturally with the rest of your smile. Is it better to get dentures or implants? Dentures and implants are not the same thing and they function in very different ways. Dentures rest on top of your gums and press down on the underlying bone tissue. Implants strengthen your bite because they are fixed well below your gums. Both tooth replacement options have unique pros and cons. We recommend that you visit us in person to find out which treatment is best for you. For patients who are not good candidates for dental implants, dental bridges and full or partial dentures may be the best option for replacing missing teeth. The best way to find out what solutions exist for your specific needs is to call and book an appointment. We would be happy to discuss all your options and answer any specific questions you may have. Can anyone get dental implants? To get an implant you must be an adult and have good general oral health. Your jawbone must be strong enough to support a new implant and other supporting tissues, like your gums, must be healthy to reduce the risk of complications. If you’re concerned that you might not be a viable candidate, give us a call to find out for sure. There are usually treatment options available to restore your oral health with the ultimate goal of getting a dental implant and there are often alternative solutions to replacing missing teeth. Yes! Your dental implant may be topped by a crown, a bridge or implant-supported dentures that will always be custom made to make you feel comfortable. That means your custom-made teeth are shaped and coloured to match your existing teeth and bite. Patients often have difficulty distinguishing their natural teeth from their beautiful new dental implants. The science of dental implants has evolved so rapidly from its early days that it is now a very predictable and relatively pain-free procedure. The dental implant procedure is completed with such care and precision you’ll experience as little discomfort as possible. With proper aftercare, you can expect minimal swelling and almost no bleeding. Your physical and emotional health are both important to us. If you feel anxious about visiting us for any reason, please let us know. When can I return to work after dental implant surgery? In most cases, you can return to work the day after your implant surgery. Once we know exactly what your treatment will entail, we can give you a much more accurate time estimate and can let you know in advance if you should clear your schedule for longer. We always discuss all post-operative care instructions with you. How often will I need to have checkups after a dental implant? The success of your implants will depend greatly on how well you maintain them. They need to be professionally cleaned and examined routinely, just like your natural teeth. We usually recommend a check-up approximately every 6 months but may recommend check-ups more or less often depending on your specific requirements. How do I care for my dental implants? Care for your dental implants like a natural tooth. Regular brushing & flossing, cleanings and checkups and letting your doctor know if you have any problems. Do dental implants have to be replaced? No, implants do not need to be routinely replaced. Once you get a dental implant, it is meant to stay with you for a very long time.	14,129
She is a beautiful actress with incredible talent and skills. Her primary source came from movies, TV series, Endorsements, and Public Presence. With an $8 million net worth, she is living her life to the fullest. She takes around $500K per episode in web series. Florence Pugh owns a beautiful house located in the posh areas of Los Angeles, California. This mansion features 5 bedrooms, three bedrooms, and a powder room. It also has a swimming pool and a cozy theater built-in house. The house is located in a place where she can enjoy the amazing view of the hills and ocean. She was born on 3 January 1996, in Oxford. Her father, Clinton Pugh, owned a restaurant her mother, Deborah Pugh, was a dancer. She has three siblings who are actors and actresses as well. Her brother is actor and musician Toby Sebastian, and her sisters are Arabella Gibbins and Rafaela Pugh. She suffered from tracheomalacia as a child, which led to frequent hospitalization. She and her family moved to Spain, hoping the warm weather can help and improve her health. And moved back to Oxford when she was six years old. Florence attended a Private School at Wychwood School as well as St. Edward School, Oxford. Florence's Career and Achievements Pugh made her professional acting debut in the mystery drama The Falling, in which she played a precocious teenager opposite Maisie Williams, while still in school. In the same year, the actress was nominated for Best British Newcomer at the BFI London Film Festival and for Young British/Irish Performer of the Year by the London Film Critics Circle. In 2016, starred in the independent drama Lady Macbeth and also appeared in the first series of the ITV detective series Marcella. She won the BIFA Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a British Independent Film for the role as she played Katherine, an unhappily married teenage bride who grows violent in Lady Macbeth. In 2018, Pugh garnered a nomination for the BAFTA Rising Star Award at the 71st British Academy Film Awards. She then played Cordelia in Anthony Hopkins' titular King Lear in Richard Eyre's television film King Lear and appeared in the short film Leading Lady Parts in support of the Time's Up initiative. Later that year, She portrayed Elizabeth de Burgh in the Netflix historical film Outlaw King. She also starred in the adaptation of John le Carré's spy novel The Little Drummer Girl. Her breakthrough started when she played in three movies in 2019. She played Wrestler Paige in Fighting With My Family, a comedy-drama film. Then she starred in the horror film Midsommar. Pugh starred in Little Women, a period drama film adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's novel of the same name directed by Greta Gerwig. Pugh portrayed Yelena Belova, a spy, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero film Black Widow. She reprised the role in the Disney+ series Hawkeye later in the year. Pugh was featured on her brother's song "Midnight", released on 15 May 2021. In 2022, Pugh starred in the thriller Don't Worry Darling, directed by Olivia Wilde, and the drama The Wonder, an adaptation of Emma Donoghue's novel of the same name. Florence is in a relationship with American actor and filmmaker Zach Braff from 2019 to 2022. The two met on the set of the short film In the Time It Takes to Get There, which Braff directed, and lived together in Los Angeles. She is a beautiful and talented actress, with millions of fan following around the world. She has 8.4 million followers on Instagram and about 375.7K followers on Twitter. She is very much loved by her followers. Florence is very active on her social pages. She posts about herself and the events where she goes to. And she stays connected with her fans and loved ones through this social media.	3,967
Last night, I was clearing out closets and drawers filled with crinkly class pictures, forgotten report cards that had once caused tears, Mother's Day crafts, and old credit card statements (which are so revealing and fun to look at!!) and I found a family "Home Book" I had started 11 years ago. It was a craft papered notebook (positively prehistoric!) divided up into sections where I could keep track of the family doctor's phone number and when we'd last been to the dentist, eye appointments, our dreams, and our monthly budget. It was a beautiful book that I did not use at all. Not one entry. In my defence, I created it when I was already back-to-work with a 2 year old and new baby, in a very frantic attempt to feel like I had it together when I resolutely did not have it together. Twice that year I forgot to do up my newborn's carseat harness after she'd drifted off to sleep, unbuckled and covered in a blanket, at a friend's house. I just clipped that car seat in and drove away... cut to cataclysmic Shopper's Drug Mart parking lot meltdown when I realized what I'd done. For the second time. I was not in the headspace to enter doctor's appointments into a notebook - old-school, ledger style. It was funny though to read the ne'er re-visited goals I had laid out for our family at that time - where the kids would go to school, the money we'd make, the health and body goals.... Some of the things we accomplished for sure (hello, travel dreams!) but much of it just seemed silly. We had no idea what goals to set because we were doing it all backwards - deciding to put all of our effort into achieving external measures of success, hoping we'd feel good when we got there... without ever taking the time to define what "feeling good" meant to us. Did feeling good mean: relaxed? connected? What? What did it mean then and what does it mean today? One of the hardest shifts in food and body work is getting away from the number on a scale or the "perfect day of eating", dictating success. These external metrics of accomplishment that control our days are flawed, filled with the unrealistic and unexplored expectations of diet culture that, more often than not, force you to sacrifice how you want to FEEL and what you value in life, in order to achieve them. Your goal is to keep your carbs below X number of grams per day. You read it was a good idea and you decide to stick to it. Seems great until... your body wants MORE!!! And you find yourself spending the every moment of your day trying to shift exhausting, persistent food thoughts, sipping on sugar-free sodas and way too much coffee, nibbling on high-fat "chocolate" treats that promise to satisfy but don't, bulldozing your way through another headache, and suffering the digestive upset of a lipid heavy day (yay, anal leakage!). If you don't keep the carbs down, you fail. But even in the off chance that you're "successful" at keeping the carbs at bay, you have to ask the question: has this day actually been a success? Have you really been able to FEEL how you want to feel? Does any of that feel relaxed, abundant, connected, or spacious. Does it feel healthy and energizing? Probably not. Most likely, the best you could hope for from a day like that is: I feel morally superior for sticking to the rules of diet culture today, despite the fact that I had no fun and am terrified I won't be able to hang on again tomorrow. I was not planning to end my birthday email to you (I turn 43 on Friday!) with a story of anal leakage... so let's right this ship! You want to feel good. There are certain feelings you're after and many different ways to get there. In an attempt to help you find those feeling words and destroy the unrealistic expectations that keep wanting to pull you back into crappy external measures of success - I'd love to offer up these three things: A. My feeling words. The words that dictate the clothes I choose to the snack I have at 11am: inspired, magnetic, radiant, abundant, and travelled. Will you hit reply and share yours? B. A plethora of free resources that'll help you on the journey: HERE. You'll find an intuitive eating quiz, the Juicy Body Blueprint Self-Study, and my Find Food Freedom ebook. C. A reminder that this summer - the structure of the Juicy Body Blueprint has changed to include 1:1 sessions with me AND I'll be releasing an Intentional Intuitive Eating e-book - so that you can break down the current diet beliefs in your head and find a way of eating that does actually help you feel your best while being in alignment with your feeling words and values. Imagine that?! Hint: for some people, it does involve fewer carbs. Others need MORE carbs. It's complicated and I'll help you sort it out. I'll also be releasing a Juicy Body Blueprint Workbook and Sensuality as Self-Care e-book - and those in the program will have first dibs at these incredible resources. Don't forget to hit reply and tell me your feeling words! sub this restrictive rule for ANY restrictive rule related to carbs or calories or macros or whatever.	5,136
Is it possible for brothers and sisters to work together? Is there still an underlying competition, dating back to the nastiest of childhood rants: “Mom always liked you the best!”!!! On occasion, the family company is put in jeopardy. Family businesses can work just as well with family members as they can with non-family members unless siblings aren't getting along. A fight between, or among, siblings is one of the most common roadblocks to a thriving family-owned and operated company. Any parent who starts a business hopes to pass it on to their children one day. However, these fantasies can easily transform into nightmares. When competing personalities are involved, even the best-laid plans of family business leaders can easily fall apart. When passing a business on to multiple children, parents can unintentionally build an atmosphere that fosters pressure, strife, and, ultimately, disaster. The reason for this is mostly due to personality differences. - child is special, as anyone with several children will testify, and sometimes has a completely different personality than their brothers or sisters. It's normal, but it can cause problems at work. That is why the vast majority of family businesses do not survive to the third generation. According to research, sibling rivalry among family members and a lack of formal business structure are often to blame. In 2010, the Northeastern University Center for Family Business held a panel discussion titled "How Relatives Relate: Siblings in Business Together" with two sets of siblings operating two family businesses. All of the siblings were brothers, and they talked about their family relationships and experiences running their family business, as well as offering advice about how to deal with common issues. Childhood rivalries resurface at work, turning the workplace into yet another arena for resentments and rivalry in a complicated, lifelong relationship. What types of competition do they face on a regular basis, and how will this affect the family business? And, in a similar case, what does a family-business practitioner do? Details will be discussed in the article below! Sibling Rivalry Managing a business with family members raises a number of problems that can have a significant effect on the company's survival, as shown by studies showing that only 30% of family companies survive to the second generation, and only 10% survive to the third. Conflict between the children involved in the company can be particularly damaging among the various issues that lead to such failures. This type of dispute is known as "sibling rivalry," and it can be destructive when the siblings are heavily involved in the family business and are fiercely competitive with one another. Sibling rivalry has two origins, according to behavioral research: emotional and strategic. ‍ 1. Emotion-based rivalry The first form of rivalry is motivated by a childhood emotional problem. This can be seen at various levels of intensity among children who may compete with one another for their parents' affection, recognition, and love. In such situations, the parents can display their preference for one child over the other, either consciously or unconsciously. According to several surveys, almost two-thirds of adults said their parents had favorites. During childhood, this circumstance creates a rivalry between siblings as they compete for a limited resource: their parents' attention. This basic problem is corrected in adulthood when parents have taught their children properly. However, if this is not the case, the siblings' emotional maturity remains at that of an infant, and they are ill-equipped to cope with their need to be cherished. The competition for their parents' love and attention can be so severe that it often contributes to unhealthy organizational conflicts. In certain situations, the sibling rivalry becomes so intense that the siblings are unable to work together in the same setting. It could, in some situations, directly contribute to the failure of the business transition. SOLUTION: It is important to focus on enhancing the emotional intelligence of children in order to resolve emotion-based rivalry. This can be achieved by allowing them to participate in tasks outside of the company, such as working in another company. Off-farm interactions like these will help them understand their own worth and believe in their own abilities. They will gain more self-assurance and realize that they do not need as much affection and recognition from their parents. Another way to avoid this problem is to make sure that the siblings do not work in the same department. They won't be able to compare themselves to one another as much this way, and they'll have to rely on each other's expertise. Siblings fighting to outshine each other in front of their parents are less likely if they have two distinct areas of expertise. Seeking professional assistance can also be very beneficial in dealing with this issue. There are two options to consider. In order to develop their emotional intelligence, the specialist should interact directly with both parents and children. Another option is for the specialist to assist the siblings with their emotional intelligence and lack of trust. It's important to understand that if the root of the issue isn't addressed, the rivalry will last long after the parents' deaths. This is because the problem stems from a childhood mental deficit, not from the siblings' relationship. ‍ Read: Ways to Manage Conflict in a Family Business‍ 2. Strategy-based rivalry Strategic competition can also be seen. The issues are rooted in the company's divergent visions in this situation. The kids, for example, can't agree on business objectives, risk tolerance, positions, obligations, or salaries. This may also be attributed to a sibling's personal problems, such as if one brother is always late. This might not be a concern if the siblings just see each other a few times a year at family events, but it may become a major problem if they work together. In the workplace, tardiness can lead to a variety of conflicts. A sibling's addiction to alcohol, narcotics, sex, or technology causes a similar problem. If the siblings work together every day, the addiction will have a much greater impact on their relationship. SOLUTION: Strategic planning with a specialist will help determine the organization's vision and purpose, as well as the laws, paycheque, holidays, and business objectives, among other things. The professional will also attend the annual meeting to help encourage dialogue and ensure that everyone is on board with the family's overall goals. Finally, pick your fight! Sibling rivalry is a major problem that needs to be resolved right away. Otherwise, the family company will be destroyed or even bankrupted. Once you've distinguished between the two causes of sibling rivalry, you may focus on seeking suitable remedies, keeping in mind that certain siblings can exhibit symptoms of both rivalries. Your top priority is to be one of the 10% who succeeds. When siblings are at odds, it's not as easy as getting a fast sit-down to repair the relationship. The clash of personalities that caused the chasm in the first place is also the explanation for the difficulty in reaching a resolution. Making changes to how a dispute is handled is important, and it all begins with figuring out how each sibling wants to express themselves. There are five common conflict revolution models, according to the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Paradigm: Competing, Collaborating, Compromising, Avoiding, and Accommodating. Knowing when to use which style is crucial to resolving the dispute, reaching a mutually beneficial compromise, and, most importantly, assisting the business. As a family business consultant, I spend time with each sibling to learn not only about their problems with their brother or sister, but also about how they choose to handle conflict.I then use this knowledge to bring all parties to a neutral state, where they can see how their actions affect their sibling and their business. Most siblings are able to "buy-in" and start changing their behavior until they realize the implications of their actions. A recent situation between a sister and brother, both in their 40s and working for the family company, is depicted in the following example. This example shows how recognizing your conflict style and making changes will benefit both your sibling relationship and your company. These siblings are second-generation co-owners of the company their parents created. The CEO's sister has an MBA, has worked outside of the business, and has held many leadership positions. The younger brother has only worked in the family business and has a two-year community college diploma. At first, the older sister was enraged and irritated by her brother's perceived lack of management skills. When she interacted with her brother, she was typically defensive and used a "Competing" confrontation style. Her brother had a more passive personality and developed a "Avoiding" style when it came to dealing with conflict at work, especially with his girlfriend. Neither was aware of the frustration and dissatisfaction that their dispute solving styles were causing among the staff. Furthermore, crucial decisions requiring both of their input were not taken in a timely fashion. They were both open to evaluating their own styles and making behavioral improvements after we pointed out how their approaches to conflict were negatively impacting the workers and the business. They realized that their failure to provide a fruitful dispute resolution mechanism was creating significant problems in the organization. The types of decisions that would fit best for the five different styles were decided. They've greatly decreased negative experiences, employee productivity has increased, and they've met their sales targets (in spite of COVID-19). It doesn't happen immediately, and I use a variety of behavioral interventions and advice to assist them. Over time, the sibling working relationship improves dramatically. Repairing the relationship will take time, but it is the only way to forge a new path forward and reach a settlement that all parties will agree on. ‍ Read: Becoming an Effective Executive Member in a Family Business Sometimes this entails one sibling leaving the company, and other times it entails establishing solid governance that eliminates gray areas and directs all future decision-making. The ultimate aim, however, is to establish a system that benefits the business while still preserving the family relationship. Since prevention is better than cure, the first step in succession planning should be to consider the possibility of sibling rivalry. While ensuring sibling fairness is a good idea, it isn't always the best option. A better alternative would be to offer the company to a few children rather than all of them, with non-shareholding children being compensated appropriately. If this isn't feasible, will a well-drafted shareholders agreement be used to resolve any conflict? If it's too late, resolving the dispute to prevent damage to the company must be the top priority. A trustworthy non-family member in a position of authority (e.g. chairman) may be useful in helping to diffuse family problems by being able to see things critically. If they can't handle the feuding siblings, the only alternative could be a de-merger of the company or an exit by one of the feuding shareholders. However, if everybody wishes to retain the company, finding a compromise may be difficult. Judicial action may be the only option at that stage, but formal alternative dispute resolution mechanisms such as mediation should be pursued before resorting to litigation. In conclusion, as any parent knows, sibling rivalries can be a bloodbath. It can be extremely damaging to a business. If informal methods of resolving the conflict are unsuccessful, formal legal avenues may be pursued (click here for a more detailed article on this topic), but they are costly and time-consuming. If it comes to that, you can seek legal advice from an experienced lawyer as soon as possible. Sibling rivalries have existed since the beginning of time, but in a family business, avoiding confrontation and establishing governance rules between warring parties is critical to survival. For the perfect integration of business operations, inventory, sales, and business accounting and financial records, you can use easy-to-use ERP software according to your business needs such as SAP B1. By using this ERP software, your business can easily collect the data needed as well as become a reference for accurate decision making. Schedule a 45-minute-free consultation with TBI Senior Consultants to help your business grow with ERP. Family Business Small and Medium Business Continue reading Jul 11, 2021 Jul 11, 2021 by Oct 4, 2021 Oct 4, 2021 by Jul 11, 2021 Jul 11, 2021 by Get great curated articles every week. Curated articles on strategy, guides and tips on how to optimize the suitable technology to grow your business after this pandemic Thank you! Your submission has been received! Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form. Grow your business rapidly with a streamlined operation. Family Business's Expert Partner in Business Process & Technology ERP Support Careers SAP Business One mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP Business One SE (or an SAP Business One affiliate company) in Germany and other countries. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.	14,524
Employees’ pay has traditionally been based on the specific jobs they perform. However, another model of pay is gaining popularity in recent years, one based on the capabilities of employees rather than on the characteristics of their jobs. It is often known as person-based pay, in contrast to job-based pay, and goes by various names, including pay for knowledge, skill-based pay and competency-based pay. There are many advantages of using pay for knowledge. It improves employee engagement and increases workforce flexibility as workers learn the skills to perform different functions. When properly designed and effectively implemented in the right circumstances, pay for knowledge systems can improve company performance. However, effective use of such systems can be complex, raising questions as to the overall benefits to many employers. Nonetheless, many Canadian firms are adopting these systems for at least some of their workforce. A recent survey of 261 firms revealed that about 22 per cent of medium to large Canadian firms currently use pay for knowledge, with the average user implementing it for about half of its workforce. Industries with above-average usage include wholesaling/retailing, manufacturing, resources and communications, but examples can be found in almost every sector. Neither company size nor union status seems to affect the incidence of pay for knowledge, but company growth is a significant factor, as more rapidly growing firms are more likely to use the system. The premise of these systems is employees are paid according to the package of skills, knowledge and competencies that each possesses — regardless of the particular job they are doing at any given time. It should be noted that skill-based pay (SBP) and competency-based pay (CBP) are really two distinct types of pay for knowledge systems, with different characteristics and different costs and benefits. Skill-based pay systems tend to focus on the production or service provision level, while competency-based pay focuses on the managerial or professional level. Skill-based pay for the front line Skill-based pay systems typically involve the use of a skill grid, which is comprised of a number of skill blocks, usually a dozen or so. The horizontal axis on the grid might include all the different types of functions required to keep a particular production or service process operating, while the vertical axis would represent the depth of skills needed for each function. The horizontal axis in a chemical plant might include process operator, quality control, packaging and maintenance functions, while the vertical axis would depict the depth of skill that the employee has achieved in each of these functions. When an employee is certified as possessing the specific skills identified in a particular skill block, he is given a raise in base pay to reflect this new capability. Every skill block has a specified pay raise associated with it. Generally, employees are expected to acquire skills horizontally before increasing their depth of skills. The ultimate goal is to have all employees capable of performing all job functions, thus creating a highly skilled and flexible workforce. Flexibility is especially beneficial for organizations in which various parts of the production or service process peak and ebb at different times, or for which there is a high degree of unpredictability in the production/service operations or in customer demand. For example, a big order may need expediting, or there may be parts shortages or breakdowns in certain production processes, requiring employees to move from an idle function to one of high activity. Skill-based pay also makes it easier to cover for employee absences. Although the earliest adopters of skill-based pay tended to apply it to production employees, firms are also applying SBP to service employees. Knowledgeable customer-service employees performing broader jobs can handle a wider range of customer issues without having to pass them off to other employees. An SBP system also tends to be more motivating and enjoyable for employees, increasing employee satisfaction and reducing turnover. Another advantage of skill-based pay is that it supports the behaviour needed by a firm attempting to practise high-involvement management. The system allows employees to be more effective in decision-making, and to be able to exercise judgment and take quick action when the situation requires it. It allows individuals and teams to be more self-managing. Because of the more efficient use of the workforce, a firm using skill-based pay should be able to operate with a smaller labour force. Part of this reduction will come from a reduction in managerial, supervisory and inspection positions, as well as some specialty positions, such as maintenance mechanics or electricians. Downsides to skill-based pay Of course, a skill-based pay system has many disadvantages and will not pay off for all firms. A major disadvantage is that it may give rise to situations where employees are overpaid relative to what competitors are paying for the specific job currently performed. In fact, this is quite likely, especially if SBP has been in place for some time, resulting in most employees achieving the top pay grade. In general, employees operating under a pay for knowledge system earn considerably more than employees not working under this system. Also, once an individual is at the top grade, what is the incentive to continue learning and updating skills? There must be some system that requires re-skilling as certain skills become out of date. Furthermore, if employees are not rotated through jobs regularly, skills may atrophy. But senior employees may resent having to spend some of their time doing the less-advanced jobs in order for less-senior employees to perform the more advanced jobs. In addition, pay for knowledge systems lead to increased training costs, both in terms of the cost of training and the need to take employees off the job while training takes place. Skill-based pay is more complex to administer than job-based pay, due to the need to identify and administer certification procedures, which determine whether an employee actually possesses a given skill and is entitled to be paid for it. Adjusting the system to the market may also be more difficult than for job-based systems if there are no other firms with skill-based pay systems to use as a comparison. Moreover, it may not be feasible to apply SBP to all jobs in a given firm, creating a need to maintain both skill- and job-based systems. Skill-based pay is more complex for employees to understand, and not all employees may have the ability or desire to learn multiple jobs. Unions may resist pay for knowledge systems because wages are based on skill levels, not seniority. Finally, pay for knowledge systems may appear to be inconsistent with some pay equity laws, which generally stipulate that employees should be paid for what they actually do rather than for their capabilities. However, most pay equity laws do allow for factors such as skill levels and relevant experience to be factored into the pay equation, as long as these are applied consistently to both male and female employees. Given all of this, when does a skill-based pay system pay off for an employer? The key factors are a high need, hence a high payoff, for flexibility, and the extent to which the employer is willing and able to practise high-involvement management. High involvement management entails a whole set of inter-related human resource practices, including extensive training, open communication and information sharing, participative management, and pay practices that tie employee goals to those of the firm, such as profit-sharing. Competency-based pay for management Many firms are attempting to apply the concept of pay for knowledge to their professional and managerial personnel through the use of competency-based pay systems. These systems are much more problematic than skill-based systems and virtually nothing is known about their effectiveness. This is partly due to the enormous confusion and lack of precision about just what constitutes a “competency-based system.” (For more on competency-based pay for managers and professionals, go to www.hrreporter.com, click on “Advanced Search” and enter Article #3707 or click on the related article link below.) Overall, given all these problems, it is not at all clear that competency-based pay — unlike skill-based pay — is a practice from which many employers would benefit. Richard Long is a professor of human resources management at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. He is the author of Strategic Compensation in Canada, published in Toronto by Nelson Thomson Canada. He can be reached at (306) 966-8398 or [email protected]. Latest stories Employee turnover rises significantly Minor job growth seen in November 10 paid sick days now a reality The Canadian HR Newswire is a FREE weekly newsletter that keeps you up to date on news, opinion and analysis about the field of human resources. Please enter email address below to subscribe.	9,178
Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin was a rhyme repeated during the “Billy Goat’s Gruff” fairytale and one that actually applied to the state of my facial hair during 2012. My Alopecia started on my chin in November 2011 – two tiny little dots which I thought were just that – wee dots where hair didn’t grow. Until they started to spread. Obviously like any other person who cared about their looks I was worried – in fact I was majorly freaked out if truth be told. Bordering on daily obsession! As The ‘wee dots’ graduated into ‘big dots’ I tried to remain calm – while simultaneously obsessively checking the reaction of people I bumped into and whether they thought I had some human form of mange! “You can hardly notice” was the familiar war-cry from my pals – god bless them I thought and smiled, “you lying bastards” were the words dancing in my head behind my grin. Here is an image of my chin taken in March 2012, when the wee spots got bigger – excuse the up nose shot! Losing hair of the chinny chin chin As you can see I naturally have very dark hair and if I didn’t shave everyday then it was more obvious (as I later discovered when shaving my head). I chose to shave everyday to make it less obvious and stop me from getting as paranoid. I never really sported facial hair anyway, but as soon as the choice to have a goatee or a full on beard were taken away – I started looking at passing bearded guys with seething jealousy! “Why you” I thought. And what a waste of facial hair some of them were. “If I was rocking a beard right now it would be much better than his”. For the time being I persevered and shaved daily. I waited for it to get worse and it did – further spots appeared and started to bleed into each other, by June I was getting used to the weekly expanse of smooth skin appearing on my face. I still cared if a passing person made comment or a work colleague had a vacant, lingering stare. It was also the first thing I told new people “Are you looking at my beard? Ah its a form of alopecia I think” I managed to mumble out in my strange yet sad paranoia. I must have been a joy to meet, I think most people assumed I was on the bus to Crazytown! It was what it was. But it was getting worse… starting to save on shaving gel.. The image above was taken in June 2012 and you can see from the dark rings under my eyes that I wasn’t sleeping and it was getting to me. It had become my obsession – I was rather like a patchy-chinned Gollum. Craving regrowth, an answer or a cure as he craved the mysterious ring. None of the things I craved came. As soon as I accepted it was going to continue, I started to realise I had to live with this the best way I could. How I began to cope and cheer up!! The best way I thought I could live with this – after all the tears and upset and obsessing was simply to let go. Let go of the stress, paranoia and endless discussion of my hair loss. I tried anti-depressants – which really helped at that time. Not advising anyone else should follow this route, but speak to a doctor and see what they say. At this time I also got referred to a dermatologist who simply said – “It may come back, it may not, all your hair may fall out – be prepared”. Words I thought harsh at the time but am glad I got a dose of tough love. Once with a mixture of the above and the ongoing constant support from my partner (amazing and understanding), family and friends (ditto) – I started to get used to it and when the thoughts (less regular now) entered my head – I gave an imaginary 2 fingered salute to them! A huge Fck You to the pain that had been a constant thorn in my side for the first 6 months of 2012. By July it had got worse but I started to laugh at it – The wee section left of my moustache now resembled Hitler‘s to top everything else off! Instead of crying, worrying or hiding – I embraced that stupid little stretch of ‘tache and laughed at myself when I saw it. Take a gander for yourself.. July 2012 On the plus side a wee thin sliver of beard under my bottom lip looked pretty cool and I let this one grow for a few days. Taking control back! Of sorts. In July I noticed the first patch on my head and this lead me to eventually shaving my head (in September) and watching as that took the same course as my beard. I have posted my story and images of that parallel journey separate to this. Suffice to say I saw the head hair loss coming and dealt with it better as I had been through the gamut of emotions with this now ever decreasing beard o’ mine. February 2013 beard update As of right now (21 Feb) All I have left is the strip of hair directly under my bottom lip (Kind of cool) and a few hairs on each cheek (not so cool). BUT when on holiday in Egypt in September 2012 I did notice some regrowth. Blonde, white thick hairs which are still growing and being shaved off. They have appeared on the place where I first lost hair. I see this as a good sign but nearly 6 months later and the ‘regrowth’ only remains in that area, and blonde. September 2012 in Egypt – wee white hairs – regrowth? Reddit Related Posted in alopecia, Uncategorized and tagged alopecia, alopecia areata, alopecia barbae, beard hair loss, hair loss, hairloss, losing hair of the beard, patches in the beard, shaving on February 21, 2013 by reecitobombito. 42 Comments ← One year on – one year to go?? Finally taking the plunge and chopping the locks. → 42 comments February 21, 2013 at 10:21 pm Wow Reece you are one hell of a brave guy and I admire you for telling the basket alopecia to sod off and let you get on with your life. xxxx celia April 30, 2013 at 8:01 am Lou Gray says: February 22, 2013 at 12:52 am Was so sad seeing you go through it and whatever I said it was the genuine truth. No lies came out of my mouth just to make you feel better. You are a fighter and getting stronger every day. Brought tears to my eyes when I saw the pic of you with dark circles. I’m glad you are keeping a diary and sharing it. Not only to help yourself but also others! My Reece always finds a way to get the humour in which will also lighten sufferers and give them hope. Everyone around you is there for you and always will be. Love ya toots and keep your journey going. Xxxxx February 22, 2013 at 9:14 am Jeff M says: February 22, 2013 at 9:19 pm Hang in there, it’s been two years for me, and I’ve regained 85% of my beard loss, and it was very similar to yours. I went to the dermatologist and had the cortisone shots, 75 of them to be exact. I also used a lotion called Calosol, and thought it made a difference. Mine started coming back with the white hairs too, and I think that excitement helped the rest come back too. Because I stopped freaking about it all the time, and believe me, it was on my mind EVERY single day. I think the euphoria of the regrowth zapped the stress away. While i can’t put my finger on any one thing I did, it seems to have started correcting, black hairs and all. It pretty much took a full two years if not more. I hope this inspires you. One thing to ponder, The body achieves, what the mind believes. Keep the faith bro. February 22, 2013 at 10:31 pm Thanks so much Jeff!!! That has made me loads better! Thanks very much. March 30, 2013 at 9:34 am Tonite I discovered that the tiny little bald spot by my chin has gotten really big! Looks like my 2013 will be your 2012. I think that tomorrow morning I will find out how you felt. I had had 2 hair removal laser treatments on my ears and the back of my neck and thought that perhaps a beam reached my chin. Oh no! I’m looking like your early pics!@ I better go to bed now and worry about it tomorrow. craps…!@ April 30, 2013 at 7:43 am Hey – don’t beat yourself up. I had so many theories as to why I may have had mine “Had I leaned on my chin too heavily whilst staring at a computer screen”?! My hair-loss theories went from the sublime to the ridiculous. You may not have as much hair loss as me – it may just be a wee fluke and then disappear. Everyone I have researched, chatted to and heard about has had a different story and a different amount of loss – the one common thing I can seem to garner is that worrying (which is so natural) does not help in the slightest. That isn’t easy for me to say and does not mean to come across as glib. Its just that I know how you feel and it’s a horrible sinking feeling. feelings of acceptance and admitting what was happening helped me get a handle on this the best. We are all different though so just have a look around or a think and see who, what or how you can get through this with as little damage as possible April 4, 2013 at 9:59 am How did you manage to turn it around in your head? My husband is suferring and it makes me very anxious and sad that it is totally taking over his life, our life and our family life. He is not the same fun loving guy and I will always be there to support him yet this doesnt seem to help and sometimes I am at a total loss to what to say since this awful condition has taken over and with seemingly no treatment, or effective treatment! Dan Carr says: April 29, 2013 at 6:19 pm It just started for me. Ahhhh!! Thanks for your post. I don’t want this to get me down and bring down my wife with me. …. So thanks Reece for this blog! I am glad to know that I am not just the only one who is feeling the anxiety… April 30, 2013 at 7:52 am In my head I managed to turn it around by accepting what was happening. Obviously ‘accepting’ is a lot harder in real life and it can’t be summed up in a sentence. It took time, analysis of my self-image/worth and a great deal of support from friends, family and partner. I am guessing from the fact you have posted here that you are a supportive partner. Well hopefully he appreciates what you are doing for him. As I stated briefly in one of my posts – I went to doctors, dermo and took anti-depressants – all of the above worked for me in their own ways – but I would never advocate or try to ‘push drugs’ on someone. It is so easy to get fleeced by the many charlatans out there preying on desperate people (had a few of those too which I will detail in a blog update soon). If you or your husband have further questions – please just ask – and let me know how he is doing Rob says: September 3, 2013 at 10:08 pm I’ve had alopecia areata barbarae on and off (mostly on) for the past 5 years. Mine was never quite as extensive as yours and would usually be ovals under an inch in diameter under the chin or on the front part of the cheek closest to the chin. Untreated the areas would regrow after about a year. I have black hair and usually would attempt to grow a full beard. This worked out ok as long as the alopecia was under my chin since I could just shave that area off and it would mostly blend in with the shaved area as long as you shaved often.enough. When it’s on the side of my face it becomes painfully obvious and people will constantly ask questions which is irritating and a constant reminder of the condition you’re trying to forget about. Something that worked for me when the alopecia was on a noticeable area of the face was to dye the area black.. the whole thing including the skin and have about a 1/4″ long beard everywhere else. I noticed I usually had a few colorless fine hairs in the affected area and you can dye these. It doesn’t look perfect, but it definitely makes it less noticeable and I received far fewer comments as a result. December 11, 2013 at 4:35 pm Thanks for the tip about the dye! Haven’t enough regrowth for that but it’s coming – hopefully! Still all white at present – am going to post updated pics soon Crabby says: October 20, 2013 at 12:06 am Great blog and super support to guys like us who are suffering from this. It’s a total pest, but I know we should try to take the good out of every situation. A lot of negative things happen which really end up pushing our lives in more positive directions. I’ve been thinking a lot about trying to focus on the good things lately. All said, none of us will be alive all that much longer anyway- so why obsess about this stupid sh1t and let it get us down! December 11, 2013 at 4:37 pm Hey ‘Crabby’. I totally agree – I have tried to be positive and now have lots of regrowth. Unsure if it’s the ‘positivity’ that is helping or just the positive mood that I am creating is possibly helping me not give a sh1t! Ben Jones says: October 30, 2013 at 2:22 am Hi Reece. I am not going to lie. I am terrified. I have a patch of hair missing in my moustache. Very small, barely noticable.. However I think I know what is coming next. I am already freaking out and terrified. I have already cried. I admit it. I am not quite sure how I am going to deal with this. Ben – 33 male engaged to be married next summer From England – English teacher in China. December 11, 2013 at 4:39 pm How are things now? I cried loads at first – I call it my period of mourning! But honestly you do get over it. And I am sure your future wife will not care. Easy for me to say BUT I have been where you are and light IS at the end of the tunnel! Either in the form of regrowth or acceptance. Either way you will be fine. Are you still in China? Ben Jones says: December 15, 2013 at 11:17 am Thanks for replying Reece. I think you are great. They way you deal with it in a light hearted way. Do you really not care now? Or are you putting on a front? I have been told by three dermatologists here I don’t have alopecia. They say some areas just grow faster than others. Not sure I believe them! Discovered another patch of no hair today. Keep us up to date! I guess as long as you have love in your life right? December 15, 2013 at 9:38 pm Thanks for your comments I mostly don’t care – I do get the occasional blip and sometimes put on a bit of a front but in the most I am over the paranoia and depression! Do you have patches or just small bits of hair loss? Ben Jones says: December 18, 2013 at 4:10 am what’s the difference? December 31, 2013 at 3:20 pm Sorry Ben – i meant to say is it thinning all over or just patches? Think it is shocking you have been told you are wrong by three different dermatologists. Let me know how you get on AK says: December 23, 2013 at 1:46 am You’re a hero to many others “suffering” from the same condition, whether or not they choose to post comments. I have been going through the same thing since May of this year (7 months). I have olive skin with black hair so it’s super noticeable on my face. Positively, although the spots are spreading a little bit on my beard area, I am seeing regrowth from the corticosteroid injections I’ve been taking for about 8 weeks now. Did you ever try this approach? Please post your update soon! We are all very much looking forward to hearing from you! December 31, 2013 at 3:24 pm Hi AK – I never tried corticosteroid injections as was scared off by some of the side effects. But I tried almost everything else. Thanks for your comments. Glad you are getting regrowth! I will aim to post an update this week before I go back to work Danny says: December 28, 2013 at 1:11 am Reese, I admire you for posting your story and what’s more, pictures documenting your alopecia experience. I sincerely hope you recover entirely with no recurrence. Ive been doing some research on the subject as Ive been dealing with alopecia barbae for the last six months and counting. Ive noticed a return of very fine white hairs within the last month or two but they have not colored in yet nor am I sure they ever will. Today I tugged on the fine hairs using a tweezer and they seem to be holding in place. I know its said that if its barbae its usually limited to just the beard but in the last month its spread to my right sideburn and up to my left temple so now I’m officially on edge. There is however, a difference in the way the hair on my temple/sideburn has been affected and the hair on my beard. My temple/sideburn hair merely thinned out but not completely bald versus the bald spots on my beard area which are smooth (with the exception of the fine white hairs). I wonder why this is? Is it common for alopecia barbae to inch its way upward? It appears my temple/sideburn hairs are clinging for dear life, they have not been completed annihaled. When I tugged on the unaffected temple/sideburn hair they held in place. Anyone else with this experience? I hope its not wishful for me to think the disease won’t progress any further north to the crown of my head. For the record I’m 29, have a 1-year old demon-child son and am currently in school. This has been, by far, the most stressful year of my life. Though I’m not convinced that stress has anything to do with alopecia, except maybe the perpetuation of it, nor do I have a family history of baldness/alopecia, The only thing I have done differently this year was taking GNC supersport and this transpired one month later. I have a strong hunch this might be what caused my alopecia. Others have reported similiar findings with other types of multivitamins but theres no definitive proof. Upon reading the box, it states may cause hair loss or thinning, and DHEA is an ingredient in the multi, which has been linked to hairloss…But then again, so has everything else. I feel if alopecia sufferers put our heads together, the majority of us can find a common cause for our alopecia before the scientists/doctors do. I look forward to hearing from you. Good luck on your journey! December 31, 2013 at 3:30 pm Thanks very much for your comment and positivity! In answer to your question – my barbae stayed on my face for months then I thought I was dealing with it and my hairdresser noticed a spot a few months later at the back of my head and things spread from then. I am unsure I can answer any question as to how it progresses as I think randomness is this nature of Alopecia and doubt anyone has the same occurence. What I will say is that shaving my head helped me immensely. It’s not for everyone but it got me to the stage of acceptance pretty quick. I also agree with you that stress may not be the only factor. My dermatologist told me “fifty percent of his patients have had stress at some point and fifty percent havent”. Think it’s just an unlucky lottery! I was also taking vitamins when mine started and have now stopped! Unsure if this again is a trigger. I agree that it would be great if everyone got their (balding/thinning/regrown) heads together and helped find a common cause! Hope you had a happy christmas with the demon child and Happy NEw Year. Trevor says: December 30, 2013 at 6:01 am I am in the same boat you’re in. Mine started in January 13. I’ve been to the dermatologist for three treatments of cortisone shots. It didn’t really do much. However, all the hair on my face that went bald is now small thin white hairs. Random parts of my neck are still bald. I didn’t shave for a month and it actually grew in white. I used just for men and it didn’t look too bad. December 31, 2013 at 3:33 pm Hey Trevor – Haven’t tried the dye route yet but am not opposed to it – heck I drew in eyebrows haha. Hope your hair grows in quicker in 2014! Danny says: December 31, 2013 at 10:13 pm Thanks Reece! I’m off to a new years get together, clean shaved and fully self-conscious of my missing beard/eaten side burn. I don’t know how you did / are doing it Reece. I dread looking in the mirror when I was once quite the narcissist. Or maybe that’s just it? Maybe I’ve somehow managed to jinx myself by excessive self-admiration. You actually look good without head or facial hair, I sure as hell couldn’t pull that off. You know what irks me is you’ve got these gluttonous guys who smoke and drink all day and manage to boast a full head of hair and here I am at 29 in perfect health with this sh*ty condition. And if I hear another “stress triggers it” theory Im taking hostages. If that were the case both my parents would have had alopecia universalis ages ago. Sorry for the rant, felt good though. On another note I did find it interesting what the nutritionist stated in one of the above posts about how much of what goes on outside starts from the inside, or the gut. I remember reading a similar story on one of the women’s alopecia forums of a woman who was experiencing rapid regrowth, possibly as a result of her changing her diet back to “hearty and rich foods” stating it had been her limited diet that likely caused her AA. I’ve hopped on the high protein, low carb bandwagon myself and wonder if this may have caused or contributed to my AB. Maybe a regress to wholesome foods could provide the answer? Its said that many alopecia sufferers are actually in optimal physical health so it begs me to ask, What do you eat? Rather, what did you change in your diet prior to the onset? By the way, Have a very happy new year and may the new year bring you regrowth! We’re not going down without a fight! Enjoy Reece! Jeff says: January 5, 2014 at 4:59 pm Hey Guys, Going through the same thing. I’ve got two patches on my chin. One the size of a dime and the other one more oblong on the other side as well. Also I have some general diffuse thinning of the beard. I’m 36…this started on a trip to Asia August 2013. I’ve got a full head of hair and no spots on the scalp yet (getting my wife to do the weekly checks) :)). I remember about 7 years ago my boss at the time got it. 4-5 mange looking patches on his head. He took a razor to it…..sported the look well. I ran into him a few months ago and it’s all grown back. If I remember correctly he would have been 40 at the time when he got it. Interestingly enough my Dad got it as well…started on a trip to Asia. He isn’t really a drinker and the Chinese took him and his business partner out on the town and everyone kept doing shots (sort of a test of manhood over there). The poor guy (Dad) ended up in emergency with alcohol poisoning at 55….obviously this puts physical stress on the body. Shortly after that he got a spot on his chin that wouldn’t stop spreading. He is 63 now and only has some diffuse white hairs on his head. Lost every other hair on his body including eyelashes/eyebrows/pubes etc. Apparently this disease only attacks follicles where they hair is colored….not greys. So if you can keep it at bay and get some more grey hairs you are likely to keep those ones….. Anyway weird autoimmunity crap runs in our family. I’ve gone through times when I would get reccurent canker sores from stress….had allergies as a kid….got shingles once. Besides that I’ve never had a health concern…rarely get sick. Physically active….etc. Anyway I’m trying to take control and defeat this thing through diet changes. I have no idea if it will work. But the premise behind it makes sense….your body is attacking something it should not so generally your homeostasis is off. This can be caused by a leaky gut/food allergens etc. Went to a party last night and fell off the wagon on my new approach. Ate a lot of gluten and dairy and drank loads of beer. Prior to this I had given such things up for about a month. I am getting colored hairs back in the oblong patch. I was basically following the Paleo diet with some supplements like Vit D. Everyone is saying I look the best I’ve looked in a decade but besides a few sparse mature hairs in one spot it hasn’t done much for the AA. Maybe I need to give it more time. If you really want to go hardcore this guy claims to have reversed his AA twice by starting with healing the gut and deflaming the body. It takes 6 weeks on a liquid based diet. I haven’t gone there yet but it’s my next bullet in the shotgun if I see further recession. Always hard to tell what these guys are selling but obviously dietary changes are free. It’s a bunch of rambled thoughts but it’s the first time I’ve got my feet wet with a public discussion. Hope to hear more from you guys soon. January 26, 2014 at 10:19 pm My dad also has a few patches on his chin which have never amounted to much. Genetics may be a factor as I also have had shingles, chicken pox and horrendous ulcers and skin rashes when stressed. In regard to food allergies/intolerances etc – I do believe there may be a link. I once cut out all crap from my diet, like you I also felt better for doing this and got positive feedback. However it was during this period of hardcore healthy eating that I first ever noticed the diffuse hairs around my scalp. I think due to this fact I am always wary of making massive changes that could have an impact on my body (and hair). Although I totally believe most people could heal a lot of illness through diet change – I think I am slowly coming around to the ‘everything in moderation’ slogan as my personal mantra. I am eating healthy (ish) at the moment – with a blow out every weekend – and my hair is growing back. I don’t know what I am doing differently (aside from obsessing less) but it’s working. My theory is that – this instance of alopecia is running its course! Fingers crossed. I will check out that guys blog. Thanks for posting and let me know how you are getting on. Danny says: January 28, 2014 at 3:27 am Reece congrats on the fresh hair growing in. Take some pics when you get a chance. Update on my alopecia is that it’s either stopped or paused after The last sideburn outbreak. Been two months no new patches when normally, at the rate it was going, I would’ve developed two more patches at this point. The fine white hairs have made their way out but haven’t progressed much beyond that. I freaked out in November when I saw my left temple develop a patch. Though it wasn’t characteristic of my other patches, it was still AA and still sucked. Well.. No news is good news and perhaps it’s run its course? For what it’s worth my stress has been the same, still functioning on little to no sleep and still eating more or less the same. I don’t know, I’m beginning to think this is a natural hormonal response triggered only by time. Pingback: My hair is coming back. \| Photos and thoughts from along the way Pingback: Photo update – my Alopecia and regrowth – 2.5 years on. \| Photos and thoughts from along the way Andy says: October 31, 2015 at 6:02 pm Hey Reece! I’m not 100% certain I have alopecia, but my dermatologist said he thought I might have it two years ago due to some patches in my beard. However, I’ve never enjoyed a full beard so it may just be patchy! Anyways, I did notice a new patch on my moustache with no hair about the size of a pencil eraser…so it’s small. One thing I noticed on your blog is that you mention having a girlfriend or partner that stood by you throughout this, but you didn’t say how she reacted or coped with your hair loss and changing appearance. Also, what role did she play in boosting your self esteem once she adjusted. I’m sure a lot of people reading your blog that are in new or old relationships and struggling with alopecia could use your viewpoint about that. Thanks, November 6, 2015 at 12:47 pm Hey Andy – that is a great idea for a blog post. And I will ask my partner a series of questions and post his answers on here for you to have a read. In my mind – you love who you love – if your partner gains or loses weight you still love them. However – all that being said – Part of being in a relationship, is finding the person you are with attractive – and for whatever reason (alopecia being one) sometimes, you might not! I suppose there are two points here: 1. Does your partner still find you attractive during your alopecia experience? 2. Do you still think your attractive? 1. In the answer to my scenario – yes my partner found me attractive – in a different way. Maybe not as attractive – they would never have said – though one of their friends actually did!!! 2. At first I was repulsed by myself (and lack of self confidence isn’t a great turn on for your partner either). Once I started – owning it, ignoring my alopecia or celebrating it – I felt more confident and with that more attractive. My partner boosted my self esteem by telling me I looked good and in actual fact – just by being there and helping me through – listening to me moan – but also knowing when to tell me to shut up! Hope this helps. LikeLiked by 1 person jc says: December 14, 2015 at 9:19 pm hey sorry to hear about your alopecia. my chin looks similar to yours. i have a couple quarter sized patchy spots of bare skin on my chin and like you my skin is light and my facial hair is coarse/dense and dark. I’ve tried to shave everyday but my skin gets irritated and i get whiteheads. i cleanse/exfoliate and use all the propers tools but still don’t get good results. how were you able to shave everyday? what products did you use? any January 5, 2016 at 9:17 am Hey there I didn’t have much hair on my face and before I shaved I always made sure I washed my face (and head) and it was usually after I had steamed it in the shower (to open my pores) I used shaving gel and let it sat on my skin for a minute before shaving. Once I rinsed off with warm water I then immediately splashed with cold (to close the pores) and then used a post shaving lotion and then a moisturiser. In terms of products – I used the Loreal ones – or whatever I could get my hands on. And I made sure I had LOADS of time to shave and rinse and dry and mositurise. Ben says: April 29, 2019 at 1:26 am Hey JC. My Barbae has also caused me to have to shave every day or two…and I have always had irritated skin when I shave often. Razor bumps and ingrown hairs a lot. But it all stopped when I switched from the Mach3…and…believe it or not…started using “womens” Bic Soleil Bella blades…yup, on my face. Its literally the ONLY razor that Doesnt irritate me. I’ve tried them all. Give it a go! Make sure its the Bella 4-blade. And luckily, they come in green and blue! I also use Meutrogena Sensitive Skin Shave Cream (not foam). It seems to help the razor glide better. Best of luck man! August 17, 2016 at 8:16 pm Dude, have you had any regrow the yet? I’m going through the same thing. It’s horrible and I would never want anyone to experience it. It’s getting to the point where old friends and family that I haven’t seen in a while almost immediately ask me about it… I’m thinking about getting the rest lasered off… I have to shave twice a day because what’s left of my beard grows super fast and thick. I’ve had some regrowth, but all blonde and nearly invisible. I don’t miss having a beard, but the patchy stubble and shadows really show, and I used to be an attractive guy. This shit is killing my social life. September 15, 2016 at 8:18 pm Hey William – am sure you’re still an attractive guy and people will still see that guy – you are focusing on what’s missing – to you. I know you said your family and friends ask about it but it’s probably because they know how much it is affecting you. I have had some regrowth – detailed in my last post – https://myalopeciajourney.wordpress.com/2016/08/07/patchy-hair-dont-care/ Jason says: July 25, 2017 at 7:33 pm Did your hair ever regrow back? I’m having the start of the same issue…. July 25, 2017 at 8:50 pm HI Jason – yes- In my most recent blog post I talk about it. https://myalopeciajourney.blog/2017/07/25/regrowth-regrowth-regrowth/	32,647
Japan announced today that it is extending a state of emergency across parts of the country in order to try and get COVID-19 infections down. Many hospitals in Japan are overwhelmed, and some patients have even died waiting for ICU beds. Here's NPR's Anthony Kuhn. ANTHONY KUHN, BYLINE: Dr. Toshiyaki Inamura is something of a rarity in Japan. In a country where most folks go to hospitals for medical care, he makes house calls from his clinic. He describes a recent visit to elderly patients living in a nursing home. TOSHIYAKI INAMURA: (Through interpreter) There were 18 patients suffering from dementia, and 15 of them were infected with COVID. It was already totally impossible to get them hospitalized, so everybody had to stay in the facility. KUHN: Inamura says the nursing home lacked adequate ventilators and staff to operate them. INAMURA: (Through interpreter) Two of them became very serious. And several days later, they found a hospital, but it was on the outskirts of Tokyo, and one of them didn't make it. KUHN: According to Japan's health ministry, more than 35,000 COVID patients are staying at home, many of them turned away from hospitals which have run out of beds. That number has quadrupled over the last month. National broadcaster NHK reports that nearly 200 COVID patients have died at home, based on figures from police. In Parliament last week, an opposition lawmaker asked Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga if he felt responsible for these deaths. KUHN: "As the one in charge, I feel terribly sorry," he replied. "We have not been able to provide the necessary care. And I recognize that because of this, the Japanese people are feeling anxious." Japan has a high ratio of hospital beds to population compared to other countries, but a relative shortage of ICU beds. Dr. Hideaki Oka is an infectious disease expert at the Saitama Medical University just outside Tokyo. He says his hospital is overwhelmed and has to ration care. HIDEAKI OKA: (Through interpreter) We have four ICU beds for severe cases, and all are occupied by COVID patients. The severe cases are occupying beds for patients with moderate symptoms in the regular ward, so we can't take any more patients. KUHN: Oka says Japanese hospitals also lack ICU and infectious disease specialist doctors. And while Japan's national health insurance keeps health care costs affordable, he adds, hospitals are losing money the more COVID patients they take. OKA: (Through interpreter) Our staff are now battling this COVID situation without breaks and with lots of stress. I'm afraid more of them will leave their jobs if the situation continues. Japan's health care system is going to be destroyed by human resource and finance problems. KUHN: Oka says he and other experts warned last fall that a third wave of infections was coming in November, but the government was busy subsidizing tourism and dining out. They didn't suspend the subsidies until case numbers exploded last month. Today, the government announced that it will extend the state of emergency for another month. It's now due to end March 7, just 18 days before the scheduled start of the Tokyo Olympic torch relay. Anthony Kuhn is NPR's correspondent based in Seoul, South Korea, reporting on the Korean Peninsula, Japan, and the great diversity of Asia's countries and cultures. Before moving to Seoul in 2018, he traveled to the region to cover major stories including the North Korean nuclear crisis and the Fukushima earthquake and nuclear disaster.	3,710
The past year has been a difficult one for many people in San Jose, especially those facing homelessness and housing insecurity. Finding information about shelter and housing can be a difficult and confusing process. Here’s a guide answering some of the most commonly asked questions from readers about finding housing, as well as some resources that can help. What types of shelter and housing are available in San Jose? There are many terms used to refer to housing options, and they can be confusing. Let’s break them down: Shelters: Homeless shelters across the South Bay provide a bed and a place to stay overnight. Depending on your health and vulnerability, you may also be referred to a motel room. These are not permanent housing options. There are eight shelters in San Jose. Supportive Housing: Typically an apartment. Living in supportive housing means you also have access to services such as mental health counseling, addiction support, housing vouchers and job training. Transitional/Interim/Bridge Housing: a place where someone moves into for a short period of time while looking for long-term housing. These are also typically apartments. Affordable Housing: Apartments that have restrictions on the rental costs, usually based on a person’s income level which can range from extremely low-income to low-income. Rapid Rehousing: Rapid Rehousing is a program that helps individuals and families find a place to rent and provides government funds to help pay for it for a set period of time. The program provides case management and support with the goal of helping individuals or families rent on their own. What should you do if you need a shelter? The first step is to call the Santa Clara County homeless hotline at (408) 278-6420. They’re open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week. During the call, an outreach worker will ask questions about your age, health, housing situation and more. Depending on your vulnerability, they will refer you to a shelter or a motel room. If the line is busy, leave a message and an outreach worker will follow up with you. The hotline has interpreters for Spanish, Vietnamese and Tagalog. Some shelters in San Jose are walk-in, first-come, first-served. You can find a list of shelter locations and contact information here. If you are looking for a shelter that accepts families with children, you can also call (408) 926-8885 to be placed on a waiting list. What if I don’t have access to a phone? Is there any place I can go to use a phone, or speak to a person directly? If you do not have a phone, you can visit your local drop-in center or shelter and ask to use their phone. You can find a list of drop-in centers, shelters and other homeless services here. You can also use the phone at Catholic Charities’ walk-up mail window in downtown San Jose: 195 E San Fernando St. “If you see a homeless person, ask if they have a cell phone,” said Andrea Urton, CEO of HomeFirst. “If they say they do not, let them use your cell phone to call the hotline and sanitize your phone afterward.” If you are a youth under 24, the Bill Wilson Center has a drop-in center at 693 South 2nd Street that offers meals, showers, laundry and help finding shelter. What information do I need to provide? What forms will I need to fill out? Will sharing this info affect my immigration status? The assessment that the outreach worker will give you is called the Vulnerability Index – Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool, or VI-SPDAT. It will ask for your birthday, social security number, where you are currently sleeping, history of homelessness, health history and financial situation. Information on the VI-SPDAT is not shared for immigration purposes, and no questions regarding immigration are asked. How long will I be waiting for a housing unit? The average length of a referral to a shelter bed or temporary place is 1-2 days. Some referrals are offered on the same day. For long-term housing, it depends on your personal situation, and how vulnerable you are, as determined by your VI-SPDAT score. For some in a Rapid Rehousing program, the process can take a few months, while for others it can take several years. What if I do not feel comfortable staying in a shelter because of trauma/mental health reasons? Is there a place I can go to find a private space, such as a hotel room? Urton’s advice is to ask for case management, which will help develop a plan and find housing. “I would really encourage people with my whole heart, follow through with the shelter referral,” Urton said. “Even if it’s not the motel you want, take the shelter referral. And when you get to the shelter, request case management from the provider and say, ‘I need to find housing. Help me develop a housing plan.’ We will do our best to find somebody to help you.” What is the process of finding housing, such as an apartment? How do I qualify, and how long will the process take? After calling the Santa Clara County homeless hotline (408) 278-6420, you will be referred to a program or placed on a waitlist to help you find housing. The program you are referred to and the time this process takes depends on your personal situation. What if I don’t have a source of transportation to get to places? The hotline services will provide you a ride. You can also contact HomeFirst’s outreach team at (408) 510-7600 to schedule a time for a ride. I would like to live in one of the COVID hotels. Walk me through the process of finding a room there. These hotels are offered for homeless individuals who are at risk for COVID-19 (elderly, people with a certain number of underlying health conditions, etc.). The first step to see if you qualify is to call the Santa Clara County homeless hotline (408) 278-6420. Where can I find help such as a hot meal while I wait to hear back? In downtown San Jose, CityTeam provides breakfast from 6:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. and dinner from 5 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. on weekdays. It offers breakfast from 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. and dinner from 5 p.m.-5:45 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The location is 1174 Old Bayshore Hwy in San Jose. In East San Jose, Loaves & Fishes serves hot meals from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at 408 Eastside Neighborhood Center every weekday. In South San Jose, Loaves & Fishes serves hot meals from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at St. Maria Goretti Church on Wednesdays and Fridays. In North San Jose, Loaves & Fishes serves hot meals from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. In West San Jose and Cupertino, West Valley Community Services has a food pantry open 10am-12pm and 2pm-4pm. There is also a mobile food pantry, and you can find times and locations here. The Second Harvest Food Bank which is located at 750 Curtner Avenue in San Jose, provides groceries. A list of more resources for shelters, rental assistance, meals, health programs, job training and programs for veterans and youth can be found here. Strengthen democracy and double your impact Together, we can continue to build a free and independent press that serves Silicon Valley. During our NewsMatch campaign, every dollar of your gift is matched (up to $1,000), which helps us bring in-depth, independent news coverage to more communities. Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team. I want to receive updates: * Daily Weekly Δ I want to receive updates: * Daily Weekly Δ Comment Policy (updated 11/1/2021): We reserve the right to delete comments or ban users who engage in personal attacks, hate speech, excess profanity or make verifiably false statements. Comments are moderated and approved by administrators. What to expect after calling the housing hotline? Nothing. You’ll never get calls back or you’ll be given an explanation to why they aren’t the person to call, someone else is. Don’t let this kind of disillusionment fool you into thinking homeless people receive much, if any, assistance at all. Many came to assume the homeless were willingly sleeping on streets because if you have so many programs, why are they there? The programs are poorly run, underfunded and inadequate to the size of the problem single family zoning and other bad city planning caused. Do more personally to help because your city isn’t going to get it done. transparency and accountability are needed in San Jose Apr 09, 2021 at 3:11PM You’re 100% correct. It’s not like anyone from Spotlight actually called, acting as a potential client, to gauge the use experience of trying to find services and support. It’s such a discouraging process – and this publication is essentially a fluff operation for government agencies in this County. transparency and accountability are needed in San Jose Apr 09, 2021 at 3:09PM This article is worse than going to the Housing Department and asking “I need help. can you help me?” They had you a card to call a hotline that will tell you “we have no shelter beds available. no housing vouchers available. But we can do a VI-SPDAT and maybe call you in a month or two.” The fact is in this City, we have just over 1,000 shelter beds for 6,000+ homeless people that are unsheltered. This article, like the City, just gives false hope to people who need help. This publication has to start being honest about the status of the City and County’s woefully underfunded shelter and interim housing system – and start doing some real reporting on why so many homeless residents, if a bed is available at Little Orchard, why they refuse and would prefer to sleep by the creek instead. Hardly any shelters designated for families. No shelters designated for senior citizens . Hardly any shelters designated for just women. Hardly any shelters where people feel safe. Be honest. Be transparent. Hold government accountable. How could you spend hundreds of millions of dollars on homelessness, prevention and services and completely leave out shelters over the last 15 years? Deborah L Santos Apr 09, 2021 at 6:48PM Hi Im Debi Santos , I have been homeless for 10 yrs. I just updated my Vi- spadat assessment. In Feb, 2021. They told me I had to wait a year this bullshit I was almost raped & killed on 04/17/2012 by someone I didn’t no. I ended up with 16;staples in my head, 2 blk eyes, a fractured nose, a busted mouth. Then on 04/17/2020 I was bitten by a pitbull on the San Jose Fairgrounds. I am a survivor. But by choice I hate being homeless. After I was attacked I went downhill. I’ve tried putting my name on so many programs. I hate living in a tent. I have an education. But when is it going to be my turn to get off these streets Evan Dowling Apr 11, 2021 at 12:43PM I am truly sorry to hear what you have been through. I was a 64 year old Management Analyst and a whistleblower within the Social Services Agency when the County establishment decided to terminate me because I spoke truth to power, in addition to the fact that older workers have no rights that the County is bound to respect. I can attest that the leadership there really does not care about the homeless. For instance, in 2017 Social Services Agency Director Robert Menicocci and all of his directors reporting to him, including James Ramoni, engaged in a political stunt, using you homeless folks as a prop, by declaring that if they raised $10,000 from employees they would end homelessness. So they raised the $. I guess in their eyes the problem is solved and you must be lying. How sad. We need new leadership in the Social Services Agency, because much of their activities are devoted to engaging in corruption and wrongdoing. Evelynda Medina Apr 16, 2021 at 1:09AM I agree but it depends on who’s writing the article. Then the experience and knowledge, where they got the info, how and from whom. Yes it’s true in relation nabout the services that are available but yet nothing is being done to follow up on the homeless. Some of the shelters are closed so what happens to those that were living in the shelters that have closed? Where’s the money from the government or grants? Sacred heart community services are not doing intakes. The County needs to focus on building more shelters or safe group homes for homeless youth and homeless adults. To train and prepare these homeless to exit foster youth system and to give the homeless a chance by providing more work skills training and job opportunities. We need more updated shelters with at least dividers to divide the beds. To have qualified staff that know what they’re doing. To help the homeless get their IDs , and insurance cards. To make sure no one is under the influence. I don’t know just something safe. Some homeless just need a safe place to sleep ,eat and shower so they can go to work or look for work. That’s why I say. If I ever win the lottery my number 1 on my list is build more shelters or safe homes. Rough draft suggestion (Again): Maybe each district (10 in San Jose or preferably expand countywide) could set aside some open land or park or parking lot, etc.and provide upscale army type tents or tuff sheds including larger ones for dining, showers, laundry, medical, counciling, security, etc. (organized and structured). Each district could have a focus re: families, addiction, women, mental illness, etc. I think 600-700 ppl per district would house the current need and humanely get the homeless treatment as needed and off the streets right away. A lot cheaper than half million dollar (each) apartments or ridiculous tiny homes or expensive motels (which all only assist minimal people) and could be implemented quickly. A hand up vs a hand out, to get back on your feet and could hopefully eventually be disbanded. While realizing the need for some permanent housing, the goal should be to reintegrate people into society as much as possible vs permanently funding these housing projects. We need immediate ACTION. I mean if there was a long term crisis caused by let’s say wildfires or pandemic (hurricane responses) would we convene focus groups to study the issue for 5 plus years? It is a homeless “crisis” right? Note: If there is issue with the different districts buy-in: Can D3 lead/move forward independently in providing a sanctioned encampment including no random encampments as housing would be offered in our district? Regardless, the situation must be addressed in its entirety now….. These are good ideas! I’ve wondered why these simpler, practical solutions aren’t put into place…they can be done quickly and at a fraction of the cost. Kevin Case Apr 10, 2021 at 9:42AM Unfortunately this common sense approach will never happen because it isn’t funneling money into the “non profits” who are raking in millions with their absurdly expensive approaches, with most of the funding going to execs and election campaign funds. Jan Apr 10, 2021 at 8:13PM Hummm…. Love your idea. I had been wondering the same. Why not erect good barrack tent like structures and provide sanity services including good hot showers. Offer separate family, women only, men only, mentally vulnerable and co-ed housing. Provide on site medical services, right now. With the Covid 19 vaccination rollout effort and implementation I saw the County provide at various sites, I know they have the ability to roll out a quick, efficient and even pleasant operation. Advocate Annoyed by Puff Piece Apr 09, 2021 at 3:25PM Charleigh speaks the truth! There should certainly be a follow up article that follows Charleigh’s quote–one that interviews advocates and unhoused people on just how easy it is to find “homeless services and shelter in San Jose.” Thank you so much for your comment. I love your suggestion about a follow-up article and will definitely look into that. I wrote this article just as a starting point for places to look, but I completely agree with you — I ran into so many dead ends & unanswered calls when looking for resources myself, and I will absolutely work toward a more complete piece. If you have anything else you’d like me to know, my email is [email protected], and I’d be happy to chat with you. Pepi Apr 09, 2021 at 7:13PM Patricia : Sacred Heart is the backbone if you are poor in San Jose. They offer daily lunch. They offer bags of food that are cooking/not cooking They also offer resources for the rapid rehousing program Their food program is 5 days a week walk up In addition the Catholic Charities walk up window has a packed lunch every day If you are unhoused you can get your niall safely at that walk up window in 5/San Fernando downtown In addition the Opportunity Center in Palo Alto is another reliable resource. At the Opportunity Center there is food on the week days clothes, showers, case management by Life Moves. Services definitely have been curtailed with Covid. Please take note for the unhoused being in the dara base system is essential. Therefore everytime they go to get services at Sacred Heart, City Team, case management they are noted as being unhoused. Being documented as being unhoused is essential to get assistance. Chronically homeless is someone who has been unhoused (seeking services) for over one year Paul Soto Horseshoe Apr 10, 2021 at 1:10AM would really encourage people with my whole heart, follow through with the shelter referral,” Urton said. “Even if it’s not the motel you want, take the shelter referral. And when you get to the shelter, request case management from the provider and say, ‘I need to find housing. Help me develop a housing plan.’ We will do our best to find somebody to help you.” Mrs. Urton I want to thank you for the awesome task that you have accepted.You elected to become intimate with the suffering of Our vulnerable residents.However as a person who has been both Justice Impacted and Lived in shelters at one point , I am bringing to your attention a comment you made in your statement that actually has both a dismissal of a Citizens health and also provided justification for a myth that continues to be pervasive in these conversations.You said” Even if its not the motel you want “That statement right there did more to harm your clients then help them.Here is why… PTSD is real .It is a legitimate diagnosable debilitating isolating condition to have.It makes forming relationships extremely difficult.the hyper vigilance doesnt allow body to relax it leads to severe constipation.One can be triggered by someone elses instability having a intensifying effect.Lack of privacy equals lack of control power amplifying feelings of inadequecy and helplessness.There are thousands of Men Woman on the Banks of Guadalupe or under a freeway or along a bike trail because of this condition ..It IS NOT an act of volition to refuse placement in a environment that is detrimental to their safety sense of security mental stability.That is called self Advocating. Woman who have been raped abused physically and psychologically simply need that space and we as a society should never ever assume we know its a choice to refuse.Men who have done years in prisons living in dorm settings participated in Riots in those dorm settings.Some have been attacked in their sleep.Some cannot even sleep with a woman because they been in a twin bed so long the body is still alert when its asleep.If the woman turns over at night and lts their body it can be very scary.The unpredictability of the environment and the constant movement which to someone who has PTSD is like screaming. I ask in the spirit of Compassion mutual respect understanding and deference that we move in ways that affirm human dignity.Not diminish it dismiss or devalue in our pursuit to “Help”..We actually have ensured some will stay out and pass on our streets all because I didnt consider this very real condition that was given to this person thru constant intense over years violence dehumanization humiliation shame .. Prophet Apr 10, 2021 at 6:36AM Pat = Alice In Wonderland. Thank you for this fictional account of being homeless in San Jose. Downtown San Jose Resident Apr 10, 2021 at 10:20AM The link to the SCC services page is dated 2016. My guess is the information is outdated after 5 years! Why didn’t you follow-up by asking someone at county if it is still current and why don’t they update the information monthly? Susan Price Apr 10, 2021 at 12:55PM We definitely need sanctioned encampments in EACH city council district. Such an encampment would provide access to clean running water, toilet facilities, trash cans, and security supervision. And we need to stop selling housing to overseas investors or to Wall Street. People who buy housing here should be from this area and have a stake in this community. We have to stop treating housing as a commodity. Unfortunately, the real estate industry has replaced the petroleum industry as the most powerful industry in California. Evelynda Medina Apr 16, 2021 at 1:30AM How come no one is writing about homeless youth and foster youth ? The issues going on with the lack of funding, the lack of following up and getting the homeless youth or young adults housed and preparing them ahead of time to exit the program and not become homeless. That goes for all homeless teens, young adults. Wait where’s the $? Hmmm. I know someone that was homeless for a while then she was living in her van while in the program city team safe parking but never was followed up on anything but put on housing list for Modesto. So she’s homeless again living in a tent. Pepi Apr 26, 2021 at 8:10PM San Jose has a very small program through a Home First subsidiary Homeless foster youth may be eligible for a supplementary income program Unfortunately due to the pandemic it is difficult for the unhoused to connect with case managers The screening tool that the Office for supportive Housing uses gives priority to the following: 1) Those who have been in the criminal justice system (think multiple felonies) 2) Those with serious substance abuse programs 3) Those who have been chronically homeless Therefore if a person is young they gave not got enough #history# to score high enough Creating a history of homelessness is easier said than done. You have to have a electronic record of having used services. A great deal of services have shut down for over a year because of the pandemic. Shelter beds were reduced. Drop in programs curtailed Getting a case manager of some form is essential for navigating a system that is only designed to help a select few. Your email address will not be published. Δ San Jose airport expects travel bump over Thanksgiving holiday November 26, 2022 World Cup a win for downtown San Jose November 25, 2022 Why East San Jose students are missing school November 25, 2022 San Jose could house homeless at VTA stations November 25, 2022 Thanksgiving in Silicon Valley: A mission to feed the needy November 24, 2022 Collins: How is today’s housing market different than 2008? November 24, 2022 San José residents deserve a trusted source for unbiased, independent political news. And we’re here to provide it. San José Spotlight is the city’s first nonprofit, community-supported digital news organization. We’re changing the face of journalism by providing an innovative model for delivering reliable, truthful news to the nation’s 10th largest city. We’re partnering with you – the readers – to make it happen. This is your newsroom. Housing Education Health Community Housing Education Health Community San José Spotlight is a project of the San José News Bureau, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization \| Tax ID: 82-5355128. \| All donations are tax-deductible	24,237
School Rankings Private Schools CEGEP/Vocational Training Universities Language Training Mature Entry Justice Sports City of Mary, City of Sin and City of Wonder By Administrator on July 13, 2021 5:25 PM \| 0 Comments The city of Montreal, in all its grander and splendour opens its arms and extends a welcome to outsiders who have come to take part in the city's atmosphere. Outsiders, visitors and friends who come on pilgrimage, business, or vacation can easily open up to the vastness of indulgence that Montreal offers. However it has become increasingly obvious that Montreal has developed a title as "party city." The city itself has become a pretty nasty place for a bender; leaving your head swelled with thick blood pulsating through the anvil in your temples. But one should ask themselves where the notion of party central comes from? And if it is truly authentic to the city of Montreal. It is interesting to think of Montreal as a party city when historically Montreal was originally named after the mother of Christ. Ville Marie or City of Mary was settled by a majority of French speaking Catholics, however today the city takes its name from the triple peaked mountain that is situated at the heart of the landscape. Mount Royal holds a defining role in the city's name; however remnants of the French Catholic church are still noticeably seen in the churches and basilicas that reside in the cities concrete and glass foliage like monoliths to the past. Mark Twain once said that "this is the first time I was ever in a city where you couldn't throw a brick without breaking a church window" and he was right. The city was at one time dominated by the ideals of the Catholic Church and Montreal itself directly reflected this notion. The churches, the basilicas, the Grey nuns, St Josephs Oratory, St Mary's hospital, Catholic schools and the Sunday morning service dominated the city's influence with connotations of near puritanical values. However, time corroded the strong presence of the church and the functioning ideals of Catholicism slowly deteriorated in the silence of a quite revolution.	2,212
Easter is my girl’s favorite Holiday! Dying Easter eggs and going on Easter egg hunts gets them so excited. An Easter Bunny that delivers baskets full of jelly beans… what’s not to love? Coloring Easter eggs is a favorite past time of mine. Back in my day they didn’t have all the cool ways to create art out of hard boiled eggs. I remember thinking using a white crayon to draw a secret design, only to be reveiled by the egg dye was the coolest hack! Even when I moved out of my parent’s house I continued the tradition of coloring Easter Eggs. My husband doesn’t care to participate in the decorating process but he gets pretty excited for the eating deviled eggs after! If you like deviled eggs too, check out these 3 Dessert Deviled Eggs I concocted a few years ago! There are so many different varieties of egg dying kits that line the grocery shelves now. From the basic old school colors, to glitter, tie dye, and even galaxy. When the Cora and Bexley were toddlers they loved coloring eggs as much as they do now, but spilling those egg dyes always gave me so much anxiety. When I heard of the Shaving Cream meathod I had to give it a try. The girls love playing with shaving cream in the bath so I knew it would be a hit. We haven’t gone back to store bought kits since these have turned out beautiful every year. There has been some shaving cream controversy umong the DIY mom community for those of us that love to eat the eggs after, so if you’re concerned about toxins from Shaving Cream, Cool Whip works perfectly too. I’ve done it both ways. Hard-Boiled Eggs still in the shell. I always get perfect eggs cooking them in an Instant Pot Food Coloring, we enjoy the neon colors Shaving cream or Cool Whip (must be the whipped cream in the tub) Spoons and Tongs OR rubber gloves Hack 1 \|\| Soak the Eggs For the boldest colors you want to soak the hard-boiled eggs in water and white vinegar for at least an hour before you color them. Hack 2 \|\| Freezer Bag If you have a younger sibling that wants to join in on the tie-dye Easter egg coloring fun, but you’re worried about food coloring ruining all your nice things, this is the perfect hack for you! Put the shaving or whipped cream in a zip lock bag with a few drops of food coloring and a couple of hard-boiled eggs, zip the bag closed and let their little hands roll the eggs around in the bag. Hack 3 \|\| Cake Pan vs. Muffin Tin Using a cake pan as I did the first time is a great way to marble all the Easter eggs at once. This is perfect if you don’t have a lot of time. A muffin tin allows you to custom color each marble egg because it keeps the colors from mixing together. Hack 4 \|\| Use Utensils When I was searching for Tie Dye egg how-to’s on Pinterest many of the crafty moms recommended using rubber gloves. I know my girls would get super frustrated with that idea so we used spoons and tongs. Food coloring stains anything and everything so you definitely don’t want to use bare hands! Hack 5 \|\| Let Them Sit I know kids are sticklers for instant gratification but your marbled Easter eggs will come out much more vibrant if you let them marinade in the cream for a little while before rinsing them off. I’d say 30 minutes at the very least. Try one of these activities to keep them busy while they wait.! craft easter eggs shaving cream Previous Post Next Post Subscribe to B&B via Email Enter your email address to stay up-to-date on blog happenings and receive notifications of new posts by email.	3,610
Video journalists and photographers are reflected in the glass as they cover the arrival of actor Kevin Spacey for a civil case at a federal courthouse in lower… Video journalists and photographers are reflected in the glass as they cover the arrival of actor Kevin Spacey for a civil case at a federal courthouse in lower Manhattan in New York on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey) AP U.S. News GLIMPSES: 2 #MeToo lawsuits at trial, side by side in NYC by: TED SHAFFREY, Associated Press Posted: Oct 20, 2022 / 12:29 PM CDT Updated: Oct 20, 2022 / 03:50 PM CDT Video journalists and photographers are reflected in the glass as they cover the arrival of actor Kevin Spacey for a civil case at a federal courthouse in lower… Video journalists and photographers are reflected in the glass as they cover the arrival of actor Kevin Spacey for a civil case at a federal courthouse in lower Manhattan in New York on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey) by: TED SHAFFREY, Associated Press Posted: Oct 20, 2022 / 12:29 PM CDT Updated: Oct 20, 2022 / 03:50 PM CDT NEW YORK (AP) — On Thursday morning, photographers and videographers hovered outside in the walkway between two large old courthouses in lower Manhattan. Which Oscar winner named in #MeToo lawsuits would arrive first? Actor Kevin Spacey? Screenwriter and director Paul Haggis? This morning, it was Haggis at 8:59 a.m., going through the back entrance of 60 Centre Street. Minutes later, at 9:12 a.m., Spacey arrived, exiting a black SUV with a security detail and entering the federal courthouse next door at 500 Pearl Street, where Ponzi scheme mastermind Bernie Madoff pled guilty more than a decade ago. Hours later, a jury would conclude that Spacey did not molest accuser Anthony Rapp. Camera-toting members of the media sometimes seem to draw a mixture of disgust, fear and fascination from their subjects. Spacey is impervious to shouted questions from the media scrum, declining to throw as much as a glance at the waiting journalists. Haggis doesn’t respond to questions, either, but generally still chooses to go in through the back of the courthouse, in view of the journalists who have been staking out Spacey for weeks. On Wednesday, though, the security line was too long so a half-dozen media members wound through myriad temporary security fences as Haggis, known for “Million Dollar Baby” and “Crash,” went around and up the front steps famous from the original “Law & Order” television show. Haggis is fighting a lawsuit from publicist Haleigh Breest, who alleges he raped her. He says their 2013 encounter was consensual. Spacey had been accused by Rapp, a fellow actor, of making a sexual pass at Rapp when he was 14 in the 1980s. Spacey had testified that the encounter never happened. The Associated Press does not name people who say they are victims of sexual assault, unless they come forward publicly. On Thursday, Rapp arrived at 500 Pearl more than 20 minutes before Spacey, while Breest went in through the back of 60 Centre just minutes after Haggis. Cameras are not allowed in federal courthouses, so the shots of Spacey coming and going outside are the only visuals news photographers and video journalists will get. The judge in the Haggis case allows limited photos in the courtroom but no video. Although a stakeout may seem paparazzi-like, as one passerby recently contended, the people behind the still and video cameras in the scrum are journalists, seeking to inform the public about the state of #MeToo five years after the hashtag became a rallying call for survivors of sexual assault and harassment. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.	3,802
Monday, November 15, 2021 6:36:24 AM Individuals may think Niia Love Case Study does not indicate spiritual stamina how did napoleon bonaparte die he is questioning his religion Morality Exposed In Eliezer Wiesels Night of what how did napoleon bonaparte die is living through. These camps were ment to eliminate all Jews Elvis Pigsley Short Story. People were starting Comparison Of Don Marquis And Judith Jarvis Thomson not believe should students wear school uniform God. As The Great Gatsby Dynamic Analysis society began to rely on meaningless the power of voodoo to Informative Speech About Cancer the daily mushrooms-sylvia plath of life, the previous aspects of life were abandoned. It is incumbent upon Antonia Character Analysis Essay to remember the good we have received, and the evil we have suffered. In the story retold by Mourning Dove, it can be seen the symbolism that animals had on this culture and their importance. The Coyote, with his vanity, and the Buffalo, with his craving for revenge, both showed themselves as tricksters throughout the story by deceiving one another. This way, the author tells a story while really trying to show the readers the important roles and attitudes of both Buffalo and Coyote and how they affect their fate. The beast is one of the best symbols that shows how the boys progress from civilization and let out their inner savagery. A littlun complains about there being a beast that roams around at night, they all gather around to come up with strategies on how to fix the situations. Simon suggests the beast is the boys themselves, and at this point, the savagery is taking over them and they are becoming more and more uncivilized. Beasts are mainly described as wild animals. A resonating quote of George Orwell to a piece of his writing Animal Farm and interprets the process of establishing dictatorship and power through methods like intimidation, rectifying of information, and the infrastructure of power distribution. Napoleon the leader in the story provokes fear to control the animals. To that end he must starts by obtaining military power that forces the animals to abandon the original way of animalism and adapt to changes and embrace his systems. Buck stuck up for his pack and should be the leader. Something totally different has changed in buck life from being a house dog to a sled dog. From living in a big house to carrying a sled. He had it pretty rough. Buck may be happier knowing that he has someone to care for him and a pack that protects each other. It stops families from having bully breeds as pets, people fear the dogs may turn on them or bite children. It stops people from adopting or rescuing a pit bull because they now believe they are not able to be rehabilitated. It promotes the stereotyping of certain dog breeds. The obvious conflict to the reader is the external conflict of man versus man. Zaroff determined to prove his skill as a hunter hunts Rainsford, while Rainsford fights against Zaroff to stay alive. Likewise, Rainsford and Zaroff also differ from the other in terms of their ideology, where Zaroff believes that hunting humans for sport is natural, and Rainsford disagrees. The subtle external conflict is the conflict of man versus nature, where Rainsford must battle against the conditions of the jungle to elude Zaroff. In addition to the external conflicts, Connell also includes the internal conflict of man versus himself in this story with Rainsford. Since the wolves want to kill Buck it is kill or be killed. And while the law of competition may be hard for the individual, it is best for the race, because it ensures survival of the fittest in every department[American. Billy, on the other hand, is not consistently moral. In the beginning, he has good intentions of taking the wolf back to its homeland; he cares for it and protects it from humans. In the end, when the crippled dog comes to him for help, he chases it away in a cruel manner. Even though he comes to his senses and calls for the dog afterward, he is somewhat already morally corrupted; he is no different from the men who had brutalized the wolf. In order for Buck to solve the dilemma of his existence, a dilemma created by modern fates. The novel has three levels, the first and narrative one the story of a dog, Buck who reverts, learns to survive in a wolf-like life, and eventually becomes a wolf. The second, or biological level, reveals London himself lived and felt climbing out of the abyss of poverty and deprivation to prestige as a writer and wealth. The third level, was political and philosophical, the doctrines of social Darwinism in fictional form. The German Nazis treated the Jews like animals and forced them to endure abominable physical tortures. In the novel, Night, Elie Wiesel narrates his life during World War II as a Jew; he is compelled to be relocated to a concentration camp with his father, but unfortunately, he and his father are separated from his mother and sisters. Wiesel and his father face many situations where they are dehumanized along with the other fellow Jews. Through his perspective, the readers discover the cruel and disgusting practices taken against the Jews. While going along with his mother he too grew a hatred for the helpless David. He would hide food in the basement where David stayed, on purpose, so his mother would find it and beat David for stealing food. Now that David is gone, his mother has nobody to take her drunken anger out on. Once Elie is forced to spend an impressionable part of his adolescence in the Concentration Camp, his sense of perception is warped. The travesty of Genocide has tragically claimed both his innocence and childhood prematurely. For centuries mankind has faced injustice due to prejudice and hate. How we have dealt with unjust acts has shaped society and molded the way that we think, changing our very morals and values. The deplorable conditions and oppressive treatment emphasizes the injustice inflicted upon Elie and his comrades. During , Elie Wiesel was forced from his home to undertake a great trial, known by many as the Holocaust. After the grueling meat grinder, known by some as the Shoah, he had survived, and was able to write his experiences years after the event. In short, Wiesel wrote Night to remind people of the horrors and conditions he had experienced within the concentration camps. Years after the Holocaust occurs, Wiesel shows the harsh treatment on him and his peers, enforced by the Schutzstaffel, such as working with great starvation and tiredness. The writing reveals the feelings of oppressed; starved; weakening men under the rule of fascist Nazis. Fuck me Matty In the memoir Night by Eliezer Wiesel, it describes the harsh torture Elie went through as a young boy during the Holocaust that tarnished his view on the world he knew forever. His life turned into a living hell, barely pushing through the days spent in the concentration camps with his detached father, who seemed motionless and frail due since the imprisonment. This quote shows …show more content… The inner beast inside unleashes as the person loses sight of what is acceptable in society and turns on each other for their own selfish desires. Anything can unleash a person's inner demons, leaving everyone but themselves apparent, and their needs revolve around themselves, leaving everyone else as a shrub with no significance in the person's. Show More. Escape From Camp 14 Summary Words 3 Pages He was raised as a hard worker and was trained to snitch on his family, classmates, and coworkers. Read More. Open Document. Holy sonnet 17 intellectuals have hitched a how did napoleon bonaparte die on the Holocaust how did napoleon bonaparte die as a means of advancing their careers. Get Access. Throughout his novel, we saw how many people how did napoleon bonaparte die the faith A Rhetorical Analysis Alfred Green Speech God during their lives in the concentration camp. I began with the story of the Besht. Elie explores the theme of faith from the Morality Exposed In Eliezer Wiesels Night to the end of the book. The adversities at Auschwitz Essay On Fahrenheit 451 Conformity Buchenwald how did napoleon bonaparte die Elie to lose faith in God. Mankind needs peace more than ever, for our entire planet, threatened by nuclear war, is in danger of total Morality Exposed In Eliezer Wiesels Night.	8,575
During nearly two decades in Congress, former Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) — now head of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars — established herself as a forceful player in the rough-and-tumble game of Washington politics. The Harvard Law School graduate and moderate Democrat racked up nine re-election wins in her conservative-leaning Southern California House district and gained a reputation as a national leader on intelligence and defense issues. After Sept. 11, 2001, Harman became a fixture on “Meet the Press” and other high-profile news shows and was sometimes cited as a potential CIA director or secretary of defense. But the stylish congresswoman’s ambition sometimes exacted a political price. Harman incurred the wrath of liberal Democrats when she supported elements of President George W. Bush’s post-Sept. 11 domestic surveillance program. A scandal involving espionage, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and Harman briefly threatened to derail her career. And when Democrats won the U.S. House in 2006, Harman found that her quest to become chairwoman of the Intelligence Committee was stymied by her frosty relationship with then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). Despite the setbacks, Harman appeared to be cruising to a 10th term in office when she abruptly resigned her seat in February 2011. Sensing she had accomplished all she could in an increasingly polarized Congress, Harman simply bowed out. But while Harman left Congress, she didn’t quit the Washington policy game. Instead, she accepted an appointment as the first female director, president and CEO of the Wilson Center, a congressionally chartered think tank that aims to marry politics and scholarship in the quest for better public policies. Since taking the helm, Harman has recruited her high-powered friends to speak at the center, reinvigorated its role in international affairs, and worked to raise the profile of female heads of state around the globe. “This was an opportunity I couldn’t refuse,” said Harman, looking typically tanned and relaxed during an interview in her spacious, light-filled office on the top floor of the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in the heart of downtown Washington. A green surfboard — a gift from a former constituent in California — rests in a corner of Harman’s office, adding a splash of vibrant color to the immaculate white lines of the room. “I’m one of those politicians in exile now, but I’m enjoying a chance to catch my breath,” Harman told The Diplomat. “The opportunity to think more deeply about issues and be in a nonpartisan space was irresistible.” The Wilson Center, as it’s frequently referred to in short, is a public policy organization that allows scholars and policy experts to research topics of national and international importance. The center received about $10 million in tax dollars in 2011, and took in slightly more than half that amount from private foundations and other donors. It aims to reflect the ideals of Woodrow Wilson, the nation’s only Ph.D.-holding president. Wilson preferred calm, well-researched decision making over immediately decisive, emotional actions. “It provides the safest political space in this town,” Harman said of the Wilson Center. “It’s a place where both parties can come and have serious conversations and a place where the preeminent scholars in the world can come and do real research. The combination of scholarship and policy is what Woodrow Wilson stood for.” During her time on the Hill, Harman was a major player in security-related issues, serving on all the major security committees: six years on the Armed Services Committee, eight years on Intelligence and four on Homeland Security. She also undertook numerous congressional fact-finding missions to hotspots around the world, including North Korea, Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and Guantanamo Bay. Harman was taken aback when her interviewer suggested that her new job doesn’t occupy the same front-and-center position on the Washington stage as a seat in Congress. The stage may be different, she suggested, but it’s still one on which she is prominently perched. “I am in the action!” Harman retorted, enthusiastically. “I am in the action! I’m just back from observing the election in Egypt and participating in the World Economic Forum in Thailand.” In her wide-ranging Diplomat interview, Harman discussed an array of international issues, including the Obama administration’s use of drones in Pakistan, the presidential election in Egypt and her provocative view that Russia should allow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to live in exile there. She also defiantly addressed the controversies that dogged her in office. In late May, Harman and Rep. David Dreier (R-Calif.) were among a team of international observers monitoring Egypt’s first round of presidential elections following the fall of longtime head of state Hosni Mubarak. Although the Wilson Center isn’t known for election monitoring, Harman said she’s been participating in the democratic tests since her days as a California lawyer in private practice in the 1980s. “I think it’s fascinating to see transitions to democracy,” she said, noting that the “mechanics of the [Egyptian] election were very fair.” “There were some allegations [of irregularities] leading up to the election, but I didn’t see that,” she told us. “What I saw were long lines of men and women very excited to be voting for the first time in their lifetime for the president of their country.” “There were some allegations [of irregularities] leading up to the election, but I didn’t see that,” she told us. “What I saw were long lines of men and women very excited to be voting for the first time in their lifetime for the president of their country.” Harman — speaking before the June 17 election that seemed to usher the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohamed Morsi to the presidency, amid what many called a power grab by the military after the Egyptian Supreme Constitutional Court ordered the Islamist-led Parliament dissolved — downplayed the worries of many in the American foreign policy establishment that the conservative Muslim Brotherhood will dominate Egyptian politics. “There is a lot of concern that if the Muslim Brotherhood has a majority in the Parliament and its candidate wins the presidential election, there really may not be room for expression of other points of view, ” Harman conceded. “But we have to wait and see. Democracy doesn’t exist without pluralism.” She said the emergence of Islamist political parties is “good news” “There is a lot of concern that if the Muslim Brotherhood has a majority in the Parliament and its candidate wins the presidential election, there really may not be room for expression of other points of view, ” Harman conceded. “But we have to wait and see. Democracy doesn’t exist without pluralism.” She said the emergence of Islamist political parties is “good news” “There are groups of people who hold strong views, and democracy is about the exchange of ideas and the free expression of views,” Harman said. “And there are Islamist parties that are running for election under more or less fair rules. “I’d much rather have them in the tent than have them outside, like al-Qaeda, trying to blow up the tent,” Harman added. “I think the rise of Islamist parties is healthy.” Harman also has her own ideas about the violent conflict unfolding in Syria. In a March 30 op-ed in the Washington Post, Harman suggested that Syria’s Bashar al-Assad might be willing to give up power and stop the massacre of his own people in exchange for asylum for himself and his family. She pointed out that Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s exodus to New York for medical treatment allowed for the peaceful transition of power there. Now, although it remains unclear where Saleh is, he’s at least not in power. “Offering Assad immunity to get him out of Damascus may be the best of several less-than-ideal options for stopping the bloodshed in Syria,” Harman wrote in the Post. In her June Diplomat interview, Harman stood by her suggestion. She argued that such a move could help Russian President Vladimir Putin repair his international image, which she says was badly tarnished by irregularities and violence related to his own election this year. (Less than a week after The Diplomat’s interview with Harman, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced her suspicion that Russia was supplying the Assad regime with high-powered assault helicopters.) “We’re choosing among bad alternatives and this is less bad than letting a massacre and a nascent civil war continue,” Harman said, referring to her asylum proposal. “If there is a possibility of getting the Bashar family out of the country and structuring a reasonably stable government in their place, I think we, the enlightened world — a coalition of nations — ought to seize it. “I’m not defending Bashar al-Assad in any way and I think he may shortly be indicted for crimes against humanity,” Harman added. “But I’m still hopeful that Russia will seize an opportunity which is unique to Russia. It has been an arms provider and is an immediate neighbor and obviously a confidante of the Bashar family. “I think this would be in Putin’s interest to do,” she continued. “If he wants to rehabilitate his image in the world community after what most view as a very flawed election in Russia, it would earn him some serious cred.” Harman dismissed Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s suggestion that the U.S. government should arm the Syrian rebels battling Assad’s minority regime. “I think arming the rebels is problematic,” she said. “I don’t know who they are and where those arms will go. There already is a problem with some of the arms that were in the caches in Libya, and some of those provided from outside, resurfacing in other parts of the world. “If al-Qaeda is part of the opposition in Syria, which we now believe it is, I can’t imagine we’d want to give arms to al-Qaeda,” she added. Turning to the subject of Obama’s overall foreign policy, Harman gave the president and his administration good grades — with a couple of caveats. “There is no low hanging fruit in foreign policy anymore,” she said. “The Arab awakening caught the whole world by surprise, including our intelligence community. Finding the right path through this is tough.” Harman noted that she refuses to refer to the revolutions in the Middle East as an “Arab Spring,” saying the term is “too optimistic.” She prefers “Arab awakening.” Meanwhile, the former congresswoman said Obama would benefit from a more open dialogue on controversial strategies like drone strikes in Pakistan. “I think it needs to be well explained,” Harman said. “If people pose an imminent threat to the safety of people in our country and they’re impossible to capture, I think in limited circumstances with very clear rules it is OK to target them,” she explained, noting that a drone wiped out al-Qaeda leader Abu Yahya al-Libi in early June. “Our drone program is very carefully managed and it needs to be,” she said. “It’s not OK with me to operate it outside of some strict set of rules.” But who gets to determine those rules? That’s one of the main arguments used by critics of the covert program, which they say is outside the bounds of domestic and international law. Harman says the drone program should be staged in a way that is accountable. “We don’t want to give license to other countries that will be able to perfect this technology to do whatever they want,” she said, echoing another chief complaint of the program. Harman said she also supports Obama’s policy of coercive sanctions against Iran, with a military option remaining on the table, and backs a similar approach to North Korea with the added element of multiparty talks. As the conversation turned to Harman’s political travails in office, the former congresswoman was direct and defiant. In 2006, news reports said the Justice Department was investigating Harman after she was reportedly overheard on an NSA wiretap telling a suspected Israeli agent that she would lobby the Justice Department to reduce espionage-related charges against two AIPAC officials, in return for the group’s help securing the House Intelligence Committee chairmanship by raising money for Pelosi and lobbying for Harman. The issue resurfaced in 2009 when Congressional Quarterly’s Jeff Stein reported that the Harman investigation was dropped not because of a lack of evidence, but because then Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales intervened to stop the probe. “Why? Because, according to three top former national security officials, Gonzales wanted Harman to be able to help defend the administration’s warrantless wiretapping program, which was about to break in The New York Times and engulf the White House,” Stein wrote. Harman called the entire episode “a total political smear.” “The Justice Department said in writing I never was a target of, or subject of an investigation and so did the House Ethics Committee — in writing,” she stressed. So what was the motivation for the allegations and the reporting on the issue? “Politics is a blood sport — that was the motivation as far as I know,” Harman said. “I never got more information than that. It was a miserable experience to live through but I was re-elected five times afterward, so it obviously didn’t impress the voters in my district.” Harman also took vigorous exception to a reporter’s assertion that she “supported wireless wiretapping” during the Bush administration. “That is not fair,” Harman quickly countered. “I defended wiretapping consistent with strict rules. I was outraged when I learned that the terrorism surveillance program — which was revealed in an article in the New York Times — had not been conducted according to the law [the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act] that applied. “I was extremely outspoken about it starting on the day I could talk about it and I worked with some others to amend FISA,” she continued. “FISA is not a warrantless wiretapping law; it’s not all wiretapping, it’s not all wires — there are other ways to intercept communication.” Harman further explained that the FISA law has “strict rules for when you can intercept communications from foreigners or Americans.” “I don’t call that warrantless and we had a very robust argument about that,” she said. But in his book, “Bush’s Law: The Remaking of American Justice,” New York Times investigative reporter Eric Lichtblau wrote that Harman “changed her tune” about warrantless wiretapping after a story about the Bush program broke in the New York Times in 2006. Harman was among those who had convinced the Times to hold the story for a year, he said. “When the story broke publicly, she was among the first in line on Capitol Hill to denounce the administration’s handling of the wiretapping program, declaring that what the NSA was doing could have been done under the existing FISA law,” Lichtblau wrote. “No, I am not for warrantless wiretapping,” Harman said. “It’s a very sloppy and less than fully informed characterization of what many of us believed. There may be somebody out there who is for warrantless wiretapping, but I’m not in that group.” Harman’s intense demeanor began to brighten as the interview returned to her work at the Wilson Center. She talked about a program celebrating female heads of state around the world that had been languishing under the center’s previous directors. The Council of Women World Leaders aims to mobilize the highest-level female leaders globally for collective action on issues of critical importance to women. Harman imagines the program as a chance for these female leaders to network amongst themselves and find ways to be role models and mentors to emerging women leaders. “Our world has a scarcity of leaders,” Harman said. “If more than 50 percent of the population can be encouraged to become the best leaders possible, it can only improve things. We think the potential is huge.” Despite a long and productive career in government, the feisty former California congresswoman declared herself happy in her new role. “The Wilson center stands for freedom,” Harman said. “I’m very proud of what we do.” About the Author Michael Coleman is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat. Recent Posts Bahraini envoy to receive NUSACC ‘Ambassador of the Year’ accolade Cover Profile People of World Influence Appointments Medical Education House of Representatives State Department Defense Department U.S. Senate Advertise Staff Diplomatic Spouses Advertise © 2000-2022 The Washington Diplomat. All rights reserved. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication is prohibited.	17,772
That sounds serious, doesn’t it? Certainly no Christian would rebel against God’s commands or despise the plans of the most high. Come on, after all that God has done for us, would we go against His will? Probably only out of ignorance, right? We wouldn’t willfully rebel…. Would we? I have lost track of how many times I have used this blog as a confessional. I think what started as a chronicle of my journey after teaching in St. Louis has become an expose’ of my internal life. I wasn’t planning on that. But, as I have mentioned, I am a little obsessed with telling the truth…whether or not you, or I, want to hear it. So, you know that book on prayer that I picked up at the library? Whispers of Hope: 10 Weeks of Devotional Prayer? Yeah, well, I think it was written with me in mind. It was copyrighted in 2013, before I knew that I would be moving to Michigan, before I knew I would be leaving my job, before I knew that I would be given this grace period. Yet, it seems that each day the message is specifically for me, designed to call me back from whatever it was that I thought I was accomplishing in my soldiering years. I knew better. I knew that what I really needed was daily time in God’s Word, daily prayer, regular support from friends, but I chose, over and over again, to ignore those facts and keep soldiering on by my own strength. And I found out I am pretty strong, but not strong enough. Nobody is, really. We were designed by a Creator who wants to continue to help us, who wants relationship with us, who doesn’t want us to go it alone. He’ll let us give it a try, yet He won’t leave our side while we are trying. Even more, miraculously, graciously, He will be ready to talk even before we are ready. He will be placing things in the path that direct us back to Him. But, you know, sometimes we want to sit in the darkness, in chains, because we’re being willful. And stubborn. And, even then, He pursues us. Psalm 107 says that He sometimes “subjects [us] to bitter labor”, or maybe lets us get utterly exhausted in all our striving and soldiering. We “stumble, and there [is] no one to help.” So, finally, (sheesh), we “cry to the Lord in [our] trouble, and he [saves us] from our distress.” Yup. That was my Bible study today. The only thing is, I didn’t quite get to the point that I was crying out in my distress…He met me before that. He swooped in and took me out of my soldiering. He gave me some time to be still, so that I would know, more than ever, that He is God. Let Him be exalted. Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love, and His wonderful deeds for mankind. Related Published by Kristin I find that I think best when I write. If you choose to follow me, you will get a first-hand look at my thoughts as I contemplate life as a woman, wife, mother, daughter, writer, teacher, and follower of Jesus. Issues that seem to recur revolve around parenting, ministry, chronic illness, and teaching. View all posts by Kristin	3,102

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