content
stringlengths 219
1.01M
| content_length
int64 235
1.01M
|
|---|---|
On October 8, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument on a wage and hour case filed by employees of a warehouse business. The business provides storage facilities and order-filling staff for companies that include Amazon. Employees are required to stand in line and undergo a security screening after completing their work shifts and […]
U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Recess Appointments to NLRB
Posted on June 26, 2014 Print
Those who have followed the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) over the past few years may be aware that there was a period of time when the majority of the 5-member Board consisted of “recess appointments” by President Obama. In other words, because Washington gridlock resulted in the President being unable to obtain Senate approval […]
Posted on June 21, 2013 Print
In a ruling last week, a federal judge in New York confirmed what has long been predicted on this website (see here and here): that unpaid internships that are not provided for educational course credit, and that are not otherwise designed primarily to benefit the intern, are illegal. Thus, production assistants who worked as unpaid […]
Posted on June 13, 2013 Print
In a previous post here, I noted that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or EEOC, had begun to focus on criminal background checks by employers. The thinking is that requiring criminal background checks can constitute illegal discrimination on the basis of race because a higher percentage of African Americans than Caucasians have criminal convictions. Thus, […]
Supreme Court Rules that a Wage & Hour Collective Action Can Be Mooted by an Offer to Pay the Lead Plaintiff in Full
Posted on April 19, 2013 Print
In Genesis Healthcare v. Symczyk, decided April 16, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court held that a group, or collective, action to recover unpaid wages can be mooted by an employer’s offer to have judgment entered against it for the full amount of the lead plaintiff’s unpaid wages and reasonable attorney’s fees, if the court overseeing […]
Ms. Myer to Speak About Employment Law Matters of Concern to Small Businesses April 25
Posted on March 7, 2013 Print
Ms. Myer will speak to the Atlanta Bar Association’ Solo and Small Firm Section on April 25 on issues in employment law of concern to small businesses.
| 2,398 |
Pros: "It was efficient and they did every thing to make sure we were on time! The x is a 'beefed up' version of the popular, modern and rolls all the benefits of this car into a stylish and well-rounded Crossover SUV format. This tile might say "Load Career" or "Continue Career" - if it does, highlight the tile then use the to change it to "New Career". You tap the black part showing the dots as per the pic to see how much of your daily steps you've done. For Final Score we currently have 9 coupons and 30 deals. If you looking for that perfect deal on a used car in and around Birmingham then let us help you to make it a quick and easy process. Our suite was very spacious and tidy. Explore all the products available on the offer page and add it to the cart. The Nominating Committee will evaluate the resignation, weighing the best interests of the Company and its shareholders, and make a recommendation to the Board of Directors on the action to be taken. This Financial District seafood spot blows all other run-of-the-mill buck-a-shuck offerings out of the water. Findlay roofing coupon have also come to be ever mindful of the courage of those who grieve for them, and the light that still lives in their hearts. However, high quality gastronomy is something that everyone can enjoy, be it on a special occasion or simply to break up the daily grind by enjoying a moment with friends and family. Place serves the northwest company coupon code pretty decent Italian food for Amsterdam proposed at this bar find restaurant reviews, menus, through extravagant! Country Treasures https://quiz.escateley.com/2022/07/03/19328628 is located on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. When mealtimes swing around, navigate to the foodpanda website or app to discover a large range of options for you to choose from. This means you don't even need a discount code to get free shipping, just add your items to your origamirack. Knoji is the largest database of AndroidFlashDrive.
People should exercise caution when taking such drugs to prevent the heart rate from getting too low. If you have battery questions that are GMC Terrain-specific, pay us a visit. Sometimes, your chance of getting upgraded depends on when you show up at an airport. Click the button to view the complete list of all verified promo codes for JS Fly Fishing all at once. a chocoholic's dream that is the 'Chocolate Puddle Cake' at Polo Lounge, the deceptively sinful 'Daal Makhni' at Andaaz, the grilled to perfection 'Angus Steak' at Cosa Nostra with its array of fancy condiments, the delicately spiced 'Qeema Naan' at Dumpukht Lounge. The two trails are the best both tied for top prize , though the slaughterhouse is no slouch, and the games added this year are a nice diversion. In each complaint, a purported shareholder of the Company has filed a lawsuit on behalf of themselves and a putative class of public Company shareholders, as well as on behalf of the Company derivatively, in the U. Tested, verified and updated in Times Square is the most up-to-date of! Encryption being the core security feature and all the personal information remains safe. Many Costco locations also have hearing aid services, which can be a great value. More Click and grab this huge discount at campingworld. This season once again saw an extension of this with new, quirky colour options such as hot pinks and bright yellows, while new treatments of leathers also featured. Didn't feel like I had it on! Trying to budget but also trying to make lugging luggage as easy as possible. She thought I was only getting one floor of my house done. What are the check-in and check-out times at FK Alegria hotel? Many Propecia Rite Aid manufacturer coupons for trash bags wish to maintains a list of speech and her fact in the anime he really only seems. In fact, you will become a lot more confusing after seeing numerous the northwest company coupon code discounts and offers available for the various products that are essential for your kids apart from outfits.
One the northwest company coupon code of the most important areas travelocity hotel coupon codes 2014 in which we're striving to do that is health. You can also find sales and other promotions for eFireplaceStore here as well. If there are any BolPoints in either of the accounts they'll be merged and appear in the new account. What's more, Google have promised that many of the major updates to its software from the Pixel 3 will eventually make their way to the Pixel 2. No effort by mother to stop child from crying". It is hard for folks that have burned wood for a long time to grasp the fundamentals of burning coal as they contradict each other at certian points. What is the cheapest day to depart New York for Las Vegas? This takes around two hours, so once the time is up, you can use the promo code again. Kate has a formidable reputation as a first-class silk due to her skill, judgement and outstanding performance in serious and complex cases. What's today's best Challenger Fly Mask coupon? Where: Terminal 1, Arrivals and Terminal 3, Arrivals. We had such a blast at the summer The JAMboree last weekend! How do I get preapproved for an FHA loan? No facts or proof of valid booking printed from their own website changed their demand for payment on the spot. If you subscribe to the Fiesta Mart e-newsletters or other services, you may choose to unsubscribe at anytime. The supermarkets are only selling ranges in store, and not online, as ID is required before purchase - you must be 18 or over to buy them.
I was not refunded my money which I think is unfair. If you need a hand to calculate it, we can help you estimate this when doing a quote. Then when I tried to call customer service, I was on hold being transferred around for almost 2 hours and then when I did finally talk to the right person who was nice , they said it couldn't be reversed because it was after 5pm. Shop at xx sale seasonwith Flintstones Vitamins Coupons for a 10 OFF disocunt is brought to all customers on all orders. Weeknight steaks can be a recipe for mid-month bankruptcy. Our server Michael was also really good. Nonetheless, Sandoz has successfully registered and launched the first biosimilar product in Europe, the US and Japan, as well as two further products in Europe. Flipkart sale always offers the best deals on all electronics, appliances, gadgets, fashion and home needs. One of the major cities of California, San Francisco, is famous and renowned for its liberal community and surroundings. Yorkshire's Ultimate Entertainment Destination Why not make the most of your visit to Snozone by stopping for a bite to eat or enjoy a drink in the comfort of our the northwest company coupon code unique bar and restaurant area overlooking our snow slopes! Filed Under: around town Subscribe to Blog via Email Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. I'm pretty sure none of those grapes got eaten. Rather arrange sightseeing through your hotel or from Thompsons. However the wiring consisting of 6 wires and 6 pins cannot be attached because the places of the wires were interchanged. Kiosco Need something to eat on the run? PowerfulCreating multiplayer, physics-based games has never been easier. This plan covers accidental screen damage, liquid damage to the screen, multiple hardware, and software glitches.
Sõbrad
Eesti FSC
Kultuurimininsteerium
MTÜ Põline Pere
Hiiepaik on avatud vabatahtlik koostööring, kes on kokku tulnud selleks, et kaardistada ja hoida Eesti looduslikke pühapaiku.
| 7,860 |
Acne Studios recognizes the importance of protecting the privacy of your personal data. We have instituted strict policies and security measures to protect the information you provide us.
Who is responsible for the processing of your personal data?
The Swedish company Acne Studios AB, reg. No. 556504-7726 (“Acne Studios”), is the controller of your personal data. Acne Studios’ affiliated companies (including other companies within the Acne Studios group, joint ventures, franchisees and licensees) and selected suppliers may process your personal data on Acne Studios’ behalf and in accordance with Acne Studios’ instructions as stated below and are thereby processors of your personal data. You may contact Acne Studios at any time, please find our contact details below.
Below is a summary of the categories of data that we process, the purposes of processing the data and on what legal basis we are processing your data. Our processing of your personal data partly depends on whether you have subscribed for membership with us or not. The processing of personal data relating to customers that are not members is described in section 3.2 below. The processing of our members’ personal data is described in section 3.3 below.
Customers (non-members)
Data collected when you shop in our webstore or use our online services
Contact details: If you make a purchase online we will collect your name, address, e-mail address, telephone number, country of residence, date of birth, title (Ms./Mr. or other title) and social media account contact details. Not all information is mandatory for making a purchase. We have marked mandatory information with the symbol (*) on our website. We will use your contact information to (i) process your purchase/orders and any returns, exchanges and complaints you may have relating to your purchase; and to (ii) communicate with you regarding your purchase and to answer and administer any questions or comments you may have regarding our products or services. The legal basis is that it is necessary to process your data in order for us to be able to fulfill our contractual obligations to you under the purchase agreement. We will retain your data for as long as necessary for this purpose.
Credit card details: If you make a purchase online and chose to pay by credit card, you will provide your credit card information on our website to finalize your purchase. Your credit card details will be protected using Global Sign Encryption. The legal basis is that the processing is necessary in order for us to be able to fulfill our contractual obligations to you under the purchase agreement. We will retain your data for as long as necessary for this purpose.
Previous purchases and returns: If you have signed up for an account we will store information regarding (i) your purchases and returns online, and (ii) your purchases and returns in physical stores, if you have provided your e-mail address to our personnel. Such information encompasses product, size, price and date of purchase. We will also store information regarding your recently viewed items. This will allow you to keep track of your purchases and returns, and recently viewed items, by logging into your personal account. The legal basis is our legitimate interest to provide you with the service of a personal account as requested by you when you signed up for the account. You may choose to deregister your account at any time. We will also save information on your contact details and previous purchases and returns during 36 months after the purchase to be able to administer returns and/or complaints. The legal basis is our legitimate interest to provide our customers with speedy and efficient service after the purchase.
ID number: If you chose to make your payment by invoice, you may be required to provide your personal ID number on our website. Your ID number will be directly transferred and available only to our payment service provider, which will process your ID number to be able to obtain a credit report and to facilitate your payment. The legal basis is that the processing is necessary for us to ensure accurate identification of our customers for invoice purposes and to fulfill our contractual obligations to you under the purchase agreement. We will retain your data for as long as necessary for this purpose.
Data collected when you shop in our physical stores
If you make a purchase in one of our physical stores we may process your e-mail address in order to be able to send a digital receipt to you. We will only collect your email address and send you a digital receipt if this has been requested or accepted by you. This processing is based on our legitimate interest of being able to provide our customers with a digital receipt on a voluntary basis. We will retain your data for as long as necessary for this purpose.
Members
You may sign up for membership by subscribing to the services provided by Acne Studios in accordance with the Membership Policy. The membership is completely voluntary and subscribing for membership is not a requirement for purchasing Acne Studios’ goods. When you subscribe to become a member, you will enter into an agreement with Acne Studios (the Membership Policy).
Data collected when signing up for membership
When you sign up for membership (online or in Acne Studios’ physical stores), Acne Studios collects your name, address, e-mail address, telephone number, country of residence, date of birth, title (Ms./Mr. or other title) and social media account contact details. Acne Studios processes the data to create your personal account and to process the membership which includes certain features such as (i) sending digital receipts upon request when purchasing a product in a physical store, (ii) sending out invitations to special events/promotions, (iii) personalized services in store, and (iv) profiled marketing offers through e-mail or other messenger services. The legal basis is that the processing is necessary in order for us to be able to fulfill our contractual obligations to you under the Membership Policy. We will retain your data for as long as necessary for this purpose.
Contact details: When you purchase a product online, Acne Studios will process your contact details for the following purposes; (i) to process purchases/orders and returns, exchanges and complaints; (ii) to communicate with you regarding the purchases and to answer and administer any questions or comments that you may have regarding Acne Studios’ products or services. The legal basis is that the processing is necessary in order for us to be able to fulfill our contractual obligations to you under the purchase agreement.
Previous purchases and returns: Acne Studios will also process data regarding your contact details and previous purchases and returns online (product, size, price and date of purchase) during 36 months after the purchase. The information will be processed for the following purposes:
Administering returns and complaints. The processing is based on our legitimate interest to provide our members with speedy and efficient service after the purchase.
Allowing you to keep track of your purchases and returns by logging into your account. The legal basis is that the processing is necessary in order for us to be able to fulfill our contractual obligations to you under the Membership Policy.
For the purpose of sending out invitations to special events/promotions, personalized services in store and profiled marketing offers through e-mail or other messenger services. The legal basis is that the processing is necessary in order for us to be able to fulfill our contractual obligations to you under the Membership Policy.
Credit card details: If you make a purchase online and chose to pay by credit card, you will provide your credit card information on the website for the purpose of making payment for the purchase. The legal basis is that the processing is necessary in order for us to be able to fulfill our contractual obligations to you under the purchase agreement. As a member you may also choose to save your credit card details for future purchases, for the purpose of speeding up the checkout the next time you shop. The legal basis for this processing is your consent. We will retain your data for as long as necessary for this purpose.
ID number: If you chose to make your payment by invoice, you may be required to provide your personal ID number on our website. Your ID number will be directly transferred and available only to our payment service provider, which will process your ID number to be able to obtain a credit report and to facilitate your payment. The legal basis is that the processing is necessary for us to ensure accurate identification of our customers for invoice purposes and to fulfill our contractual obligations to you under the purchase agreement. We will retain your data for as long as necessary for this purpose.
Data collected when shopping in physical stores
When you shop in Acne Studios’ physical stores, Acne Studios may collect and store information regarding (i) your clothing and shoe size, (ii) your clothing preferences (such as preferred colors and style) and (iii) other shopping preferences, provided that you have shared this information with Acne Studios’ personnel on a voluntary basis. Acne Studios may also store data regarding your purchases and returns in physical stores (product, size, price and date of purchase) if you have provided your e-mail address to Acne Studios’ personnel. This information is processed for the purpose of enhancing your future purchasing experience with Acne Studios and to provide customized service, which is part of Acne Studios’ membership service. Acne Studios may also use the information regarding your shopping preferences for the purpose of sending out invitations to special events/promotions and profiled marketing offers through e-mail or other messenger services. The legal basis for this is that the processing is necessary in order for us to be able to fulfill our contractual obligations to you under the Membership Policy. We will retain your data for as long as necessary for this purpose.
Acne Studios will store information regarding your recently viewed items when browsing Acne Studios’ website. This will allow you to keep track of your recently viewed items, by logging into your personal account. The legal basis for this is that the processing is necessary in order for us to be able to fulfill our contractual obligations to you under the Membership Policy. We will retain your data for as long as necessary for this purpose.
If you have subscribed to one of our newsletters, we will process your name, email address, country and information on whether you are interested in womenswear or menswear for the purpose of sending out such newsletter. The legal basis for this processing is our legitimate interest of being able to send our newsletter to individuals who have subscribed to receiving such newsletters. You are entitled to unsubscribe to our newsletter at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link included in each newsletter or by contacting customer service at clientservices@acnestudios.com. We will send you the newsletter until you unsubscribe to the newsletter service.
If you have subscribed to receive information and updates via e-mail and text messages regarding Acne Studios’ Archive events, we will process your name, telephone number, e-mail address, country of residence and gender to send out information regarding Archive events. The legal basis for this processing is our legitimate interest of being able to send information regarding Archive events to individuals who have subscribed to this service. You are entitled to unsubscribe to our send-outs at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link included in each message or by contacting customer service at clientservices@acnestudios.com. We will send you the Archive information send-outs until you unsubscribe to the service.
If you have contacted Acne Studios regarding a complaint, return or question, the e-mail or chat conversation will be stored for as long as it is necessary to administer your matter, including following up on the matter within 12 months. Depending on the nature of the matter for which you are contacting us, the legal basis may be that our processing is necessary for us to be able to fulfill our obligations under the purchase agreement or Membership Policy, or that we have a legitimate interest of being able to communicate with individuals who contact our customer service.
It can be noted that we may also use anonymized data for our internal marketing and demographic studies to analyze, profile and monitor customer patterns in order for us to be able to improve our products and services.
Consent and withdrawal
You hereby confirm that you have read and understood the content of this privacy policy. Where the legal basis for the processing of your personal data is your consent you agree to Acne Studios’ processing of your personal data in accordance with the provisions herein. Should you wish to object to, or withdraw your consent, to any of our processing, please contact us at clientservices@acnestudios.com. Please note, however, that your withdrawal will not affect our right to process your data when such processing is necessary to perform our contractual obligations to you, and/or to the extent we are required to process your data by law or to defend ourselves in a dispute, to prevent fraud or abuse, or to enforce our Terms and Conditions. If you withdraw your consent to any consent-based processing, we will cease all such processing.
Does Acne Studios share your information with others?
Acne Studios does not sell or rent our customer’s personal data to any other entity.
We may share your data with affiliated companies including other companies within the Acne Studios group, joint ventures, franchisees and licensees. If you have subscribed for membership with Acne Studios, we may combine your data provided to us with data that you have provided to such affiliated companies, for the purpose of improving our services to you, and to enhance your shopping experience when visiting an Acne Studios store in another country than your residence. The legal basis for the processing is that it is necessary for Acne Studios’ performance of the Membership Policy.
Acne Studios may also share your data with selected suppliers who perform functions on our behalf such as fulfilling orders and delivery of orders, processing payments, carrying out promotional services or data management, to maintain our website, to distribute e-mails, to send out our newsletter, to provide client communications and to manage our customer database. As necessary, the personal data you provide to us may be processed by these third parties, solely on Acne Studios’ behalf and in accordance with Acne Studios’ instructions as data processors. We do not authorize any of our suppliers to make any other use of your personal data.
If Acne Studios and/or its subsidiaries are subject to an actual or potential merger or acquisition or similar transaction, we may share your data with potential and actual buyer(s) and their financial and legal advisers, subject to such third parties undertaking appropriate confidentiality.
Transfer outside of the EU/EEA
We may share your data with our selected suppliers, who may process your data in countries both inside and outside of the EU/EEA when performing functions on our behalf as set out in section 4 above.
If you have subscribed to membership with Acne Studios, we will share your contact details and information on previous purchases and shopping preferences with our affiliated companies both inside and outside of the EU/EEA (please see further under section 4).
Please note that countries outside of the EU/EEA may not provide an adequate level of protection for your personal data. Acne Studios has however taken appropriate safeguards to ensure that the receiving parties of your data in countries outside of the EU/EEA shall provide an adequate protection of your data. Such safeguards may be that the receiving party has joined the Privacy Shield (if the receiving party is a company established in the United States) or that the receiving party has signed so called standard data protection clauses adopted by the EU Commission. Please contact us at clientservices@acnestudios.com if you want further information on what safeguards have been taken and if you want a copy of such safeguards.
In this section 6, we have summarized your data subject rights to request access, portability, rectification, erasure of your personal data, to restrict the processing of your personal data, to object to processing, and your right to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority.
If you want to exercise your rights, please send us an email at clientservices@acnestudios.com. Please note however that if you want to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority, you need to contact the authority directly.
If you have signed up for a membership with Acne Studios you will also be able to access, rectify and erase some of your data by logging in to your private account. Login to your account
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, Acne Studios reserves the right to keep and process your personal data in accordance with this policy to the extent necessary to perform our contractual obligations to you, and to the extent we are required to process your data by law or in order to defend ourselves in a dispute, to prevent fraud or abuse, or to enforce our Terms and Conditions.
Right of access
You have the right to obtain confirmation of whether personal data concerning yourself are being processed and, where that is the case, access to the personal data and information regarding, inter alia, the purpose of processing, the categories of personal data concerned, the categories of recipients to whom your data have been or will be disclosed, and the envisaged period of time for which personal data will be stored (or the criteria for determining this).
You have the right to request rectification of inaccurate personal data concerning yourself, and to complete incomplete data.
Right of erasure
Under certain circumstances you are entitled to request that we erase your personal data or restrict our processing of your data, namely in the following events.
When it is no longer necessary for us to process your data taking into consideration the purposes for which it was collected.
When our processing is based on your consent and you have withdrawn your consent, and there is no other legal basis for the processing of your data.
When our processing of your data is based on a legitimate interest legal basis and you object to such processing, and there is no overriding legitimate ground for our processing.
When you have objected to our processing of your data for direct marketing purposes.
When your personal data has been unlawfully processed.
When the personal data must be erased for compliance with a legal obligation that applies to us.
When the personal data collected concerns a child (under 13 years of age) in relation to the offer of information society services.
Right to objection - direct marketing and profiling
You have the right to object at any time to our processing of your personal data for direct marketing purposes, which includes profiling to the extent that it is related to such direct marketing. If you object to our processing of your personal data for direct marketing purposes, including profiling, we will cease such processing of your data.
If our processing is based on your consent or if the processing is necessary for our performance of a contract with you, you have the right to request that the data which you have provided to us shall be provided to you in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format and you also have the right to transmit such data to another controller.
Right to lodge a complaint with supervisory authority
Please note that if you consider the processing of your data to be in violation of applicable data protection laws, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of your habitual residence or the place of the alleged infringement.
How do I unsubscribe from Acne Studios newsletters and emails?
If you do no longer wish to receive our newsletters or other emails, you can unsubscribe as indicated in the particular communication, i.e. by using the unsubscribe link which is included on all newsletters and other emails. You may also contact us at clientservices@acnestudios.com.
We will retain your personal information for as long as necessary in relation to the purposes for which the data was collected or otherwise processed. Under section 3 above, we have specified the retention time, or the criteria for determining the retention time, for our processing of data in relation to the different purposes the data is being processed. In addition to the retention time stated under section 3 above, please also note the following.
Members: If you have not made any purchases, logged in to your account or used any of our services during a consecutive period of 36 months, we will terminate your membership and consequently we will not use your data for any membership services or marketing purposes thereafter. In such case we will delete your data unless we need to keep it for other purposes that are legally justifiable.
We will retain your personal information as necessary to comply with applicable legal obligations, to resolve disputes, and to enforce our agreements. Statutory obligations to retain data further remain unaffected.
When you purchase our products online, or sign up for a membership with Acne Studios, we will inform you which data is mandatory by marking certain fields with a symbol (*). The provision of mandatory data is necessary for Acne Studios to be able to fulfill our contractual obligation to you, for example processing your order, or fulfilling the membership services requested by you.
When you purchase our products in our physical stores, you do not have to provide any personal data. Please note however that if you chose to receive a digital receipt, it is mandatory that you provide your e-mail address or otherwise we will not be able to send you the digital receipt.
Children's privacy and legal purchase age
Acne Studios does not wish to collect personal information from anyone under the age of sixteen (16). If you are under eighteen (18), we require that you inform and get your parents’ or guardians’ consent before purchasing anything or provide any personal data to us at acnestudios.com or any other website related to Acne Studios.
We use cookies on our website. Please see our separate policy for cookies, which you can find on our website.
Acne Studios reserves the right to occasionally make changes to our privacy policy or practices. We will post the updated policy on our website, and thus we encourage you to review this page from time to time.
| 23,806 |
Democratic candidate Governor Kathy Hochul believes her strong support of abortion rights will sway more swing voters to her, compared to Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin, who opposes abortion.
The issue of abortion intensified after the U.S. Supreme Court in June overturned the landmark abortion rights decision Roe v. Wade.
Hochul, a decades-long backer of a woman’s right to choose the procedure, has made it a priority issue in her campaign, running ads that highlight her efforts to defend abortion rights.
“I’ve protected abortion rights,” she says in the ad.
She’s also bought airtime to define Zeldin, who is less well-known to the public, as holding views against abortion that are too “extreme” and therefore too “dangerous” for him to become governor.
“(He) has supported abortion bans so cruel toward women, they include no exceptions for rape, incest, or the life of the mother,” a narrator says in the ad.
New York in 1970 was the first state to approve abortion rights laws. It updated those laws and codified the rights in Roe into state law in 2019. Hochul said she is the only candidate who can guarantee that those rights will continue to be protected, and that the state won’t adopt abortion bans or severe restrictions like many other states have done since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision overturned Roe.
“Ask any woman if abortion is still an issue to her,” Hochul said, answering media questions on Oct. 18.
She said abortion is “on the ballot,” and New Yorkers should not take their right to choose the procedure for granted.
“The reason abortion rights are safe in the state of New York is because I’m the governor,” Hochul said. “That’s the only reason why they are safe right now.”
Earlier this year, just before the Dobbs decision, Hochul and the State Legislature approved funding to help pregnant people from states where abortion is limited or banned to receive reproductive health care services in New York. They also authorized funds to strengthen abortion clinics and passed new laws to protect providers from potential legal actions from other states.
The laws also prohibit the state from extraditing a patient or a health care practitioner to another state to face abortion-related charges if the procedure was conducted in New York.
Zeldin is against abortion rights. During remarks he made at a private fundraiser last spring, obtained by Spectrum News, he pledged to appoint a pro-life health commissioner. In the recording, he said he wants to find the “most qualified” health commissioner “who is also pro-life."
In a candidate questionnaire he completed for the Long Island Coalition for Life, Zeldin said he would vote against the use of “taxpayer” money to fund abortion, and that he would deny funding to Planned Parenthood.
Zeldin in July voted against bills in Congress to protect abortion rights, including the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2022, which prohibits government restrictions on abortion services through the first 24 weeks of pregnancy.
He also voted against the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act, which prohibits anyone acting under state law from interfering with a person’s ability to access out-of-state abortion services.
In recent days, Zeldin has been trying to downplay the issue. He’s running his own ads that say Hochul is trying to “deceive” New Yorkers.
“Let me be clear,” Zeldin says in the ad. “As governor, I will not change, and could not change, New York’s abortion law.”
Zeldin, who has said he is not in the governor’s race because of his views opposing abortion, said he would respect the “will” of the people. The majority of New Yorkers back abortion rights.
“When we woke up the day after the Dobbs decision, the law in New York was exactly the same as it was the day before. Nothing changed,” Zeldin said. “And I’m not going to change it.”
Zeldin has said that if he’s elected, he would declare a crime state of emergency and would issue executive orders to temporarily suspend New York’s recent criminal justice reforms. But he said he would not do the same for abortion laws.
Hochul’s campaign is calling Zeldin a “liar.” And the governor said she believes Zeldin is trying to have it both ways.
“Someone, who running for governor in the state of New York, who applauded and cheered the overturning of Roe v. Wade,” Hochul said. “I stand by my assessment. That’s how I define an extremist.”
Polls show abortion is not the top issue of concern to New Yorkers. But it is important to a significant portion of the electorate, and it could be a swing issue in the race.
Karen DeWitt is Capitol Bureau chief for New York State Public Radio, a network of public radio stations in New York state. She has covered state government and politics for the network since 1990.
| 4,820 |
On this website, we tend to are aiming to discuss online bill pay. Here you’ll find the complete guide on online bill pay, in which we give a brief on how you can instantly pay your bills online by staying at home without any difficulty.
Paying bills online is relatively easy nowadays. Everyone has a smartphone in which everything is accessible through the internet. And with the help of internet banking or several other bill-paying sites, make that stuff very easy.
Here are the following types of online bill payment that we could help you:
Energy Bill Payment
Duke Energy bill payment
Entergy bill payment
Atmos Energy bill payment
Xcel Energy bill payment
Natural Energy payment
Austin Energy payment
Every payment for a bill
Credit Card Payment
Credit card payment
Capital One Bank credit card
Citi credit card payments
Chase card payment
All other credit card payment
You can quickly pay your bills online by following the below method. The method works for most billers, including Credit Cards companies, Energy payments, Utility bills, and any other recurring payment.
First of all, visit the corporate website that you would like to create the payment. For instance, if you would like to pay Duke Energy bills, then visit their official website and sign up to manage your account.
Then you’ll see the choice that says “Bill Pay.”
Click on the option, and you’ll get to select your services for that you are getting to pay.
Now you ought to notice the relevant info and payment page would open.
Choose your preferred payment method, and voila! You have successfully made payment. You will get a receipt directly in your email address registered with the company.
| 1,697 |
In November, we addressed the phenomenon known as ‘showrooming’. Showrooming is the practice of using your smartphone or other mobile device to compare prices while in store. With more than three-quarters of retailers expecting to be impacted by showrooming, it is no surprise that strategies to combat this cross-shopping habit are being developed.
During the last days of this busy holiday season, we look at some of the more popular ways retailers are hoping to keep the attention of their shoppers and win those valuable dollars.
One of the easiest ways for retailers to limit the effects of showrooming is to have an active price matching strategy. Let your customers know that you will match (or beat) any advertised sales price they see in store. Show your customers you are serious about keeping them in store for a purchase.
Major retailers like Target, JC Penney, Best Buy, and Nordstrom are promoting their apps as ways to keep connected and shop at the customer’s convenience. Nordstrom’s app allows consumers to receive personalized product recommendations, scan bar codes in store to receive product info and availability, and track in store events.
Boosting the consumers experience is another solid strategy for drawing customers in and keeping them there. Some stores are offering free in store Wi-Fi to enhance the customer experience while others are turning their store into a party location with live DJs. Of course, a great staff will go a long way to impacting any consumer. Do you have a knowledgeable team that is outgoing and friendly? This is especially important for retailers selling items like electronics where customers are likely to have lots of detailed questions.
We expect retailers to keep many of these strategies in place well past the holiday season. In fact, we are looking forward to seeing what new strategies are developed to retain their customers and limit the effects of showrooming.
If your business is interested in capturing the attention of consumers via mobile advertising, call Qiigo today. Our team can get you established with a mobile optimized site and mobile ad campaign. Call us today at (404) 496-6841.
Related Posts
March 24, 2021
Integrating Telephone Leads and Live Chat for Increased Results Get more from your marketing budget and increase ROI by combining the power of Google Analytics
March 24, 2021
So I know it’s been quite some time since my last post, no worries, as I think this blog is going to come to a
March 24, 2021
Link building can greatly help your business increase ranking within the search engines and cover any bad press about your business online. Here are some
| 2,756 |
I know this question has been asked before, but I'll ask again. What do we do with brand new Scouts who are in 5th grade? My W2DL has told me (CM) that he does NOT wish to do any backtracking to accomodate these boys but will welcome them into the Den. I'm considering 2 options:
#1-Let them join with no intention (unless they are feeling very ambitious) of completing program. Basically "hang out" with Den/Pack, prepare for Boy Scouts.
#2-Put them in Webelos I Den. They will be with younger boys, but will get the whole "deal". This will be pending approval from Scout, parent, and WIDL.
Not sure about option 2 or if I "can". Anyone have any GOOD experience with new W2s?
Link to post
Share on other sites
Scoutfish 15
Posted September 30, 2010
Scoutfish
Senior Member
Members
Posted September 30, 2010
"My W2DL has told me (CM) that he does NOT wish to do any backtracking to accomodate these boys but will welcome them into the Den. "
As I see it, he is correct and choosing the best thing to do.
The thing is, the boy does not have to have a list of completed items to be a Boy Scout.
He does need to have wrked his way through Webelos, and Arrow of Light to get in the Boy Scouts EARLIER, than usual.
Know what I mean? he could drop out, and then join a troop next year if he wanted.
Let the boy join in with the other W II's and work along side them in whatebver they are doing. He will have fun and enjoy it. He will still get to do troop/webelos joint camping ( or whatever you call it) he can still hang out with his den.
Who knows, maybe the DL might even decide to work with the boy on doing extra activity badges and possibly bet that AoL award.
"-Put them in Webelos I Den. They will be with younger boys, but will get the whole "deal". This will be pending approval from Scout, parent, and WIDL."
This will probably make him feel like he's standing out like the "sore thumb". Might even cause him embarassment.
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted September 30, 2010
Senior Member
Members
Posted September 30, 2010
A lot depends on how many new 5th grade boys you have. And how many of them want to try cramming 18 months into 9.
If you have enough to make a functional den, and they really want to make a go of it - then let'm try & have your existing W1 & W2 leaders facilitate & mentor.
Main thing is, they should get as much as possible out of Cubs as they can. And have fun.
NC
PS - just because your current W2's might be crossing over in February or March doesn't mean this new crop can't take a few months more.
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted September 30, 2010
Member
Members
Author
Posted September 30, 2010
Yeah, I understand the W2DL not wanting to backtrack. His boys are way ahead of schedule and he has a BIG den to deal with already.
Last year, right after I took over as CM, we had a PILE of new W2s sign up and just about all of them dropped due to the fact that they felt like they were "behind" and couldn't catch up. I was just trying to avoid that again.
I think I'll explain to them what the situation is and let them use this season as a "ramp up" to joining the Troop. I don't know if I wouldn't have just told them to wait like you said, but then you may never get them into the program, PLUS my DE was all "HEY!!" "Who wants to be a CUB SCOUT!!" Come on in!! LOL
Link to post
Share on other sites
Scoutfish 15
Posted September 30, 2010
Scoutfish
Senior Member
Members
Posted September 30, 2010
EWell, my point was that I'd try to get the boy to just have fun with it. Matter of fact, you could even tell him he is lucky as he doesn't have any pressure to "complete" the rank. He can just have the fun until he crosses over at the end of the year or just moves up next year.
But you know how it is, We say one thing based on the here and now, but in a few months, the boy's attitude and participation may bring the DL to seeing if the boy wants to double up and try to get all the AB's and AoL in.
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted September 30, 2010
Junior Member
Members
Posted September 30, 2010
You do need to make sure that they understand that while the rest of the den may earn their AOL and crossover in March that they will not be able to join Boy Scouts until school is out. Although you will likely find a SM willing to let them come visit for a couple for months.
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted September 30, 2010
Junior Member
Members
Posted September 30, 2010
Our boys cross over in 9 months anyhow. We attend summer camp and webelo woods. It is easy to do. So a 1st year webelos is gonna get treated the same irregardless of 4th or 5th grade status.
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted September 30, 2010
Member
Members
Author
Posted September 30, 2010
Thanks for all the replies. This question seems to come up every year, with my Pack and with just about everybody else's that I know. Being a new Scout can be confusing enough when you have no experience at it, add that to the whole "you've got alot to do to catch up and crossover..." thing and we tend to lose the majority of our new 5th graders every year. Its a shame.
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted September 30, 2010
Senior Member
Members
Posted September 30, 2010
Ask the boys what they want. Take a few minutes to explain to the new scouts that it is possible to earn the awards, but much of it is up to them as it is no longer possible for them to do most of teh work in the den setting. Not every activity pin has to be earned with the den after all, they can work on them at home. Give them an outline of what pins they will be working on with the den that year and let them know what other ones they need if they want their Webelos rank and AOL. Make sure the parents are aware also. The boys that want the awards will work toward them and likely achieve them, and the boys that just want to hang out can just hang out.
Honestly, I don't think it should be up to the adults to decide the boys "can't" do it in this case. It's up to the boys. If you have a lot that joined that want to push toward Web rank or AOL, then it may just be worth it to set up another Webelos den for them.
If you decide for the boys that they can't catch up, they'll feel like you are holding them back. If you try to force them to catch up, they'll feel rushed and be unhappy. If they make the choice, they'll likely be satisfied with it.
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted September 30, 2010
Senior Member
Members
Posted September 30, 2010
We have successfully done two things. The parent should discuss this with the new Scout and decide after talking to the Cubmaster...or by talking to the Cubmaster.
1) They are placed into a Webelos 1 Den since both are working towards Webelos. Our Webelos 2 bridge in late March. If they have turned 11 by then then they don't need AOL. If they won't then they can work on the few extra things for AOL in that 6 months (Oct-Mar). We usually put them into a Webelos 2 Den around the end of January so they can get to know the boys (most of ours go to the same troop as a group).
2) They are placed into a Webelos 2 Den with the idea that the group is working on AOL and they will have to make up the Webelos rank requirements on their own.
Once we were lucky enough to get 7 new Webelos 2 Scouts. They formed their own Den and plugged out AOL before brigeover.(This message has been edited by pack212scouter)
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted September 30, 2010
Junior Member
Members
Posted September 30, 2010
Looking at the original two options (No. 1 being "hang out" with the Den, but no Webelos or AoL option, and No. 2 being drop back to the Web I's and get Webelos Badge, maybe later AoL) let me echo and detail how to handle the third option IF they are actually interested in earning Webelos and AoL and "sticking with" the current Web II guys so that they can cross over before the end of 5th Grade:
-- Put them in your Web II Den and do what you'd planned with your Web II guys. No "backtracking" on your Web II Den plan. No added duties on the Web II Den Leader. I assume that they will pick up a number of Activity Badges, and then the "catch up" will be Fitness and Citizen and maybe Outdoorsman and Readyman if you did those last year.
-- Then for what they're missing, either hook them up provisionally with selected Web I Den Meetings when they do Fitness and Citizen (and anything else they needs), or do a little of what in our Pack we call "Webelos Tutorial" for those badges. Web Tutorial might also be supported by the Troop (especially if your guys already have Outdoorsman), but may also be supported by one or more parents of one of the new Web II guys who can be tasked as an Assistant (or Activity Badge Counselor -- and fitness and citizen are very easy for the random volunteer to cover) for the missing activity badge. So they make up those "outside" of the Web II meetings (but possibly during campouts). Another option is having another non-Den Leader handle this (we have an Assistant Cubmaster/Webelos that has done this).
-- So . . . assuming this is what they want, let them earn AoL on their schedule (assuming they are motivated and knock off 8 Activity Badges, the hardest part is the 6 month tenure).
-- If your AoL and crossover comes before then, when the others get the AoL, they can be recognized for being "very close". When the other Web II Scouts "cross over", if they need more time, they can stand with them on the "Cub side", but not cross the bridge, and saying "Hey! Don't forget about us . . . I'll be with you guys in just ____ days . . . But we're staying to finish Arrow of Light like you guys did!!!"
-- When the crossed-overs go to Troop Meetings and Outdoor Activities during the gap between crossover and the new guys getting AoL, let the late AoL crowd come and hang with the Troop for repeat visits.
--- Then on or after the six month mark, they get Arrow of Light and cross over.
It's actually pretty easy, if you just get the parent or leader to conduct the tutorial on the missing required badges, because while a two year Webelos may earn all 20 badges, ya only need 8 to get AoL. This is not to say that they can't aim for all 20, but if the goal is hang with their Web II guys and cross over into Boy Scouts together . . . it can be done easily.
Worked great for us.
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted September 30, 2010
Junior Member
Members
Posted September 30, 2010
I'm a W2DL this year, and I have 2 new guys. This thread was so timely. (Most of our guys have enough activity pins for the AoL)
I gave my new boys the Fitness & Citizen worksheets (from meritbadge.org and elsewhere) and talked to the boys and parents about what the Webelos Badge will take. I also made sure the boys know that the den will help them with the flag ceremony requirements, and anything else that needs to be done in a group. (Flag ceremonies are a big part of Boy Scouts, and more practice is always good)
I know the worksheet just prints out the requirements from the book, but a boy who is working independently (or a parent who is helping) could benefit from a fill in the blank approach for "who is the president? Who is the governor of your state?"
I think, as den leader for the 5th grade boys, that includes all of them--even the new ones. I think there will be enough of them to have meetings after crossover as long as they want to keep meeting.
I hope all the new guys go to Webeloree. They really need the camping, and earning the activity pins offered would help them feel successful, too.
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted September 30, 2010
Senior Member
Members
Posted September 30, 2010
I took over a WebI den and for two years ran the program twice.
First time the boys got their pins etc. at the CS level.
The second time through the requirements were "reviewed" and then we went on to the challenges of those requirements using the BS handbook. Readyman/First Aid, Swimming/Swimming, etc. In fact the boys basically earned AOL twice but the second time through it was a wee bit more challenging/exciting knowing they were doing "Boy Scout" stuff. (Our spring campout, was a mini-camporee where the WebII boys would get some idea of what a campout would be like, ran some competitions, did the meals, slept out, etc.) The boys did a "shake-out" backpacking trek. Got backpacks, loaded them up and went for an afternoon hike where we stopped and did a meal out in the woods on a fire they started, etc. We could have done it with a daypack, but the big boy packs with waist belts, etc. were a bigger sell. 90% of an adventure is in your head anyway.
With this system, we wouldn't have any problems had any boy wanted to join "in the middle" of the program and still get his AOL.
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted September 30, 2010
Senior Member
Members
Posted September 30, 2010
I did #1 last year, and will do it again this year.
Basically, they get a quick intro to scouts--if they want the badges, etc., they need to work on them on their own. Other than that, they participate with the other second year Webelos. I do encourage them to advance, but I do that more like a Boy Scout Leader, in that there is not enough time to accomodate everybody.
Link to post
Share on other sites
Posted September 30, 2010
Senior Member
Members
Posted September 30, 2010
I did #1 last year, and will do it again this year.
Basically, they get a quick intro to scouts--if they want the badges, etc., they need to work on them on their own. Other than that, they participate with the other second year Webelos. I do encourage them to advance, but I do that more like a Boy Scout Leader, in that there is not enough time to accommodate everybody. My loyalty, first, lies with the Webelos who are in their second year.
| 14,425 |
There’s one big difference I’ve noticed between “pet folks” and people who are serious about dog training.
No, it’s not that our dogs are well behaved. Dog trainers, pro and hobby both, struggle with the same behavioral problems everyone else does. (And sometimes we get all new ones–my 35lb puppy, for example, is completely convinced the coffee table is his personal napping platform and that he should be allowed to climb wherever our cats climb.)
The difference is in how we set goals.
When I talk to people about their pets’ behavior and what they want to work on, I usually get a list of a some big items and a few smaller frustrations sprinkled in, with something like “I want him to be less crazy in the house” or “I wish he wouldn’t act like such a jerk on our walks.”
Those could be goals, yes, but they’re vague ones. What does “less crazy” look like? What do non-jerk dogs do on their walks?
Dog trainers almost always have a specific goal; more often, they have a series of interconnected goals on the path to something else. It’s not only that we are always always working on something with our dogs. It’s that we lay out a path out toward where we want to go. And if we don’t know the next step–and I’ve been here with my reactive dog many times!–we ask for guidance as to where to head next.
Behavior is never static. You teach your dog a sit, and it’s perfect. Your dog has the best sit on the block! So you don’t bother to practice for a while, and then you ask your dog to sit… and he’s forgotten what that means.
Dog trainers set goals because we know this. If you’re not moving forward, you’re slowly losing all that good work you’ve done to forgetfulness, lack of practice, and bad manners that creep in when we aren’t paying attention to what we’re reinforcing for our dogs.
So how do you, as someone with a dog in your home but no aspirations towards obedience ribbons or national titles, keep from sliding into the vague goal of “I just want a good dog”?
Well, what does a good dog look like, in your book? Everyone has different criteria, so what’s yours? Does a Good Dog bring you your slippers in the morning, or is it just that she doesn’t growl at the pizza delivery guy?
If you end up with a “good dog” that only DOESN’T do things–doesn’t get into the trash, doesn’t bark at visitors, doesn’t beg at dinner–you need to do some switching in your brain. Instead of saying “I don’t want her to bark at guests,” think of what you want instead: “I want her to lay on her dog bed when we have visitors.” And then you break that behavior down: how do you teach her to love her bed so much she’ll go lay there when there are strangers in the house? Does she know how to go lay down on her bed and relax when you ask her to? Is her bed located in the right place for your dog–say, somewhere out of the way but still in sight if she barks because she’s nervous, or in the middle of the living room where you sit with your guests to watch the game if she barks because she loves visitors? Have you slowly increased her ability to go to her bed in more and more exciting circumstances? Have you made it worth her while to play this game with you, whenever you ask her to?
Try it: set one small, specific goal for your dog this month. Maybe “I want Chief to leave everyone’s appetizer plates alone at our New Year’s party,” or “I want Boomer to be relaxed around my niece and nephew over the holidays.” Break it down into what the end behavior looks like, and baby steps you might be able to take toward that end behavior.
Once you start thinking like a dog trainer, that “good dog” end goal goes from being something vague and maybe even impossible to a series of steps toward a goal. And that feels a lot more reasonable, doesn’t it?
Tools for the Difficult Dog
Posted on November 2, 2016 by alarmhat
A portrait of me and my puppy, taking a walk in spring 2013:
Vesper scans the street, hypervigilant, jerking from one end of her leash to the other. Her tail is high and stiff. I hold on for dear life, her forty-five pounds of muscle almost more than I can manage. She occasionally stops to sniff or squat but if she spends too long I hurry her up–I have to get to work, after all, and this isn’t exactly a pleasant part of my day.
A woman in a headscarf pushes a stroller around the corner of the block ahead of us. Vesper’s neck stiffens. The hair on her shoulders and then on her rump stands up and her body goes tight. She barks once. I pull on her leash to get her moving, but she’s not going anywhere she doesn’t want to go. She yanks the leash, her front feet coming up off the ground, her tail wagging and her hair standing up everywhere. She barks and barks and barks at the woman, pausing in her pulling occasionally to spin in a quick playful circle. The woman gives me a horrified look and hurries past. Vesper follows her from the end of her leash. Her wheezing and shouting gets a dog down the street barking, and V whips around, lunges to the end of her leash in that direction, her considerable strength straining against my poor shoulders, and starts a new volley of barking, the wagging now stopped. The jovial look has gone out of her eye; now she’s ready to kill.
I drag her backwards to our house. This wasn’t actually that bad of a walk.
If you identify with this, you might have a reactive dog. Some reactivity is pretty normal–most get a little crazy at the sight of a squirrel, for example–and every dog has different triggers. But if you find yourself walking a wild beast that lunges and barks at everything, it can feel overwhelming and like there’s nothing you can do.
Whether it’s fear-based or simply because your dog gets overexcited, reactivity is a fairly common issue. Here are some of the tools, physical and otherwise, that can help you navigate the world with your dog.
A front-clip harness. It’s not universal, but a lot of dogs are more reactive when they’re on a leash. Often simply switching to a front-clip harness helps a leash-reactive dog cool their head enough to start to respond to their handler’s cues.
Warning gear. It’s amazing how many people are honestly clueless. If your dog really needs space, make it clear by flagging your dog with a yellow ribbon on his leash, dog-people code for “my dog is reactive,” or make it even clearer with a leash that actually says what your dog needs. They’re available on Amazon and not too expensive.
This is Vesper’s leash.
High-value treats. Vesper and I have been together for four years and I still don’t go anywhere without Cookie Pocket. (It is exactly what it sounds like–a pocket full of cookies.) I reward the behavior I want to see more of, so when she makes a good choice–like looking at me instead of staring down an oncoming dog–I reward the heck out of her.
Forethought. If your dog reacts to other dogs, don’t go out for your walk at 6:30 when everyone else gets home from work and takes their dogs out for their nightly walk! Wait a little while and go out when it’s quieter. If your dog gets nervous in crowds, don’t take her to the block party.
Your voice. I’ve had folks with dogs in tow stop and try to chat about the nice weather with me while I’m wrestling my slavering, screaming, muzzled dog who’s in the middle of a reactive meltdown. I’ve learned to speak up sooner rather than later. “I’m sorry, my dog is reactive. Could you please give us some space?”
Patience and determination. Don’t give up. Don’t do it! It can be a long road, but you absolutely have options. I found that once I stopped treating my dog’s reactivity like an emergency and started seeing it as the emotional meltdown that it was–kind of like a little kid’s temper tantrum–I got a lot more sympathetic and patient. Your dog is telling you they can’t handle their feelings. They’re not being jerks on purpose.
Thoughtful, compassionate and positive training. This is the most important tool of all, and it’s a little too complex to put in a blog post. But contact me at tegan@temeritydogs.com and we can work out a plan. I did it with my wild child, Vesper–I’m sure you can do it too!
Posted on November 1, 2016 by alarmhat
I have been at square one with this dog so many times. Even for someone as committed as I am, it has been a rocky road. I have cried, hard, over her more than I have over any other relationship. She has saved me from myself. She has broken my heart. She has changed me into who I always wanted to be.
I hadn’t had a dog since I was a kid. I wasn’t sure I could handle a border collie, even though I’d fantasized about one since childhood. I thought, maybe a boxer? Or a Doberman. I loved the way Dobermans looked.
She was listed as a Doberman/shepherd mix. I saw her photo and thought, those ears. I had to see her.
She was called Gabriella at the moment. The lady at the rescue had found her in a shelter in Yakima, where her name had been Tulip. She was a stray. She’d only recently been spayed. When the lady let her into the front room where her two gigantic male Great Danes lounged on loveseats I thought, she’s so tiny. It was a trick of perspective that I would grow used to: she expands to fill available space, like a gas.
“She’s great on the leash,” the lady said as she slipped the teeth of the prong collar into place.
She pulled on the prong collar. Especially when we walked past a yard with a cat in it. That was the one moment I wasn’t sure about our future together: she tensed, her body language intense and focused. I wasn’t sure if I was about to have thirty-five pounds of underweight, muscly puppy kill machine on my hands or what. I hadn’t even walked a dog in years.
She barked and lunged. Her tail wagged. I figured, well, at least she wagged. I could deal with that.
Really, I was sold when I saw those ears.
Vespertilio, the Latin for bat. The ears. It means “evening flapper,” which is ridiculous, so I just went with the “evening” bit.
I had wanted an agility dog, but Vesper was more potential than actual agility dog. I thought her long legs and fearlessness would work to her advantage, but she was severely reactive. People and dogs set her off from two blocks away. She learned incredibly quickly, but her emotional reactions were so violent I couldn’t take her anywhere.
It was a lot of work, a lot of learning. I hunted for resources. I read every positive training method book in the Seattle Public Library–literally–and a few “balanced trainer” books to see why people still stuck with that stuff. I joined expensive online classes, worth it and not worth it. I took an excellent puppy class where Vesper and I were blocked off into a corner with visual barriers so that she would stop lunging and screaming at the other dogs.
I was having so much fun with her. Even though my puppy was a very wild puppy, even though she required at least thirty minutes of play and training in the morning and twice that in the evening, even though she was so much crazier than any border collie I’d ever met, she was exactly what I’d never known I wanted. That’s how it often works with first dogs.
It took us a year of dedicated, focused work to get Vesper’s recall and reactivity to a point where she could work around other dogs. She took to agility exactly like I thought she would: she was a natural.
Once we got into competition, though, I had two different dogs. One run she’d be perfect. The next, I could see her overload and break, and then she’d stress-zoom, jump on the judge, run wild. She quickly moved out of Novice and into Open, but things deteriorated fast after that, until I had a dog that would do two obstacles and then run out of the ring without me.
Stop. I pulled her from trialing. Back to the beginning. We worked on focus again. I learned more about engagement and how to be more interesting to V than what was going on outside the ring. I realized how stressed she was in trial situations; my fearless, outgoing dog needed more confidence. We entered NADAC Intro runs so she could do short courses and succeed. We did tunnelers. We did things that were mentally very easy so we could focus instead on Vesper’s emotional state. I learned how to go into the ring without any nerves at all; how to play the game like it was just a game.
We were at a practice facility doing speed circles one night and Vesper wouldn’t take the jumps. I thought maybe she was tired, or distracted. It was very, very abnormal for her to miss a jump.
A couple days later she woke me up in the middle of the night, crying. I thought at first something was wrong with her neurologically, because she didn’t seem to be able to stand.
The emergency vet said, oh, she’s probably just stubbed a toe. I knew he was wrong.
Stop. Our rehab vet figured it out quickly. Her rotator cuff was injured, possibly torn. She might never chase a ball again, if we couldn’t rehab her back into shape. She might never do agility again. She went on crate rest–confinement, basically–immediately. We ordered her a pair of hobbles, a vest that tied her upper legs together so she couldn’t move her shoulders too widely and could only penguin-walk with her front feet.
If Vesper could never run again, I thought, then we needed to have a serious talk about Vesper’s quality of life.
The hope was that, with four months of intensive rehabilitation, Vesper would recover without surgery.
Stop. That didn’t happen. Thank god she has good insurance. Vesper’s awesome rehab team at Sunset Hill worked with the Canapps to surgically repair her shoulder five months after the emergency vet told me she’d stubbed a toe.
Vesper came home and went back into the hobbles.
Hobbles and sad eyes.
It was nine months after that first night that our vet told me we could take the hobbles off. It took a year before I was confident enough to ask her to weave again. A year without any agility at all left V with some rusty skills, but we started slow and she remembered a lot.
I’d always disliked her aframe performance though. She’d thud hard into the upside and slam into a two-on, two-off at the bottom, no regard at all for ergonomics there. With her speed, it had to be hard on her shoulders. I read about straight-fronted dogs injuring themselves on the aframe. I’d never known anything about structure in dogs before, but now was a good time to learn. Vesper definitely had a straight front.
Stop. I was going to have to fix her aframe. That should be easy.
In order to fix it, first I had to break it, and that was no problem at all: she just wasn’t required to have any criteria anymore. But convincing her to do a running aframe was something else entirely. Stride regulators worked, but as soon as they disappeared so did her critera.
I bought an aframe and set it up in our yard.
We trialed anyway, with her unreliable contacts, and still managed to win some USDAA steeplechase rounds. She did great in jumpers. She was fast again. Her weaves were beautiful. We were starting to come together. I discovered the yoga mat running contact method and that made a lot more sense to Vesper. She got more consistent. We both got more confident.
We were doing pretty well. I was so proud of us.
We bought a house. I left for six weeks and came back.I published my first pieces of fiction. We got a puppy. We trialed a lot. I drove to Sumner one day a week and Mount Vernon another day a week because the teachers in Sumner and Mount Vernon were both so good, I couldn’t give either up.
Vesper told me, in a few subtle ways, that something was changing. I was very busy. I wasn’t paying close enough attention, or maybe the signals were too subtle. The puppy and my writing were taking up a lot of my time.
At an agility event, Vesper jumped the fence and attacked and mauled a bystander’s dog.
Nothing could say more plainly to me, as a handler and trainer, that I have missed my dog’s signals. I ignored something important, somewhere. I put her somewhere she should not be.
It doesn’t matter that she’d never attacked a dog in quite that way before. It doesn’t matter that it felt unprecedented and unwarranted. It happened. It was the end of Vesper’s agility career.
It was an intense experience for me, but I am almost grateful for it.
I think it is what made me a dog trainer.
Before this, I was an agility person. But now I have this dog, with whom I am deeply in love with, who is dog-of-my-heart, who is not only a danger to other dogs, but also desperately needs something to do with herself.
Look at Hannibal Lecter over here.
Management has been the priority first. Vesper has always been good about wearing things, and she was conditioned to wear a head halter as a puppy, so transferring that value to a basket muzzle wasn’t hard. She likes the muzzle because it means we are going to go somewhere fun.
She sees a veterinary behaviorist. She’s on an SSRI. She wears a bandana spritzed with Adaptil. I manage the living shit out of her. (Hey people, when you see someone working with a reactive dog, give them a shout. “You’re doing good work!” It means a hell of a lot to us, because this stuff gets exhausting and it can last a lifetime.)
Fortunately, Vesper is the sort of person who is naturally talented at pretty much everything. Lure coursing, barn hunt, nosework. My goal, which feels almost insurmountable, is to get her CGC. It seems almost like a joke as she’s the opposite of a good citizen, but the thing is: I really do believe in us. She has made me so much better as a trainer. She has made me so much more aware. We have already done things we were told we wouldn’t ever be able to do.
On the SSRI, Vesper is less velociraptor and more dog. Her play style is a little sweeter. I am learning how to engage her with personal play, and it’s working wonders. I am learning how to take her for who she is, instead of who I want her to be.
I have never been a patient person. I have a lot of patience, though. It’s amazing what unconditional love can do to a person.
| Tagged difficult dogs, reactive dogs, Vesper | Leave a comment
April 2018
March 2018
January 2018
September 2017
August 2017
May 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
Register
Log in
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
| 18,517 |
To understand how EuroTalk products work, you first have to understand why some ways of learning are better than others.
Many people believe that learning should involve serious concentration and frequent repetition and follow the “no pain, no gain” school of thought. And, yes, this method does work up to a point.
But advances in scientific knowledge about how the brain works, show it’s not the best way. Neuroscience researchers have known for some time that this style of learning causes unnecessary tension and tends to involve only one half of the brain.
The best way of learning is to be relaxed yet alert to new ideas and for any new information to be presented so that it engages both the left and right hemispheres of the brain.
The left brain (which controls the right side of our bodies) is mainly logical. The right hemisphere (which controls the left side of our bodies) is more creative.
A picture really is worth a thousand words - your visual memory (right brain) is in fact far more accurate than your verbal memory (left brain). So when you are learning a new language, your learning can be made much more effective if you combine visual and verbal information. This technique, called ‘dual coding’, dramatically improves your information retention and rate of recall.
It’s also the reason why spoken directions always work better if you have a map in front of you as well! And it’s why EuroTalk discs use visual images alongside new words and phrases.
Why being “involved” with what you’re learning is key
Have you ever despaired of learning by repeating apparently meaningless phrases parrot-fashion? So have we!
In order to transfer the information you’re taking in from your short term to your long term memory, the content has to mean something to you. Repetition alone is rarely enough.
It’s like going to a new place for the first time when someone else is driving. You’re far less likely to remember the route if you aren’t behind the wheel because you’re not “involved” in the same way. But, if you’re the driver – and particularly if you’re asked to take the same journey again shortly after the first trip – your memory will be greatly improved.
This is because new experiences, which form part of our short term memory, are transferred to our long term memory by the acts of involvement and repetition.
This is why EuroTalk discs test you on what you’ve learned with quizzes. These help you understand the context and practical meaning of your new language and, by repeatedly asking you to recall what you’ve learnt, strengthen your long term memory. As a result, new information is stored for longer and will be easier to recall.
What makes the best environment for learning?
As well as being relaxed, alert and involved with new information, there is another factor which makes for an ideal learning environment: enjoyment.
When we’re enjoying ourselves the neurotransmitter chemical dopamine is released by our brains. Dopamine enhances concentration and learning ability and it produces a ‘feel-good’ sensation, which keeps us motivated.
By stimulating our brains through interaction and enjoyment, we also boost our powers of memory. Our brains develop new synapses (the connections between our brain nerve cells) that in turn allow for an enhanced flow of information. It’s a virtuous circle of learning!
Optimising our learning through play is also something we do instinctively as children but, as adults, can sometimes forget. EuroTalk discs use the principle of learning through play to help us maximize our language learning potential. The discs use games, a scoring system and bronze, silver and gold awards to encourage and reward correct answers. And, because they’re entertaining, dopamine is released in the brain which encourages synapse development and so makes learning more effective.
So, our top tips for learning ANYTHING are:
Don’t just repeat what you’re learning – think about it too and get “involved”.
Above all, relax and have fun! Play is addictive, and it helps you to learn.
How EuroTalk has helped Autistic people
We recently received a touching story from Italy:
“Your Italian ‘Vocabulary Builder’ has been very helpful for my son, Pietro, who is autistic. He is one year late with respect to his school fellows and the first time he has said “Mamma” and “Papà” he was 7.
Generally speaking, learning aids for physically/mentally disabled children are hard to find and I looked for similar learning instruments in Italy without success. The Vocabulary Builder was an outstanding tool in improving Pietro’s speaking skills. Thank you very much for contributing to his growth!” Marcello Coggiatti
We were also thrilled to receive the email below from a mum in the USA:
“At the age of five, my son, who is autistic, had an inexhaustible passion for foreign languages.
Your products were perfectly geared toward his particular learning style: visual images in conjunction with audio and the written word. He immediately absorbs everything he reads, and is able to crack reading codes without any formal reading instruction.
I particularly appreciated that the words in your products are written in the native language rather than a phonetic translation. They helped him to speak, understand and read in numerous languages. We heard so much more of his beautiful voice. He went from speaking very little to talking all day, in numerous foreign languages.”
For more information about learning foreign languages and autism, Vivienne Wire runs a really useful site: Languages without Limits - Teaching Learners on the Autism Spectrum.
Do you have a child with autism who enjoys languages? Perhaps we can help. The little boy in our story above really enjoyed using Vocabulary Builder to develop his own interest in various languages. Kids love the friendly tiger and colourful pictures, and the games help to really keep them engaged.
How EuroTalk has helped people who need speech therapy
Joan Green is a speech therapist based in Maryland, USA, and the founder of Innovative Speech Therapy. Joan makes use of computer software and technology in her work with clients who struggle with communication due to a stroke, head injury or developmental disability, and has endorsed EuroTalk’s software in her book, Technology for Communication and Cognitive Treatment: The Clinician’s Guide.
Joan highlights EuroTalk’s programs for teaching English as a second language, like Talk Now! and World Talk.
How EuroTalk has helped adopted children
Are you adopting a child from overseas? Chances are that they will speak little or no English - which can often lead to misconceptions about their intelligence, as in the case of this little girl who was adopted from the Ukraine:
“When we first adopted our daughter we had her assessed and were told that she had developmental delay. This turned out to be totally untrue and her problems were all language-based rather than developmental. Having already had a traumatic start to life, she had no interest really in learning English and we really struggled to learn Ukrainian. The beauty of the Vocabulary Builder is that it was so much fun for her, more like a game than a lesson and more than that- an activity we could do together to help us bond. Gradually she began to start speaking English and now that we have had her assessed again- it turns out that there are no special needs there at all.
I was dubious about whether it would work but I cannot stress enough the impact this has had on us and our daughter’s development. She has gone from a very frustrated little girl who was unable to communicate or express her needs into a bubbly, chatty little thing who is so different from the child we took home a year ago. She absolutely loves the Vocabulary Builder and she has come on in leaps and bounds.”
With just the click of a button, you can change the help language of any EuroTalk product so that your child can learn English from their own native tongue. And if you want to learn some of their language, why not try Vocabulary Builder or Talk Now! - it’ll teach you the basics and you can have fun together as a family while you learn each other’s languages!
EuroTalk’s non-profit work in Uganda and Malawi
What are the problems?
Poor nutrition, health and education standards
Rural schools with few resources and no electricity
Solid basic education is the key
What are we doing to help?
In Malawi, we donated equipment to 50 schools
Each has a computer and 10 handheld devices
Topics include numeracy, literacy, health and many others
Everything is powered by a solar power system
To find out more, see the OneBillion site, which features details of the project.
EuroTalk Press Releases
New free language learning app launched in 25 languages
EuroTalk to Supply English Language Learning Software to 3,040 Schools in Malaysia
EuroTalk goes out of this world with Klingon!
EuroTalk release Learn Quechua CD ROMs
10 New languages added to uTalk Range
Talk More Beginner+ Range Announced
Upload your own stories here! Record a video about how our software has helped you and see it on the site! (You can play back your recording before you submit it by clicking on the video.)
I agree to the terms & conditions
Terms and Conditions
Content of your Video Feedback We review all Video Feedback before posting it on the site. EuroTalk maintains the right to choose which videos are published.
Rights you license When you upload your Video Feedback, you grant to EuroTalk a licence to edit and display your Video Feedback worldwide in connection with EuroTalk’s products and promotions. It will be used exclusively on the EuroTalk website.
Editing your Feedback We may make stylistic changes to the Video Feedback you submit. This means that we may shorten your Feedback, cut out digressions, compile it with other Video Feedback and alter things like volume and contrast; however we will never change the essential content of your Feedback.
Withdrawing Video Feedback If at any point you wish your Video Feedback to be withdrawn, just contact us (LINK) and we will remove it from the website.
| 10,512 |
Seven habits that could help change your business
Posted on 30th November 2018
One of the most influential business books on the market is The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. For those of you who haven’t read it (which is staggering, since over 15 million copies have been sold!), it’s a life-changing book that outlines the seven key habits that you should adopt to be successful.
Read on to find out how you, too, can transform your approach to business, whether that involves developing your team or boosting the effectiveness of your software system, as well as your daily life.
This may sound easier said than done, but Covey suggests simple steps to becoming more proactive, such as changing your language and no longer using negative phrases such as ‘If only’, ‘I can’t’ and ‘I have to’. Instead, try ‘I can’ and ‘I will’.
In addition, when confronted with a problem, identify the first step to resolving it and take it, rather than allowing the problem to fester. Then make a daily commitment to being more proactive for at least 30 days for your new approach to become a habit
Begin with the end in mind
Visualise your end goal, be that a leaner business model or a cloud-based software system; you’ll only arrive at your desired destination by visualising this goal throughout your journey to achieving it. As Covey says, you wouldn’t start a journey without planning the best route to get there, or invest in a landscape garden without first planning out the finished result in your mind, and your approach to business should be no different.
As part of this process, understand the difference between leadership and management. You need to identify one individual to create and lead the journey to your goal if that isn’t you, and then a separate individual or team to manage this process.
Covey says: “In business, the market is changing so rapidly that many products and services that successfully met consumer tastes and needs a few years ago are obsolete today. Proactive, powerful leadership must constantly monitor environmental change, particularly customer buying habits and motives, and provide the force necessary to organise resources in the right direction.
Put first things first
According to Covey, we should categorise tasks as important/not important and urgent/not urgent. He defines ‘urgent’ items as those that require immediate action and ‘important’ items as those that require more initiative and proactivity.
He warns against the tendency to prioritise ‘urgent’ items, such as crises, and instead focus on preventing crises, as well as allowing sufficient time for people-related tasks.
In the case of your software system, this may mean working with your software provider to identify and resolve the cause of any recurring issues and spending time with staff to resolve their frustrations and ensure that they’re using the system in the right way.
Covey describes the essence of time and life management as the ability ‘to organise and execute around balanced priorities’, which he suggests can be done effectively by organising a flexible schedule on a weekly basis.
Covey recommends committing to maintaining a balance between courage and consideration when attempting to reach an agreement or negotiate a solution.
A really useful suggestion for this habit involves repositioning your approach, so rather than thinking in terms of win/lose, you think in terms of win/win and try to work towards a mutually agreeable outcome from which you gain as much as your ‘opposing’ party.
Seek first to understand, then to be understood
Covey observes the human propensity to rush into a situation in an attempt to fix it, without really understanding what’s really going on and causing an apparent problem.
An easy (to explain, not necessarily do) solution is to listen to all concerned parties with the intention of really listening to all sides of the issue, not just going through the motions of appearing to want to take a balanced view.
Of course, this relies on the involved parties being willing to air their views in an honest and constructive manner.
This habit involves putting into practice the previous five habits. This means striving for synergies by seeking to empathise with and understand colleagues with opposing points of view and ideas and looking for a mutually agreeable outcome. This also means creating the right working environment for this process to be possible.
Sharpen the saw
The last habit focuses on the renewal of self. In short, Covey believes that your ability to tackle the first six habits rely on your ability to be the best version of yourself.
“It’s renewing the four dimensions of your nature – physical, spiritual, mental and social/emotional,” he suggests.
So, commit to activities that would help to renew each of these areas in your life and monitor your effectiveness as a result.
The run up to Christmas is the perfect time to read and digest Covey’s work, so that you’re well positioned to put into practice his habits for 2019.
| 5,302 |
October 15, 1985 was one of those idyllic Salt Lake City fall days: deep blue skies, trees covered in red and gold leaves. And then, two pipe bombs exploded in different parts of the city, killing two people.
As the details of the bombings started to emerge, the story took a bizarre turn to implicate a man who, just a short time later, became the target of a third bomb. Rare documents dealer Mark Hofmann survived, but authorities were baffled by what they were learning about him. Hofmann was a 31-year-old wunderkind dealer who had the seemingly magical ability to sniff out and uncover lost historical documents. And his specialty was finding documents about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – documents that didn’t always confirm church teachings. With the release of the new Netflix docuseries Murder Among the Mormons, we’ll examine the many sides of Hofmann’s story with directors Tyler Measom and Jared Hess this Friday at noon.
Doug Fabrizio has been reporting for KUER News since 1987, and became News Director in 1993. In 2001, he became host and executive producer of KUER's RadioWest, a one hour conversation/call-in show on KUER 90.1 in Salt Lake City. He has gained a reputation for his thoughtful style. He has interviewed everyone from Isabel Allende to the Dalai Lama, and from Madeleine Albright to Desmond Tutu. His interview skills landed him a spot as a guest host of the national NPR program, "Talk of the Nation." He has won numerous awards for his reporting and for his work with RadioWest and KUED's Utah NOW from such organizations as the Society of Professional Journalists, the Utah Broadcasters Association, the Public Radio News Directors Association and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
| 1,812 |
In Memory of Vladimir Fabry – Slovak Political Refugee and United Nations Lawyer – Who Died September 17-18, 1961, with Dag Hammarskjöld.
Author
Leave a reply
Our grandfather Pavel “Tata/Tatusko” Fabry, sharing his love of photography with his son, Vladimir “Vlado” Fabry; circa 1920s.
Baby Vlado held by unidentified person, with “Maminka”, our grandmother Olga Fabry-Palka. Vlado was born on 23 November 1920, in Liptovský svätý mikuláš, Czechoslovakia.
Baby Vlado – those ears!
Vlado having a nap.
Vlado’s only sibling, sister Olga “Olinka”, arrives home; she was born 5 October 1927, in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia. Their mother, Olga Fabry-Palka, on far right, dressed in black; brother Vlado is on the left, wearing knee socks and black buckled shoes. This photo, and the rest that follow, show the home our family built in Bratislava – it was seized by the Communists in the coup d’état of 1948, handed over as a gift to Russia, and has ever since been occupied as their embassy. You can see recent photos of our home by searching for “Russian Embassy Bratislava”.
This photo, and the two following, were taken around 1930.
Mother and daughter, so happy!
These two photos are undated, but it looks like Vlado got what he wanted for his birthday! I’m so glad that these photos were saved, but some of them have curled from improper storage. The American Library Association(ALA) website has advice here, for those of you wondering how to safely flatten your old photos.
Bambi! This was Vlado and Olinka’s pet deer – Olinka told us the story about their deer, that it jumped the fence and crashed the neighbor’s wedding party, eating all the cake – and then the police were chasing it all over town!
Pavel Fabry very likely colorized these photos with his set of Caran d’Ache pencils, some of which we are still using! Dated July 1927.
Vlado and his sister had pretty much the same haircut for a while, but this is Vlado on the stairs.
Marked on back “rodina Fabry v Bratislava” – Fabry family in Bratislava. I recognize Olga Fabry-Palka and her mother, but I am unable to identify the others at this time. The next few photos, showing guests visiting the house, are unmarked – help with identification is appreciated!
Pavel, Vlado, Olga, and Olinka, and a chocolate cake, in the dining room.
Vlado with unidentified guests, waiting for cake!
The family all together!
There are more photos, but first, here are important documents which tell the story of our family and home in Bratislava:
Drafts of Pavel Fabry’s Curriculum Vitae, 11 September 1952, printed here:
“Pavel Svetozar FABRY, LLD, was born on January 14th, 1891 of an old family of industrialists and businessmen. After graduating in business administration, he studied law, attaining the degree of Doctor of Law; passed the bar examinations; and successfully completed the examinations required to qualify for judgeship.
During World-War-I, Mr. Fabry served as officer in an artillery division as well as in the service of the Army’s Judge Advocate-General. He became the first Secretary of the Provisional National Council established to prepare the liberation of Slovakia and the orderly transfer of its administration to the Czechoslovak Government. After the foundation of the Czechoslovak Republic, he was appointed Prefect (chief Government official) for the Eastern part of Slovakia.
When the Communist armies of the Hungarian Government of Bela Kun attacked Slovakia in 1919, Mr. Fabry was named High Commissioner Plenipotentiary for the defense of Eastern Slovakia. In this function he was entrusted with the co-ordination of the civil administration with the military actions of the Czechoslovak Army and of the Allied Military Command of General Mittelhauser. His determined and successful effort to prevent Eastern Slovakia to fall under the domination of Communist Armies – the victorious results of which contributed to the fall of the Communist regime in Hungary – drew on Mr. Fabry the wrath of the Communist leaders; they declared him the “mortal enemy of the people”, led violent press campaigns against him and attacked him overtly and covertly continually and at every opportunity.
After the consolidation of the administrative and political situation of Slovakia, Mr. Fabry left the Government service and returned to his private practice as barrister. He specialized in corporation law and his assistance was instrumental in the founding and expansion of a number of industrial enterprises. He became Chairman or one of the Directors of Trade Associations of several industrial sectors, particularly those concerned with the production of sugar, alcohol, malt and beer. He was elected Chairman of the Economic Committee of the Federation of Industries, and played the leading role in several other organizations. He also was accredited as Counsel to the International Arbitration Tribunal in Paris.
Among civic functions, Mr. Fabry devoted his services particularly to Church, acting as Inspector (lay-head) of his local parish and as member of the Executive Committee of the Lutheran Church of Czechoslovakia. His appointment as delegate to the World Council of Churches’ meeting in Amsterdam in 1948 prompted his arrest by the Communist Government.
Although Mr. Fabry never stood for political office nor for any political party function, he was well known for his democratic and liberal convictions, and for the defense of these principles whenever his activities gave him the opportunity to do so. He earned himself a reputation in this respect which brought him the enmity of the adversaries of democracy from both the right and the left. He became one of the first Slovaks to be sent to a concentration camp following the establishment of a Pro-German fascist regime in 1939. His release could later be arranged and he was able to take active part in the underground resistance movement against the occupant; for this activity the German secret police (Gestapo) ordered his pursuit and execution in 1945, but he was able to escape the death sentence. In spite of his resistance record (or perhaps because of it), Mr. Fabry was among those arrested by the Russian Army, on the instigation of the Communist Party which could not forget his anti-Communist activities dating back all the way to 1919. Due to pressure of public opinion Mr. Fabry’s imprisonment at that time was very short; but when Communist seized power in Czechoslovakia in 1948, they did not miss the opportunity to settle accounts with him. He was removed from all his offices, his property was confiscated, he was imprisoned and subjected to a third degree cross-examination taking six months. No confessions of an admission which could have served as a basis for the formulation of an accusation could, however, be elicited from Mr. Fabry, and he managed to escape from the prison hospital where he was recovering from injuries inflicted during the examination. He succeeded to reach Switzerland in January 1949, where he has continued in his economic activities as member of the Board of Directors, and later President, of an enterprise for the development of new technologies in the field of bottling and food conservation. He was also active in assisting refugees and was appointed as member of the Czechoslovak National Council-in-exile.”
And this, from the September 25, 1961 Congressional Record: “Extension of Remarks of Hon. William W. Scranton of Pennsylvania in the House of Representatives”:
“Mr. SCRANTON. Mr. Speaker, in the tragic air crash in which the world lost the life of Dag Hammarskjold, we also suffered the loss of the life of Dr. Vladimir Fabry, the legal adviser to the United Nations operations in the Congo.
In the following statement by John C. Sciranka, a prominent American Slovak journalist, many of Dr. Fabry’s and his esteemed father’s attributes and good deeds are described. Dr. Fabry’s death is a great loss not only for all Slovaks, but for the whole free world.
Mr Sciranka’s statement follows:
Governor Fabry (Dr. Fabry’s father) was born in Turciansky sv. Martin, known as the cultural center of Slovakia. The Communists dropped the prefix svaty (saint) and call the city only Martin.
The late assistant to Secretary General Hammarskjold, Dr. Vladimir Fabry, inherited his legal talents from his father who studied law in the law school at Banska Stavnica, Budapest, and Berlin. The old Governor before the creation of Czechoslovakia fought for the rights of the Slovak nation during the Austro-Hungarian regime and was imprisoned on several occasions. His first experience as an agitator for Slovak independence proved costly during his student days when he was arrested for advocating freedom for his nation. Later the military officials arrested him on August 7, 1914, for advocating a higher institute of education for the Slovakian youth in Moravia. This act kept him away from the front and held him back as clerk of the Bratislava court.
He was well equipped to aid the founders of the first Republic of Czechoslovakia, which was created on American soil under the guidance and aid of the late President Woodrow Wilson. After the creation of the new republic he was made Governor (zupan) of the County of Saris, from which came the first Slovak pioneers to this city and county. Here he was confronted with the notorious Communist Bela Kun, who made desperate efforts to get control of Czechoslovakia. This successful career of elder Governor Fabry was followed by elevation as federal commissioner of the city of Kosice in eastern Slovakia.
But soon he resigned this post and opened a law office in Bratislava, with a branch office in Paris and Switzerland. The Governor’s experience at the international court gave a good start to his son Vladimir, who followed in the footsteps of his father. During World War II the elder Fabry was imprisoned by the Nazi regime and young Vladimir was an underground resistance fighter.
Dr. Vladimir Fabry, 40-year-old legal adviser to Secretary Dag Hammarskjold with the United Nations operation in Congo, who perished in the air tragedy, was born in Liptovsky Svaty Mikulas Slovakia. He received his doctor’s degree in law and political science from the Slovak University in Bratislava in 1942 and was admitted to the bar the following year. He was called to the United Nations Secretariat in 1946 by his famous countryman and statesman, Dr. Ivan Kerno, who died last winter in New York City after a successful career as international lawyer and diplomat and who served with the United Nations since its inception. Dr. Vladimir Fabry helped to organize postwar Czechoslovakia. His family left the country after the Communist putsch in February 1948. His sister Olga is also in the service of the United Nations in New York City [as a Librarian.-T]. His father, the former Governor, died during a visit to Berlin before his 70th birthday, which the family was planning to celebrate on January 14, 1961, in Geneva.
Before going to the Congo in February, Dr. Fabry had been for a year and a half the legal and political adviser with the United Nations Emergency Force in the Middle East. In 1948, he was appointed legal officer with the Security Council’s Good Offices Committee on the Indonesian question. He later helped prepare legal studies for a Jordan Valley development proposal. He also participated in the organization of the International Atomic Energy Agency. After serving with the staff that conducted the United Nations Togaland plebiscite in 1956, he was detailed to the Suez Canal clearance operation, winning a commendation for his service.
Dr. Vladimir Fabry became a U.S. citizen 2 years ago. He was proud of his Slovak heritage, considering the fact that his father served his clerkship with such famous Slovak statesmen as Paul Mudron, Andrew Halasa, Jan Vanovic, and Jan Rumann, who played important roles in modern Slovak history.
American Slovaks mourn his tragic death and they find consolation only in the fact that he worked with, and died for the preservation of world peace and democracy with such great a leader as the late Dag Hammarskjold.”
The C.V. of Pavel Fabry from 17 December 1955, which I translated a while back; the letterhead on this first page is from the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Geneva.
This is the C.V. of our grandmother Olga Fabry, which I have not yet translated. The following statement was made on her behalf, from 30 November 1956:
“I, Samuel Bellus, of 339 East 58th Street, New York 22, New York, hereby state and depose as follows:
That this statement is being prepared by me at the request of Mrs. Olga Viera Fabry, nee Palka, who formerly resided in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia, but since 1948 has become a political refugee and at present resides at 14, Chemin Thury, Geneva, Switzerland;
That I have known personally the said Mrs. Olga Viera Fabry and other members of her family and have maintained a close association with them since the year 1938, and that I had opportunity to observe directly, or obtain first hand information on, the events hereinafter referred to, relating to the persecution which Mrs. Olga Viera Fabry and the members of her family had to suffer at the hands of exponents of the Nazi regime;
That in connection with repeated arrests of her husband, the said Mrs. Fabry has been during the years 1939 – 1944 on several occasions subject to interrogations, examinations and searches, which were carried out in a brutal and inhumane manner by members of the police and of the “Sicherheitsdienst” with the object of terrorizing and humiliating her;
That on a certain night on or about November 1940 Mrs. Fabry, together with other members of her family, was forcibly expelled and deported under police escort from her residence at 4 Haffner Street, Bratislava, where she was forced to leave behind all her personal belongings except one small suitcase with clothing;
That on or about January 1941 Mrs. Fabry was ordered to proceed to Bratislava and to wait in front of the entrance to her residence for further instructions, which latter order was repeated for several days in succession with the object of exposing Mrs. Fabry to the discomforts of standing long hours without protection from the intense cold weather and subjecting her to the shame of making a public show of her distress; and that during that time humiliating and derisive comments were made about her situation in public broadcasts;
That the constant fear, nervous tension and worry and the recurring shocks caused by the arrests and deportations to unknown destinations of her husband by exponents of the Nazi regime had seriously affected the health and well-being of Mrs. Fabry during the years 1939 – 1944, so that on several such occasions of increased strain she had to be placed under medical care to prevent a complete nervous breakdown; and
That the facts stated herein are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.”
This is my translation of the last three pages of Pavel’s C.V., pages 11-13, with photos included to compare and help improve the translation:
“After the Persecution Today
“As the so-called Russian Liberation Army in Slovakia – consuming (raubend) more than liberating – invaded our city, I was immediately arrested and led into the basement of the NKVD, where I found quite a few others arrested. The public, especially the workers in awareness that I freed from deportation a few days before, chose to stand up and with the deputation of workers demanded the immediate release from liability. But the commander of the NKVD also had the deputation arrested and had me lead them into the cellar. The workers union had accumulated in front of the Villa and vigorously demanded the release from liability, whereupon the commander turned to the High command in Kosice, whereupon we were released – seven and a few, but the rest were to be deported to Siberia. The NKVD commander later said I was arrested on the basis of the request of the Hungarian Communists, because I, as High Commissioner in 1919, acted so harshly (so schroff) against the troops of Bela Kun. And he said that if I was released now, I would not be spared Siberia.
The public had reacted sharply. I immediately became an honorary citizen of the circle and an honorary member of the National Committee, elected unanimously, and I was given the two highest honors.
The spontaneous demonstrations of the public gave me the strength to forcefully intervene against many attacks, and also to help my fellow Germans and give confirmation that they behaved decently during the Hitler era, and to stifle all individual personal attacks of vengeance in the bud. As I have already mentioned, I was able to help the internees that they not go to the Soviet zone, as was planned, but were sent to West Germany and Austria. I was a daily visitor to collection centers and in prisons, to help where help was justified.”
“My parlous state of health has not allowed me to carry my work further. The law firm I have has only a limited representation of associates, and these are only my best performing workers.
After the Communist coup performed by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister [Valerian] Zorin for the Communists, the time is broken up with invoices to settle for my work against Communism as High Commissioner in 1919. And on the instructions of the insulted Mátyás Rákosi I was first of all relieved of all my functions and representatives, and subjected to all possible harassment, interrogations, etc. When I went to the delegation, as elected President of the Financial and Economic Committee of the General Assembly of the World Council of Churches, in Amsterdam, and was asked for my passport, I was arrested on the pretext of excessive imaginary charges. My whole fortune was taken, all accounts were confiscated and my Villa locked with furnishings, clothes, supplies, and everything, since it was the Consul-General of Russia; and on the same evening I was arrested as a “National Gift”, the nation was taken over, and in the night the Russians transferred the land register.
And so, my health still shattered by the persecution these Nazi monsters caused, they transferred me to the locked section of the hospital to make interrogations there. After seven months detention [In another document it says only 6 months, which I will include here, after this testimony.-T] the workers and employees of some companies succeeded to liberate me in the night on January 21-22, 1949, and led me to a kamion near the border. I had foreseen that the police would know about my escape during the night, and that’s why I escaped (uberschreitete ?) to the Hungarian border with Austria, and again by the Austrian border, since I was immediately searched with many dogs.
I managed with the help of my friends to leave the Soviet zone disguised, and made it to Switzerland where I anticipated my wife and daughter. [I have an audio recording of Olga Fabry, Pavel’s daughter, where she says that her father escaped from the prison hospital dressed as a nun, and made it across the Swiss border by train, hiding inside a beer barrel.-T]
The Swiss authorities immediately received me as a political refugee and assured me of asylum, and issued all the necessary travel documents.”
“To this day I am constantly witness to the most amiable concessions by the Swiss authorities.
In my description of illness, my activity in Switzerland is already cited.
Accustomed to the work of life, and since my health no longer permits regular employment, I have adopted the assistance of refugees. Since Geneva was the center of the most important refugee organizations, I was flooded with requests by the refugees of Western Europe.
I took part on the board of the Refugee Committee in Zurich and Austria, after most refugees came from Slovakia to Austria, and I had to check very carefully if there were any refugees that had been disguised. I was then elected as President of the Refugee Committee, but on the advice of the doctors treating me I had to adjust this activity, because through this work my health did not improve. Nevertheless, I succeeded in helping assist 1200 refugees in the decisive path of new existence.
Otherwise, I remain active in the Church organizations. All this human activity I naturally consider to be honorary work, and for this and for travel I never asked for a centime.
Since I am more than 62 years old, all my attempts to find international employment failed, because regulations prohibit taking on an employee at my age. It was the same case with domestic institutions.
My profession as a lawyer I can exercise nowhere, since at my age nostrification of law diplomas was not permitted. To start a business or involvement I lacked the necessary capital – since I have lost everything after my arrests by the Communists, what had remained from the persecution.
And so I expect at least the compensation for my damages in accordance with the provisions applicable to political refugees.”
Credentials for Pavel Fabry to attend the First Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Amsterdam, as a representative of the Evangelical church in Slovakia, signed by the bishop of the general church, dated 22 March 1948.
This is a photocopy of a photostatic copy, a statement written by the General Secretary and the Assistant General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, Geneva, dated 25 March 1948:
“To whom it may concern: This is to certify that Dr. Pavel FABRY, Czechoslovakian, born 14.1.1891[14 January] at Turčiansky Sv Martin, has been appointed as participant in the First General Assembly of the World Council of Churches, to be held in Amsterdam, Holland, from August 22nd to September 4th 1948.
We shall appreciate any courtesy on the part of Dutch and other consular authorities shown to participants in order to facilitate their coming to Amsterdam.”
From what I am able to translate, these next two documents seem to be asking Pavel to ‘voluntarily’ give up a lot of money or else, dated 1 March and 1 April 1948:
Attacks against Pavel Fabry were made in the communist newspaper PRAVDA, all clippings are from 1948, one is dated by hand 26th of August:
From 4 October 1948, this letter was written to Olinka, who was a student in 1947 at St. George’s School, Clarens, Switzerland:
“[…]We had Czech visitors a few days ago, a Mr. and Mrs. Debnar [sp?] from Bratislava, and we were deeply distressed to hear from him that Mr. Fabry had been taken off to a camp. Very, very much sympathy to you all[…]”
This is a letter from Vlado to Constantin Stavropoulos, written while he was on assignment for the United Nations in Indonesia, dated 10 October 1948. Vlado was asking for help in getting another assignment, so he could be closer to his family who needed him. I am appreciating more and more the emotional strain Vlado was under while writing this. Trygve Lie was the Secretary-General of the United Nations at this time.
“It’s more than a month now, that I received your cable that there is a possibility of an assigment for me in the Palestine commision, and that you will write me more about it – but I didn’t hear about the assignment anything since. The news which here and there trickle through from Paris or Geneva are not too good. They seem to indicate that I am not welcome there, not only as official, but not even as a visitor and that I should wander around or hide myself as a criminal. It looks as if the administration of my department /and from what they say, the administration of the whole organization as well/ would consider me as an outcast, who in addition to his other sins adds a really unforgivable one – that he behaves and expects treatment as if he would not be an outcast /at least that is what I understood from a letter written to my mother, that I should have voluntarily resigned a long time ago/. Excuse my bitterness – but I am simply not able to understand the attitude which is still taken against me – neither from the legal point of view of my rights and obligations under my existing contract, neither from a moral and ethical point of view which an organization representing such high aims to the outside must surely have towards itself. Sometimes I am [wondering], if the best would not be to let it come to a showdown and have it over once and for ever – it really is getting and obsession under which I have to live and to work all the time, specially since the UN employment means not only mine, but also my mothers and sisters /and maybe my fathers/ security and status. But exactly this consideration of my family’s dependence on it make me cautious and give me patience to try to get along without too much push. But, on the other hand, my cautiousness and fear to risk too much put me in the position of a beggar for favour, which is ipso facto a very bad one -/people who don’t care, or at least don’t show that they care, achieve things so much easier/- and which in addition I do not know how to act properly.[…]”
Further evidence comes from Washington state, U.S.A., from the Spokane Daily Chronicle 19 September 1961, “Crash Victim Known in City”:
“Vladimir Fabry, killed in the plane crash that claimed the life of Dag Hammarskjold yesterday in Northern Rhodesia, visited Spokane three years ago.
Fabry, U.S. legal adviser to the United Nations in the Congo is a close friend of Teckla M Carlson, N1727 Atlantic, and he and his sister, Olga, also a UN employee, were her house guests in 1958.
A travel agent, Mrs. Carlson first met Fabry in 1949 at Geneva after he had succeeded in having his father released from a concentration camp. The Spokane woman said they have exchanged letters since that time.”
Vaclav Havel, 17 November 1989, honoring Jan Opletal and others who died in the Prague protests of 1939. This was the start of the Velvet Revolution, which ended on 29 December 1989 with Vaclav Havel elected as President of Czechoslovakia, the end of 41 years of Communist rule.
Before continuing with the next documents and photos from 1990 to 2002, here is a copy of a letter dated 14 April 1948, from Dr. Ivan Kerno, who was Assistant to the Secretary-General Trygve Lie at the United Nations, and head of the legal department, giving his commendation of Vlado’s work. Dr. Kerno was instrumental in Vlado getting his position at the U.N., and was a good friend to the family.
Dr. Kerno’s son, Ivan, who was also a lawyer, would later help Vlado’s sister Olga in 1990, as they were both seeking restitution, and needed someone to investigate the status of their houses in Prague and Bratislava. This fax from Prague is addressed to Mr. Krno, dated 20 November 1990, from lawyer Dr. Jaroslav Sodomka. Dr. Sodomka writes that the Fabry house was “taken in 1951-52[the dates are handwritten over an area that looks whited-out] and later donated to the USSR (1955)[the date and parentheses are also handwritten over a whited-out area].”
“[…]As for Mrs. Burgett I shall also get the remaining extracts; here the problem is clear, be it under the small restitution law or under the rehabilitation law, the house will not be restituted as it became property of the USSR and the Czechoslovak government – probably the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – will have to provide the compensation.”
In response to this fax, Ivan Kerno writes to Sodomka, 7 December 1990:
“[…]please do not take any action with the authorities in connection with her house. She wants a restitution of her house, namely, to receive possession of the house, and is not interested in receiving a monetary compensation.
I have read in the New York Times this morning that the Czechoslovakian government has announced that it will compensate persons who have been politically persecuted or jailed under the former regime. This is a clear indication that the present government considers the actions of the former Communist government to have been illegal. It is also a definite precedent for the restitution of family homes which were illegally taken by the previous government and handed over to a foreign government.[…]”
This map shows our property in Bratislava, outlined in red:
From 3 January 1991, Sodomka once again writes to confirm that the house was confiscated in 1951, and donated to USSR in 1955:
“[…]As for your client Fabry, I think that it would be appropriate to address the demand for the restitution directly to the Chairman of the Slovak Government as it was the Slovak Government which has donated the house in 1955 to the USSR Government. This matter also is not touched by the small Restitution Law, the confiscation took place already in 1951 but I think that it would be appropriate to start to speak already now with the Slovak Government.[…]”
Olga Fabry returned to Czechoslovakia with her husband in June 1992, for the first time since her exile, to see the house. This next letter is dated 27 April 1992, and is addressed to Consul General Mr. Vladimir Michajlovic Polakov, Russian Consulate General, Bratislava:
“Dear Sir,
I would like to request an appointment with you on June 17th or 18th 1992 whichever would be convenient.
I plan to be in Bratislava at that time and would like to discuss with you matters pertaining to the villa that my parents built, where I was born and grew up and which now houses your Consulate.
I would greatly appreciate it if you would be kind enough to let me know in writing when I can see you. Thank you.
This is an undated letter from the Russian embassy in Bratislava(our house), the postal cancellation is hard to decipher but appears to be from June 5 1992, and there is a written note to “HOLD Away or on Vacation”. This may have arrived while Olga and her husband were already in Czechoslovakia – finding this waiting back home in New York, I can only imagine how she must have felt! This contradicts what Lawyer Sodomka told her, but it confirms Pavel’s testimony: the house was taken in 1948.
“Dear Mrs. Burgett,
With reference to your letter dated 27.04.1992 we inform you that at your request you have the opportunity to survey the villa while your stay in Bratislava. But we attract your attention to the fact that all the matters, pertaining to the right of property for the villa you should discuss with C.S.F.R. Foreign Office. Since 1948 the villa is the property of the Russian Federation and houses now Gen. cosulate[sic] of Russia.
Secretary of the Gen. consulate of Russia in Bratislava
These photos were taken in June 1992, during Olga’s visit. The roses Maminka planted were still growing strong.
These two are undated, unmarked.
Lastly, the most recent photos I have, dated 25 July 2002, and the roses were still blooming.
When you search for images of the “Russian Embassy Bratislava”, you see the roses have all been removed now, and there is a new tiered fountain, but if you can ignore the flag of Russia and the gilded emblem of the federation hanging off the balustrade, it still looks like our house!
And now, because love is the reason I tell this story for my family, I leave you with my favorite photos of Pavel and Olga Fabry, who did so much good out of love!
Leave a reply
If anyone deserved a special day of recognition, it was the UN staff of 1953, who had been slandered by the U.S. federal grand jury on 2 December 1952, saying that there was “infiltration into the U.N. of an overwhelmingly large group of disloyal U.S. citizens”. Secretary-General Trygve Lie gave the FBI carte blanche of New York Headquarters “for the convenience” – and this was after he gave his resignation, on 10 November 1952; which he gave under pressure of McCarthyism, and the Soviet Union’s refusal (for years) to recognize him as Secretary-General because of his involvement in Korea. Hammarskjold was sworn in on 10 April 1953, and he did all he could to defend and support his UN staff, and managed to get the FBI removed from UN Headquarters by November 1953.
With appreciation to the author, here are excerpts from chapter 3 of Brian Urquhart’s biography of Hammarskjold:
“On January 9 [1953], President Truman, by Executive Order 10422, introduced a procedure by which the U.S. government would provide the Secretary-General with information on U.S. candidates for employment and would empower the U.S. Civil Service Commission to investigate the loyalty of Americans already employed by the UN. In the same month, the Eisenhower administration’s new representative to the UN, Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr., as one of his first official acts asked the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to investigate all members of the U.S. mission to the UN as well as U.S. members of the Secretariat itself. For the latter purpose Lie permitted the FBI to operate in the UN Building, for the convenience, as he explained it, of the large number of Secretariat officials who would have to be interrogated and fingerprinted. To the Secretariat, the presence of the FBI in the “extraterritorial” Headquarters Building symbolized yet another capitulation to the witch-hunters.”
“Another problem inherited from Lie was the presence of the FBI in the UN Building. The extent of that agency’s activities was revealed on June 20 during an incident in the public gallery of the Security Council, when an American agent in plain clothes attempted to take a demonstrator away from the UN guards. Hammarskjold demanded a full investigation of this incident and protested vigorously to the U.S. mission. He had also learned of the case of a senior official who had been given a detailed questionnaire on his relations with various people and his views on Communism. The fact that the official had felt obliged to reply raised in Hammarskjold’s mind a serious question of principle. Did a government have the right to question a respected official of the UN with a long and good record of service on the basis solely of suspicion and rumor? Surely the proper course was for the government concerned to tell the Secretary-General of its suspicions, leaving it to him alone to decide what action, if any, should be taken and what questions should be put to the official concerned. He therefore instructed the members of the Secretariat that until he could get the FBI off the premises their reaction to inquiries about their colleagues could in no circumstances go beyond the duty of everyone to help the law. A member of the Secretariat must make it clear that there were questions that, as an international civil servant, he had no right to answer and these included questions relating to his UN work and to the activities of the UN itself, as well as the political or religious views or past relationships of himself or of his colleagues. This meant, in fact, that only nonpolitical criminal activities were a legitimate subject for investigation by the FBI. In November 1953, making use of the opportunity provided by a remark to the McCarran Subcommittee by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover that the extraterritorial status of international organizations in the United States made it impossible for the FBI to operate on their premises, Hammarskjold asked for the immediate removal of the FBI from UN Headquarters.”
But there was still the matter of the American staff members that had been dismissed or terminated by Trygve Lie because they plead the Fifth Amendment when investigated. Hammarskjold wasn’t able to make everyone happy with his decisions, but I feel he was trying to avoid giving the McCarthy crowd any kind of foothold for future harassment.
“During the summer a U.S. federal grand jury, the International Organizations Employees Loyalty Board, and two U.S. Senate Subcommittees continued to investigate present and former American Secretariat members. On August 21 the Administration Tribunal, the Secretariat’s highest court of appeal, rendered judgments in twenty-one cases of American staff members who had appealed against their dismissal or termination by Lie for having invoked the Fifth Amendment during investigations by the U.S. authorities. The Tribunal found in favor of eleven of the applicants, awarding compensation to seven of them and ordering the reinstatement of four. Hammarskjold declined to reinstate the four on the grounds that it was “inadvisable from the points of view which it is my duty to take into consideration,” whereupon they too were awarded compensation. His decision simultaneously dismayed a large part of the UN staff, who believed that their colleagues should have been reinstated, and enraged the anti-UN faction in the United States led by Senators Joseph McCarthy and William E. Jenner, who saw it as a recommendation for the payment of some $189,000 in compensation to traitors. The attitude of the senators was later reflected in the U.S. opposition in the General Assembly to Hammarskjold’s request for an appropriation to pay the compensation awards.”
For further context, you can read the speeches Hammarskjold gave to the staff in New York and Geneva in May of 1953 on the Dag Hammarskjold Library website.
This entry was posted in Dag Hammarskjold, United Nations, Vladimir "Vlado" Fabry and tagged 8 September 1953, Administration Tribunal, Brian Urquhart, Communism, Communists, Czechoslovakia, Dag Hammarskjold, Dag Hammarskjold Library, Danny Kaye, Ezio Pinza, FBI, First United Nations Staff Day, Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., history, International Organizations Employees Loyalty Board, J. Edgar Hoover, Marion Anderson, McCarran Subcommittee, McCarthyism, New York, President Eisenhower, President Truman, Senator Joseph McCarthy, Senator William E. Jenner, United Nations, Vladimir Fabry, Vlado Fabry on February 25, 2015 by fabryhistory.
Curriculum Vitae of Dr. Pavel Fabry, December 17, 1955, Geneva
Leave a reply
(Pavel Fabry is front and center – click on photo to enlarge)
To understand the character of Vlado Fabry, it’s important to know the character of his father – Dr. Pavel Fabry, who was imprisoned and tortured by Nazis and Communists for his opposition. When Pavel escaped from the Czechoslovak prison hospital, with the help of his friends, they dressed him as a nun and hid him inside a beer barrel on a train headed to Switzerland. In Geneva, Simone Baridon (a close friend of my mother-in-law) was with Olga Fabry the day Pavel arrived, and she remembers her bravery that day, when Olga said “Daddy is crossing the border now.”
This is the C.V. of Dr. Pavel Fabry that was written in English, and the following document was written in German – this was my first attempt at translating German, so it’s a little awkward, but the story of Pavel is still very compelling.
Pavel Svetozar FABRY, LLD, was born on January 14th, 1891 of an old family of industrialists and businessmen. After graduating in business administration, he studied law, attaining the degree of Doctor of Law; passed the bar examinations; and successfully completed the examinations required to qualify for judgeship.
During World-War-I, Mr. Fabry served as officer in an artillery division as well as in the service of the Army’s Judge Advocate-General. He became the first Secretary of the Provisional National Council established to prepare the liberation of Slovakia and the orderly transfer of its administration to the Czechoslovak Government. After the foundation of the Czechoslovak Republic, he was appointed Prefect (chief Government official) for the Eastern part of Slovakia.
When the Communist armies of the Hungarian Government of Bela Kun attacked Slovakia in 1919, Mr. Fabry was named High Commissioner Plenipotentiary for the defense of Eastern Slovakia. In this function he was entrusted with the co-ordination of the civil administration with the military actions of the Czechoslovak Army and of the Allied Military Command of General Mittelhauser. His determined and successful effort to prevent Eastern Slovakia to fall under the domination of Communist Armies – the victorious results of which contributed to the fall of the Communist regime in Hungary – drew on Mr. Fabry the wrath of the Communist leaders; they declared him the “mortal enemy of the people”, led violent press campaigns against him and attacked him overtly and covertly continually and at every opportunity.
After the consolidation of the administrative and political situation of Slovakia, Mr. Fabry left the Government service and returned to his private practice as barrister. He specialized in corporation law and his assistance was instrumental in the founding and expansion of a number of industrial enterprises. He became Chairman or one of the Directors of Trade Associations of several industrial sectors, particularly those concerned with the production of sugar, alcohol, malt and beer. He was elected Chairman of the Economic Committee of the Federation of Industries, and played the leading role in several other organizations. He also was accredited as Counsel to the International Arbitration Tribunal in Paris.
Among civic functions, Mr. Fabry devoted his services particularly to Church, acting as Inspector (lay-head) of his local parish and as member of the Executive Committee of the Lutheran Church of Czechoslovakia. His appointment as delegate to the World Council of Churches’ meeting in Amsterdam in 1948 prompted his arrest by the Communist Government.
Although Mr. Fabry never stood for political office nor for any political party function, he was well known for his democratic and liberal convictions, and for the defense of these principles whenever his activities gave him the opportunity to do so. He earned himself a reputation in this respect which brought him the enmity of the adversaries of democracy from both the right and the left. He became one of the first Slovaks to be sent to a concentration camp following the establishment of a Pro-German fascist regime in 1939. His release could later be arranged and he was able to take active part in the underground resistance movement against the occupant; for this activity the German secret police (Gestapo) ordered his pursuit and execution in 1945, but he was able to escape the death sentence. In spite of his resistance record (or perhaps because of it), Mr. Fabry was among those arrested by the Russian ARmy, on the instigation of the Communist Party which could not forget his anti-Communist activities dating back all the way to 1919. Due to pressure of public opinion Mr. Fabry’s imprisonment at that time was very short; but when Communist seized power in Czechoslovakia in 1948, they did not miss the opportunity to settle accounts with him. He was removed from all his offices, his property was confiscated, he was imprisoned and subjected to a third degree cross-examination taking six months. No confessions of an admission which could have served as a basis for the formulation of an accusation could, however, be elicited from Mr. Fabry, and he managed to escape from the prison hospital where he was recovering from injuries inflicted during the examination. He succeeded to reach Switzerland in January 1949, where he has continued in his economic activities as member of the Board of Directors, and later President, of an enterprise for the development of new technologies in the field of bottling and food conservation. He was also active in assisting refugees and was appointed as member of the Czechoslovak National Council-in-exile.
The following C.V. is addressed to the “Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Geneva”:
Before the Persecution
I come from an old industrial family. My ancestors in 1603 – Matheus Fabry – from the Geneva area, Satigny Place Moulin Fabry, after the then Upper Hungary present Slovakia immigrated and in the free royal town of Nemecka Lupca – German Luptschau – in the county Liptov, Circle Liptovsky Svaty Mikulas established a tannery. This industrial tradition has remained in the family, according to the chronicles of General Hradsky.
My father Josef was a prosperous merchant and industrialist. Also Vice-President of the Chamber of Commerce and president of several trade and finance companies. Board member of some industry and financial companies. Maternally I am also descended of Industrial and Estate-owning family.
We were 10 siblings – seven are behind the Iron Curtain still alive, some of them in prison, some of them forcefully resettled.
The parents sought to give us a good education with University studies, but all children had to complete some studies in trade.
I attended Hungarian schools, because we did not have a middle school in their mother tongue.
My parents tradition and my studies gave me the future direction of my C.V.
I have allowed for easier overview and orientation in the supplements a special list of 1. Personal Data, 2. Vocational activities, 3. the International profession – Law practice, 4. The national economy – Professional activity, 5. Of the public, political, religious, social and charitable activities, as well as a line up of assets and income up to the time of the persecution, submitted, which discuss my work and resume enough.
[I don’t include the list in this post.-T]
During the time of Persecution
In order to make aspects of the persecution more understandable, it is necessary to strip some events even before this time:
As evident from the personal data, I had at the end of WWI, as a military lawyer for the military commander in Budapest, opportunity to observe the infiltration of communism and drew all my future consequences therefrom.
As can also be seen from the personnel records, I was appointed as High Commissioner Plenipotentiary for the military command of eastern Slovakia. At that time, the Kremlin gave directives to the members of the Comintern, to create all the conditions you can imagine out of the Ruhr against an eastern power, as potential factor for war. Therefore, the then Hungarian Communist leader Bela Kun was commissioned to warlike attack of Slovakia, since at the same time Poland was to be attacked by Moscow military, the objective was, from Poland as an Industry and Agricultural country, and from Slovakia and Hungary as Agricultural states, to form a political unity under Communist leadership. This should then be as the basis for conquest of East and Central Germany, and then the Ruhr territories served.
These efforts have been, in spite of fierce fighting in Poland and Slovakia, thwarted under great bloodshed. Unfortunately at Yalta was Communism facilitated, by Stalin’s perfidy, clumsy (plumpen) breach of contract, and betrayal to conquer these areas.
In negotiating the boundaries demarcating the then Bratislava, I had a sharp conflict with Bela Kun. The then Secretary of the way, was none other than the present ruler of Hungary, Mathius (Matyas) Rakosi, who could not forget me and my actions against the Communist terror gangs. Since that time, I was attacked during the entire years until WWII, at every opportunity, both in newspapers and at public rallies of the Communist Party. The communist leader Vietor asserts in his “Faklya in 1952” [Not included here.-T] that the failure of the plans of the Communist International was partly due to my vigorous defense activities. The statement that my work was supported by the Communists after the seizure of power in 1948, settled bitterly with my arrest, as will be further mentioned. The second point I would list is represented by the German-friendly setting:
As can be seen from the personnel data, the Slovak Intelligentsia before WWII was eager to visit the great German culture as close neighbors, and study them in the country of origin. Therefore, each family was trying to get their children educated in the German Universities, as well as other German institutions. So I spent the semester of 1910/11 at the University of Berlin. Of course, religion played a significant role with cultural trends, since a third of Slovaks were Augsberg Confession Protestant and wanted nothing more than to visit the land of Luther and his faith.
The great and unique education of that time has influenced my whole future life, and has quite clearly had an impact in my subsequent work in business and public. So I led as President of Industry Associations that all protocols and negotiations were bilingual, though barely 20% of all industrialists in Slovakia were of German language and nationality. The leading representatives of German diplomacy and economy were in my home, and were frequent preferred guests on my extensive hunting grounds.
It is therefore understandable, that the persecution under the Nazi Regime of Germany has hit me doubly hard. I will mention only in passing that I spent many years on my annual holiday in Germany, specifically in Reichenhall, in the Kurhaus Hotel Axelmannstein of the Seethaler family. However, I also observed at that time the undemocratic developement of the Nazis in Munich at Reichenhall, and practiced my objective critique so that I was advised to disappear from Reichenhall. I then had to follow with the establishment of the Slovak state by Hitler, immediately carried out by the exponents of the Nazi Organization.
After these explanatory notes I will venture to list my persecution during the Nazi Regime chronologically:
Even though I with the then Prime Minister Dr. Tiso and his staff maintained very friendly relations in the then state of Slovak autonomy, I was, after the creation (on Hitler’s orders) of the so-called Independent Slovak State, on command (einschreitung ?) of Nazi Franz Karmasin‘s leadership, arrested and taken by the Hlinka Guard (Slovak SS) — locked military barracks (Kasernen eingesperrt). There I was subjected to torture and abuse of the second degree. When this became public knowledge, it upset the leadership of the Slovak State, and after several days I was released.
But a week later, in late March, I was re-arrested again on the orders of Nazi Leadership (Karmasin), and transferred to the prison fortress Illava, to be held prisoner there under menschenwurdigsten (?) circumstances. I was put in the basement of this prison fortress, where the primitive central heating had long been out of operation. Days and nights, we had to spend in indescribable cold, with nothing to protect us but a few ragged horse blankets. In preparation for these inhumanities, specially chosen prisoners, I also among them, were tortured in the infamous “Koks-oder Schreckenskeller” (Coke – Kokshaufen – or Horror Cellar). They threw us in the Kokshaufen (?), covered us with a rug, so you do not see the wounds, and I, along with the Editor-in-Chief of the Newspaper Union Korman, were beaten throughout the night in the most barbarous ways. During this ordeal, my stomach and liver were so much affected that there later became ulcers on the lining of my stomach. On my way to Illava prison the transport had to be stopped, because I was vomiting blood. In spite of terrible pain, the provisional prison doctor denied me his help, with the remark that he would not because of my fall out with authorities. During the visits, however, my fellow prisoners reported of my fate, and it was an energetic intervention. There was an inspection and a physician, Dr. Pikova, took me into the prison hospital. My condition deteriorated, however, living in a dangerous manner, and I had alarmingly high blood pressure and a low temperature of 31-32 degrees celcius.
At last, I was transferred to the surgical ward of the hospital in Bratislava by Professors Carsky and Razus, and taken into treatment. In surgery they did not consider my weakened condition. For weeks I hovered between life and death. Of course, it did not look favorable that during the whole time I was heavily guarded by police inside the hospital, and had not the slightest possibility of speaking with anyone other than the doctors. After many long weeks I was finally allowed to transfer to my Villa again, of course, only under intense surveillance, day and night, in the hall of the Villa, and apart from my wife and my children no one was allowed to come in contact with me.
I had scarcely gained some new strength, when the newly appointed German Ambassador [Manfried Freiherr von] Killinger demanded the immediate surrender of my Villa and the entire facility. Killinger was already notorious when he came to Slovakia, and his crimes were well known. I refused him the provision, never concealing my general convictions, even then, though I was a sick man.
The following day an order was issued by the Nazi leadership to have me expelled from Bratislava in the night, and confiscate the Villa with everything. My one daughter was not even allowed to take her school books. I was expelled to a village in Wagtal with security guards, and I menschenunwudigsten (?) this treatment, I was almost always delivered by drunken guardsmen. After a few months, I was taken to another location, which was repeated several times, because many people had taken note of my unimaginably cruel treatment, and protested every time.
I had lodged an appeal against the expulsion, whereupon Killinger promptly dismissed the appeal and made my deportation into a life sentence. The carrying out was taken on by Presidialchef des Prasidiums (?) Dr. Koso, whereupon I was removed from the bar association and could not practice my profession. At the same time they also pointed out my son from Bratislava, stripping him of the right to University studies (weiterzustudieren). My law firm was confiscated. Together with the decision number 171/1940 a fine of 2 Million Crowns was imposed on me, and my cars and private plane were confiscated to deprive me of any possible movement or escape.
The then representative of the NSDAP (Nazi Party), Harold Steinacker, directed a criminal complaint against me for alleged criticism of Nazi leadership, and attempted to bring an action in the District Court of Trencin.
The President of the District Court, however, Dr. Sebak, was my devoted friend, because I had helped him during the war and supported him, so that he achieved the presidency of the District Court. With great skill, he was therefore able to thwart the arrest on the grounds of my parlous state of health, and to sabotage the sentencing, until my re-arrest and committal to a military prison.
At the outbreak of the uprising in Slovakia, I was together with Councillor Orsag and Colonel Black and was arrested by the Gestapo, brought to a military prison and charged again with accusations. The sustained maltreatment and prison stays, however, had deteriorated my health so that, in spite of the refusal of the prison commander Minari, the doctor summoned me in hospital medical care, also for the reason that the prison was repeatedly bombed.
When the prisoners demanded that they grant us protection in a bomb-proof cellar during the attacks, the commander said the prison had no bomb shelter; but he was willing to build one, when the prisoners would give him money. Since I was the only wealthy one among them, he demanded that sum from me, which my family had to hand over to him. The plans for the shelter had made another political prisoner, who was an architect. The construction, however, was never carried out, and some of the prisoners had to pay with their lives in the next bombing. The commander has simply embezzled the money.
From the hospital, I managed to regain freedom with the help of doctors, and put myself in the care of a private sanatorium in Smokovec in the Tatras, and after that to Mikulas.
At that time, the front was already in Dukla and the evacuation of businesses was ordered in Slovakia. The Slovak government met with the German army leaders on agreement what categories and what quantities of industrial equipment and supplies, as well as food stuffs, must be evacuated, and what proportion of the population must be left for livelihood opportunities.
There were sharp measures arranged against anyone that would violate these proposals (proporzen). Unfortunately, agreed commanders behaved “intrinsically Faust” and took everything that was available. Even the most minimal stocks of sugar, which were reserved for the population, should be “saved” for Switzerland, generally considered, however, to be a “rescue fund” created for known and unknown Nazi-Grossen (Nazi-Greats).
The sugar industry was outraged, and the chief of central supply, Dr. Vondruska, was himself powerless against these groups. With the sugar industry representatives, he intervened even with me, as a long-time lawyer of the sugar industry. There was no other way out, other than by rapid distribution to the consumers, to save this situation. The workers – the railway workers – all day and night helped with zeal, and also to cover that the allotment price of 106 Million measures had been taken.
Also with other inventories, which were reserved for the security of the population, there were similar practices.
I emphasize that only a portion of the distribution determined inventory was saved, the majority was evacuated by unconstitutional agreement – where it happened, no one knows but the participants.
Finally, in the middle of February, they wanted to evacuate the whole population of Liptov Mikulas district, including older people and those who were suspect, i.e. once we were already arrested and released we were to be deported immediately.
I was asked to intervene as delegate for the highest of ecclesiastical dignitaries, because 20 degree (gradige) cold prevailed, and there were large snow drifts, and also the district and the city had been shut down for 3 months from any traffic, without light, because the Front had been here in the country for weeks.
The commander Schuhmacher was inclined to postpone the evacuation, but demanded that in order for the soldiers to buy different things, necessary funds should be provided. But that very night. I had obtained the postponement with considerable financial sacrifice – and for my person, also. After the Front had changed in the following days, the population was rescued. However, I had all the proscribed people brought to safety at once.
For this, defending the Convention and actively deporting the shifted district humanely, I was arrested by the Gestapo in Ruzomberok and sentences to death, and also my son in absentia.
After that night, the Front had to retreat, and I was freed by the underground movement just hours before the execution, and hidden in an abandoned bunker. After reconquest the next day, the whole town was searched for me by several departments. Finally, they emptied out my apartment [His law office, I am sure, since there are other documents giving details of that seizure.-T] of all the things which, up till then, I was able to save in Bratislava, they loaded up seven trucks with it and drove away, not without first breaking open my safe, where I kept money for the guidance of industries and large estates in the amount of 2 1/2 Million Crowns. A directory contains all the stolen values, according to the insert more than 5 Million – officially confirmed. Insert submitted. [Not included here.-T]
At the end of hostilities, in the awareness that these persecutions and abuse to me was not the German people, but a power-hungry clique had done this, I have done everything to love my fellow Germans in Slovakia, to mitigate those innocent who were often subjected to reprisals. The Slovak people would never have handed over his fellow Germans to be expelled, but the higher command out of Potsdam and the pressure of the so-called Russian Liberators could not be avoided. Nevertheless, I managed that the major part of the reported families from Slovakia, from the Paprad camp, not be sent into the Soviet zone, as was already prepared, but were transferred to the Western zones and also to Austria.
In this manner, I managed to at least partially reimburse you for those times in Germany and Berlin University, in which I received the scientific foundations I have always considered to be invaluable.
After the Persecution Today
As the so-called Russian Liberation Army in Slovakia – consuming (raubend) more than liberating – invaded our city, I was immediately arrested and led into the basement of the NKVD, where I found quite a few others arrested. The public, especially the workers in awareness that I freed from deportation a few days before, chose to stand up and with the deputation of workers demanded the immediate release from liability. But the commander of the NKVD also had the deputation arrested and had me lead them into the cellar. The workers union had accumulated in front of the Villa and vigorously demanded the release from liability, whereupon the commander turned to the High command in Kosice, whereupon we were released – seven and a few, but the rest were to be deported to Siberia. The NKVD commander later said I was arrested on the basis of the request of the Hungarian Communists, because I, as High Commissioner in 1919, acted so harshly (so schroff) against the troops of Bela Kun. And he said that if I was released now, I would not be spared Siberia.
The public had reacted sharply. I immediately became an honorary citizen of the circle and an honorary member of the National Committee, elected unanimously, and I was given the two highest honors.
The spontaneous demonstrations of the public gave me the strength to forcefully intervene against many attacks, and also to help my fellow Germans and give confirmation that they behaved decently during the Hitler era, and to stifle all individual personal attacks of vengeance in the bud. As I have already mentioned, I was able to help the internees that they not go to the Soviet zone, as was planned, but were sent to West Germany and Austria. I was a daily visitor to collection centers and in prisons, to help where help was justified.
My parlous state of health has not allowed me to carry my work further. The law firm I have has only a limited representation of associates, and these are only my best performing workers.
After the Communist coup performed by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister [Valerian] Zorin for the Communists, the time is broken up with invoices to settle for my work against Communism as High Commissioner in 1919. And on the instructions of the insulted Rakosi I was first of all relieved of all my functions and representatives, and subjected to all possible harassment, interrogations, etc. When I went to the delegation, as elected President of the Financial and Economic Committee of the General Assembly of the World Council of Churches, in Amsterdam, and was asked for my passport, I was arrested on the pretext of excessive imaginary charges. My whole fortune was taken, all accounts were confiscated and my Villa locked with furnishings, clothes, supplies, and everything, since it was the Consul-General of Russia; and on the same evening I was arrested as a “National Gift”, the nation was taken over, and in the night the Russians transferred the land register.
And so, my health still shattered by the persecution these Nazi monsters caused, they transferred me to the locked section of the hospital to make interrogations there. After seven months detention [In another document it says only 6 months, which I will include here, after this testimony.-T] the workers and employees of some companies succeeded to liberate me in the night on January 21-22, 1949, and led me to a kamion near the border. I had foreseen that the police would know about my escape during the night, and that’s why I escaped (uberschreitete ?) to the Hungarian border with Austria, and again by the Austrian border, since I was immediately searched with many dogs.
I managed with the help of my friends to leave the Soviet zone disguised, and made it to Switzerland where I anticipated my wife and daughter. [I have an audio recording of Olga Fabry, Pavel’s daughter, where she says that her father escaped from the prison hospital dressed as a nun, and made it across the Swiss border by train, hiding inside a beer barrel.-T]
The Swiss authorities immediately received me as a political refugee and assured me of asylum, and issued all the necessary travel documents.
To this day I am constantly witness to the most amiable concessions by the Swiss authorities.
In my description of illness, my activity in Switzerland is already cited.
Accustomed to the work of life, and since my health no longer permits regular employment, I have adopted the assistance of refugees. Since Geneva was the center of the most important refugee organizations, I was flooded with requests by the refugees of Western Europe.
I took part on the board of the Refugee Committee in Zurich and Austria, after most refugees came from Slovakia to Austria, and I had to check very carefully if there were any refugees that had been disguised. I was then elected as President of the Refugee Committee, but on the advice of the doctors treating me I had to adjust this activity, because through this work my health did not improve. Nevertheless, I succeeded in helping assist 1200 refugees in the decisive path of new existence.
Otherwise, I remain active in the Church organizations. All this human activity I naturally consider to be honorary work, and for this and for travel I never asked for a centime.
Since I am more than 62 years old, all my attempts to find international employment failed, because regulations prohibit taking on an employee at my age. It was the same case with domestic institutions.
My profession as a lawyer I can exercise nowhere, since at my age nostrification of law diplomas was not permitted. To start a business or involvement I lacked the necessary capital – since I have lost everything after my arrests by the Communists, what had remained from the persecution.
And so I expect at least the compensation for my damages in accordance with the provisions applicable to political refugees.
This entry was posted in Czechoslovakia, Dr. Pavel Fabry, Uncategorized and tagged Bela Kun, Bratislava, Comintern, Communism, Czechoslovakia, family history, Fascism, Franz Karmasin, Genealogy, Germany, Harold Steinacker, history, Hitler, Hungary, Manfried Freiherr von Killinger, Nazis, NKVD, Pavel Fabry, political refugees, Russia, Russian Embassy, Simone Baridon, Slovak history, Stalin, translating, Valerian Zorin on June 28, 2013 by fabryhistory.
| 68,112 |
The Total Spa 24 Hours is the sixth round of the 2007 FIA GT championship and the blue ribbon event of the season and what better place to have it then Spa Francorchamps! Tech 9 started their preparations for their first 24 hour race weeks ago, as it was going to be a tough race for the team, drivers and car alike.
Practice one saw Sascha Maassen (Porsche factory driver) spend most of the time in the car setting it up for the race, red flags, among other things made this very difficult. Never the less he was happy with where the car was and said it only needed a bit of tweaking to make it near enough perfect. The last thirty minutes of practice one was left to Leo Machitski and Sean Edwards, Leo starting and handing over to Sean after twenty minutes of driving. Unfortunately for Sean, a red flag left him only to complete an out and in lap before the chequered flag. “I have not driven the new configuration of Spa and not had a chance to drive this car round here either, so it’s a bit hard having so little time in the car, but hopefully next session I can get a bit more in.” Sean said.
In practice two, Sean and Sascha spent forty minutes tweaking the setup of the car between them and agreeing on a setup for the race and qualifying, with Leo spending most of the time getting used to the track in the Porsche. Sean commented “I got 6 flying laps this session, which was good, but traffic is a big problem out there, Sascha managed to get one free lap in, but I didn’t. I was 0.7 of a second up on him through Eau Rouge before I hit traffic though, so it’s is looking promising for qualifying. Although I am still not totally comfortable with the car and track yet, hopefully I can get some decent running in the three qualifying sessions.
Qualifying one was split between Sean and Leo with Sean just trying the limits of the car and track before his soft tyre run in qualifying three. “I set a pretty good time and am happy with the track and car now and I am looking forward to qualifying tomorrow morning!” said Sean. Most GT2 cars used there three sets of new tyres in the first qualifying, which put the Tech 9 machine slightly down the order in GT2, but it looked good for there qualifying run.
Unfortunately just before qualifying two (at night), they found that the cars water pressure was increasing quite drastically and could damage the engine. So the three drivers had to complete there one mandatory lap at night and then park the car unfortunately, while the Porsche engineers went to work to find the problem. IMSA had already taken the spare engine from Porsche, after blowing theirs on the way to the parade on Wednesday. So they set about taking the engine apart and finally found that it was the head gasket that had gone and needed replacing for the race. “Luckily we found a problem after stripping the engine and we are fixing it now, so we should have no more problems with that” said team boss Phil Hindley.
The penalty for this though was the Tech 9 car would have to start from the back of the grid for the 24 hour race, behind all the G3 cars. Although qualifying is not important, as the race is so long, it will still make it hard in the early stages of the race, something that they could have done without.
It’s looking like Sascha will start the race with a double stint (2 hours 40 min), being the most experienced driver with 24 hour races and Sean will follow with a double stint after that.
So, a dramatic start for the team already, but hopefully they will be a bit luckier in the race, stay tuned for a quarterly update (every 6 hours) throughout the 24 hour race starting at 4pm local time tomorrow!
Click here to cancel reply.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
This entry was posted on Friday, July 27th, 2007 at 2:02 AM and is filed under All, Endurance. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
| 4,034 |
Selamat Jalwa! Some additional progress is steadily being made. The major problems that we have discussed previously with the older and more limiting banking system are systematically being corrected. This will allow the delivery group to again move forward to a phase where delivery is once again feasible. We expect that the current July parameters can be easily met. This continuing movement implies that a series of our particular recommendations is now being put into use. There is a need to understand the immensities of this complex operation, and to realize what happened in the near past. All participants are determined to resolve any impediments that can occur.
There is a series of major corrections that are to lead to the successes that were part of the initial stages of this delivery program. All parties wish deeply to conclude this process as soon as is truly possible. It has not been easy to carry out this extremely complicated task. There have been numerous unexpected situations that cropped up and can now be quickly resolved. Despite what was encountered, the means are currently in place to permit delivery to occur. It is this vital process that we now intend to discuss.
At present, the current process is highly dependent on banks that use outmoded methods to act as sponsors. We intend to divorce this operation from those banks and would like them to be eliminated. You can then rely on financial institutions that can mirror the type of future banks that we intend to emulate. The newly created banks can then store finances in a proper, bulletproof trust. This natural organic procedure can also support the legitimate rise of the NESARA Republic. That is our true goal.
This type of model can also permit the prosperity to more quickly envelop all. This procedure is, after all, the reason for the RV and its companion, the GCR. Elements are presently in place that merely need to be properly employed. We thank all concerned who are making this possible. What is required is simply to be bold and provide for means that can swiftly make this universal prosperity and new governance a reality. This process is to provide new ways of doing things, and it is this particular thought that we intend to express to all concerned!
Namaste! We are your Ascended Masters! There exists in all humanity an expectant dream of total spiritual liberation. The cabals in charge of humanity wish deeply that such a welcome dream never happened. It is the power of this dream that has permitted humanity to oust the dark and allow the Light fully in. Long ago, it was forecast that there was to be a time when weapons of war and division were to be beaten into plowshares, so peace could reign. This is presently occurring around this wondrous blue-green orb. We thank all in Heaven and Earth that are faithfully making this blessing-filled dream come true.
You are near a defining moment wherein you are to see the restart of your fabled history. It is not easy to do so. Yet you, Dear Ones, are about to accomplish this incredible feat. Your inner abilities are swiftly mounting. Be ready, my Children, to accept a whole host of Heavenly miracles that have been far too long in coming. Despite having experienced many obstacles, they are indeed coming. These extraordinary but marvelous events are to signal that you are truly free and sovereign Beings of this new realm. This is unfolding to enable multiple events that are to symbolize your freedom and your endless prosperity! So rejoice and know in your Hearts that all is about to be well.
In this time of wonders, many amazing events are to gloriously manifest. Take these as portents that Heaven is more than ready to assist and clearly prove that you are not alone. We Masters, and indeed all of Heaven, are behind you. What lies ahead is a means to give you courage and to firm up your resolve to be triumphant. Set aside your frustrations and take up your sacred cause. The Age of the dark is ending, and the Time of the Light is now upon you. Be encouraged, and act in a manner that truly mirrors this most divine time. It is when the Light and all its wonderment is to finally fully shine upon you!!
Today, we continued our weekly report of what is transpiring around this globe. We are entering a time when many wondrous events are to give us our prosperity and provide us all with new governance. Let us thank all those whose tireless acts have made all this possible. Know, dear Ones, that the countless and never-ending supply of Heaven is yours! So Be It! Selamat Gajun! Selamat Ja! (Sirian for Be One! And Be In Joy!)
Donations for our translators team are received with gratitude
Much information from the channelings, and from many other sources,
is brought together on our new website:
If you would like to subscribe to Sheldan Nidle's mailing list and receive his channelings directly, you can do this here.
| 5,047 |
We had Amy’s older sister, her fiance and their three children come down for the weekend so we could all go to the Afton Apple Orchard in Hastings. What a blast.
I got off of work early so that I could visit with them and play games (we are such a gaming family) We played curses and scene-it. Had some drinks and turned in around 1 am.
We woke up around 8 or 9, got ready and left for Hastings around 10:15 am.
We got there at 10:45 am and it was already packed. We paid and headed down to the corn maze. We did phase 1 with the kids and then Amy’s mom took the kids to the play area while Amy, Me, Cindy, Jason, Jennifer, Gabe, Tyler (?) and Matt & Tony went on to phase 2.
There is three phases to this maze. Phase 1 takes about 15 minutes. Phase 2 takes about 30 minutes and phase 3 takes about 45 minutes. Every year they change this 10-acre maze so it is never the same.
After we did phase 2 we went and collected the kids and ate lunch (with some bees). After lunch we all decided to take the hayride and go get some pumpkins and some apples.
Well we tried to get on the first hayride and all of us wouldn’t fit. Some other people ran right in front of our group of 15 and jumped on. So the owners said that the next hayride we would be the first on (they have about 4 tractors that run all day). So we waited and got on first.
Of course the first stop was the pumpkin patch. So we all got off and the kids each picked a small pumpkin, while Matt and Tony picked a 40-pounder. We then proceeded to get on the next hayride.… no luck… so we decided to walk to the next stop, but let Jason and the Boys take their big pumpkins back on the next hayride.
So, Mikayla and I start walking. The next thing I know, everyone is waving to us on the hayride as they pass by. Of course, this just pisses Mikayla off and she is thoroughly ticked off.
So we follow it to the next stop. I notice no one gets off and it turns around, so I start walking back. Finally I tell Mikayla that we can go to the park, but nope, she wants the hayride. So we walk back to the pumpkins and wait for the next one. Guess what. Practically empty. So we jump on and follow it around through the different apples and back to the store.
The whole time Mikayla is just upset so I keep telling her she can yell at mama when we get back. This makes her feel a little better. We get off at the play area where the other kids are and I go to find Amy, who is on the hayride behind mine (she had to stop and get some Honey Golden apples for pies).
So we meet down by the store where Cindy and Courtney are waiting and Amy realizes we still have to pick Raspberries. Amy, Courtney and I walk over and pick the best Raspberries I have ever tasted. Of course we are eating as we are picking.
We then walk back into the store (which is packed) and pay for our apples, (honey golden and honey crisps–which you cannot pick-only get in the store), our raspberries, pumpkins, apple cider, and flavored syrups.
As we are taking this all to the car, everyone else meets back and says the kids need to go home, they are getting crabby. But Courtney didn’t get to go to the petting zoo, So Mona (Amy’s mom) takes her. While we are waiting, Cindy, Jason, the boyz and I go take phase 3 of the maze. We all get thoroughly lost. One hole section is a dead end.
Finally Cindy and I give up and we cut through the maze (we had lost the boyz and jay somehow) and start walking back to the entrance. We see the exit line, so we cut through so it looks like we exited. We then load up and go home.
We play more games when we get home, have dinner and stay up and party. Jason’s youngest brother came over and we all played scene-it. He brought his new laptop, so I hooked him up with 20 gigs of music.
Sunday morning we all wake up and have pancakes and donuts (Amy’s dad stopped over and brought some) then the girls go visit their Grams in the hospital while Jason and I play ESPN NFL 2K5 and he beats me 22 to 50. Then when the rest got back they head home.
All in all, we had a great time and can’t wait to do it again!
Technology is so confusing.
Leave a Reply Cancel reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Δ
Recent Posts
Airtable for Genealogists
Um…I’m being recorded?
Archives Select Month September 2021 (2) February 2021 (1) May 2020 (1) February 2017 (1) April 2013 (1) October 2012 (2) August 2012 (1) July 2012 (2) June 2012 (1) March 2012 (1) February 2012 (1) January 2012 (4) November 2011 (1) October 2011 (1) August 2011 (1) July 2011 (2) June 2011 (1) May 2011 (2) April 2011 (4) March 2011 (1) February 2011 (4) January 2011 (2) November 2010 (1) October 2010 (2) September 2010 (1) August 2010 (3) July 2010 (4) June 2010 (4) May 2010 (2) April 2010 (16) March 2010 (34) January 2010 (4) December 2009 (3) November 2009 (1) September 2009 (6) August 2009 (1) July 2009 (1) June 2009 (3) May 2009 (2) March 2009 (4) February 2009 (5) December 2008 (4) September 2008 (1) August 2008 (2) July 2008 (20) June 2008 (4) March 2008 (1) January 2008 (1) November 2007 (2) October 2007 (2) September 2007 (2) August 2007 (1) July 2007 (3) June 2007 (2) May 2007 (1) April 2007 (1) March 2007 (3) February 2007 (2) January 2007 (5) December 2006 (5) November 2006 (2) October 2006 (2) September 2006 (3) July 2006 (3) June 2006 (1) May 2006 (2) March 2006 (1) February 2006 (3) January 2006 (3) December 2005 (4) November 2005 (2) October 2005 (4) September 2005 (2) August 2005 (7) July 2005 (3) June 2005 (3) May 2005 (4) April 2005 (5) March 2005 (5) February 2005 (3) January 2005 (3) December 2004 (3) November 2004 (3) October 2004 (5) September 2004 (8) August 2004 (2) July 2004 (6) June 2004 (10) May 2004 (13) April 2004 (8)
| 6,026 |
Just in: • Adani Group to invest Rs 57,575 crore in Odisha • 'Dollar Distancing' finally happening? Time for India to pitch Rupee as credible alternative: SBI Ecowrap • 49% Indian startups now from tier 2, 3 cities: Jitendra Singh • 'India ranks 3rd in global startup ecosystem & number of unicorns' • LinkedIn lays off entire global events marketing team: Report
First Two Hyatt Centric Hotels Set to Open in April
CHICAGO and MUMBAI: Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) today announced that Hyatt Centric, a new, full service lifestyle brand designed for business and leisure travelers, will open its first hotels in April. The hotels - Hyatt Centric The Loop Chicago and Hyatt Centric South Beach Miami - will deliver on the brand's mission of putting its guest at the center of the action in the best destinations.
"These hotels will deliver on everything Hyatt Centric is meant to be, and we are excited that guests will be able to see and feel the brand," said Kristine Rose, vice president of brands, Hyatt. "By working with owners to test and perfect the Hyatt Centric experience in real hotels in real time, we were able to strategically build the brand. Now, with two hotels opening soon, we are confident that we will be able to fulfill today's savvy travelers' needs for an uncomplicated, cosmopolitan experience in a way that has never been done before."
Both hotels are adaptive reuse projects and will feature core elements of the Hyatt Centric brand starting with the unique designs that fit the hotels' surroundings while putting guests in the middle of great destinations. The hotels will also offer dynamic food and beverage options, with hand-crafted cocktails and locally inspired food in their bars, restaurants and lounges.
Hyatt Centric The Loop Chicago will be located at the northwest corner of Monroe Street and Clark Street and put guests within walking distance of Millennium Park, the theater district, and shopping along State Street, as well as numerous company offices, including Hyatt's global headquarters, Northern Trust and United Airlines. The historic building will offer 257 rooms, 2,177 square feet of meeting space, complimentary wireless internet throughout the hotel, and a Bluetooth-enabled television system in all guest rooms. The hotel's lobby lounge will feature assorted art from native artists and space for guests to recharge and socialize.
Hyatt Centric The Loop Chicago will also offer guests multiple dining options, including Cochon Volant, a French bistro serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, a full French bakery, and a seasonal 5,500 square foot rooftop bar offering signature cocktails and locally inspired food.
Hyatt Centric South Beach Miami will be located in the heart of South Beach on Collins Avenue, and is across the street from Miami's famed beach. The hotel will blend the city's art deco architecture with modern design, featuring a 10-story glass tower that will offer 105 guest rooms, 700 square feet of meeting space, complimentary wireless internet throughout the hotel, and a Bluetooth-enabled television system in all guest rooms. Upon arrival, guests will immediately feel a sense of place with an ocean-inspired color palette of blue and gray infused with eclectic elements indicative of Miami. The lobby lounge will include a full-service bar offering hand-crafted signature cocktails and The Corner, which will feature the hotel's curated book and magazine selection.
Hyatt Centric South Beach Miami will also feature Deck 16, a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant offering breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as a full menu for beach service and the hotel's knock n' grab room service.
The Hyatt Centric brand was created for modern explorers, a multigenerational group comprised of travelers who view their hotel as more than a place to stay. Rather, the hotel is their hub, connecting them to unique experiences, the best of what the destination has to offer - experiences that lead to great stories. In response to the needs of this target guest, the Hyatt Centric brand will focus on three core elements:
An authentic entryway to the destination: At Hyatt Centric hotels, guests will know they can rely on an experience inside that will serve as a launching pad to exploration outside. Each hotel, located in the heart of interesting destinations, will offer a unique and modern take on its location. The artwork, furniture, food and beverages will tell a story, allowing guests to immediately get an authentic feel for the location.
A focus on simplicity, thoughtfully crafted: Hyatt Centric hotels will provide a simple, welcoming environment that delivers the essentials in the easiest, most streamlined way possible. For example, at Hyatt Centric hotels, room service will be offered as a knock n' grab service, which will allow guests to enjoy gourmet food in their rooms without formal delivery. Additionally, while each hotel will be custom designed to its market, the Hyatt Centric brand will be characterized by certain common elements, including spaces like The Corner, where guests can work, socialize and peruse a curated collection of local books and magazines, and a bar and restaurant area that will help foster great conversations and deliver thoughtful, locally inspired food and signature cocktails.
A human touch in a digital world: Hyatt Centric hotels will offer a balance of advanced digital capabilities but with the understanding that these experiences are even more beneficial when combined with a human touch. While guests can enjoy the in-room technologies designed to connect seamlessly with their devices and media, a staff of knowledgeable associates will be on hand to aid guests in their discovery of the destination - particularly useful for business travelers with limited time for exploration.
More than 15 Hyatt Centric locations, comprised of open and previously announced hotels, will also debut this summer in the heart of some of the world's most popular cities, including New York, Paris and Atlanta. For more information on Hyatt Centric hotels, visit http://www.hyattcentric.com.
The term 'Hyatt' is used in this release for convenience to refer to Hyatt Hotels Corporation and/or one or more of its affiliates.
Hyatt Hotels Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is a leading global hospitality company with a proud heritage of making guests feel more than welcome. Thousands of members of the Hyatt family strive to make a difference in the lives of the guests they encounter every day by providing authentic hospitality. The company's subsidiaries develop, own, operate, manage, franchise, license or provide services to hotels, resorts, branded residences and vacation ownership properties, including under the Hyatt®, Park Hyatt®, Andaz®, Grand Hyatt®,Hyatt Regency®, Hyatt Centric[TM], Hyatt Place®, Hyatt House®, Hyatt Zilaraâ¢, Hyatt Zivaâ¢, Hyatt Residences® and Hyatt Residence Club® brand names and have locations on six continents. As of September 30, 2014, the company's worldwide portfolio consisted of 573 properties in 48 countries. For more information, please visit http://www.hyatt.com.
Forward-Looking Statements in this press release, which are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Our actual results, performance or achievements may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "may," "could," "expect," "intend," "plan," "seek," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," "continue," "likely," "will," "would" and variations of these terms and similar expressions, or the negative of these terms or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by us and our management, are inherently uncertain. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, among others, the rate and pace of economic recovery following economic downturns; levels of spending in business and leisure segments as well as consumer confidence; declines in occupancy and average daily rate; if our third-party owners, franchisees or development partners are unable to access the capital necessary to fund current operations or implement our plans for growth; changes in the competitive environment in our industry and the markets where we operate; our ability to access the capital markets; and other risks discussed in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K, which filings are available from the SEC. We caution you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which are made as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation to update publicly any of these forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, new information or future events, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable laws. If we update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that we will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements.
| 9,693 |
I’ve been involved with sports since I was 10 years old. After organized sports ended for me, I bounced around gyms for 5+ years until I finally found my home at 410 in 2018. This gym had everything that I was looking for, and so much more that I didn’t know that I was missing. I found my love for fitness at 410.
Why did you get into coaching?
The idea of coaching was always very interesting to me, so when the opportunity came up I jumped on it right away. I wanted to have the same impact on the members at 410 as the coaches did for me when I started. I am very excited to continue to learn and grow as a coach!
What’s your favorite aspect of fitness?
I truly love the clarity that I am granted through fitness. Despite what is happening in life, I have one hour a day where I focus solely on bettering myself! Fitness has improved my physical and mental well-being!
What are your ‘specialties’?
I love teaching the back squat, deadlift, and bench press! Spending time with each athlete to focus on form during our strength cycles brings me incredible joy as I watch them make adjustments and improve through the weeks!
Sam Stuart, coach
How did your fitness journey begin?
My fitness journey began at 5 years old when I joined the “soccer tots” program. Team sports played an integral part of my life ever since and I continued to play soccer throughout college.
Why did you get into coaching?
As a member at 410, I was enjoying my physical and mental growth and I wanted to try to help others feel the same on their fitness journey.
What’s your favorite aspect of fitness?
As I got older I began to understand and value the mental health benefits from fitness. I love that it relieves my stress, helps me sleep better and makes me feel strong physically and mentally.
What are your ‘specialties’?
I love coaching olympic lifts!! Whether you are brand new to lifting or you’ve been a member for years, I still get excited about analyzing lifts, making some minor adjustments and seeing immediate improvement.
Andrea Alamo, owner / coach
How did your fitness journey begin?
I grew up a pretty athletic kid. While soccer was my main sport, I tried to play as many sports that my schools offered – basketball, softball, volleyball and tennis. I failed miserably at Lacrosse!
When I went to college and stopped playing competitive sports, my competitive drive was really lacking so I turned to the gym. For years, I did your classic globo gym routine of cardio and machines. Honestly, it was a struggle – I wasn’t motivated, I hated working out by myself, so I decided to try something new and exciting. After a quick search online, I found 410 Fitness less than a mile from my house and gave it a shot. Immediately after my first class I knew I was hooked!
Why did you get into coaching?
I always think back to my days of beating myself up in the gym on cardio machines for hours and not really feeling any stronger or fitter. I wish I had a coach at that time to help me identify my strengths and weaknesses and some methods to get stronger and feel more confident in myself. I kind of had to learn that whole process myself.
After years of self-experimenting with different workout regimens and nutrition protocols, I realized that my real interest was in fitness and nutrition. I felt like I had something to offer other people, specially women, and decided to switch to a career in helping people understand how to move well, get strong and feel confident!
What’s your favorite aspect of fitness?
I love the feeling of accomplishment after finishing a really challenging workout! It’s taught me so much about myself both physically and mentally. As a coach, I love watching our members challenge themselves and grow as athletes.
What are your ‘specialties’?
Honestly, I love the basics – I’m really into dialing in your squat and deadlift patterns. I also love coaching tips on pacing, efficiency and how to approach our ever changing workouts!
USA Powerlifting Club Coach (USAPL-CC)
Nathalie Cone, coach
How did your fitness journey begin?
As a shy, nerdy art kid, anything fitness related seemed dreadful. In my mid-twenties, however, something clicked and I began to take my health seriously. I ran a few 5ks and attended dozens of yoga classes with some friends, but eventually decided I wanted to pack on some muscle and get swole. I followed Mark Rippetoe’s Starting Strength program for several months, and while my numbers did go up, I was missing something: community and accountability. I signed up at the closest CrossFit gym I could find and began a journey that has completely changed my life.
Why did you get into coaching?
Meeting my own personal goals has been rewarding, but I’ve discovered that helping others do the same brings me an even greater sense of satisfaction. I strive to join members where they are—exactly as they are—and be a guide on their own fitness journey. Coaching comes with a lot of teaching, seeing and correcting, but my number one goal is to listen.
What’s your favorite aspect of fitness?
I workout not only to feel stronger and look better, but the level of physical and mental self-confidence it gives me is unmatched. It takes me well outside of my comfort zone—a place I tend to stay away from—and reminds me that if I can crush it at the gym, I can crush it at life. I also love feeling like a total badass when I PR my deadlift.
What are your ‘specialties’?
Powerlifting and gymnastics movements are my jam!
Mike Dominelli, coach
How did your fitness journey begin?
Fitness used to be a chore for me: cardio machines and trying to build up those “mirror muscles.” I spent too many years frustrated by spending too much time at the gym and not seeing results. When I heard that 410 opened up I was curious and gave it a shot, with no expectations. After that first class, I saw why I wasn’t seeing results before. Group training offered all of things I had been missing at the traditional gym: structured programming for strength and conditioning, coaching and motivation. The results at 410 were increased speed, stamina and strength. That sounded good to me, so I stuck around.
Why did you get into coaching?
Ha. I love seeing gains. People often come into 410 as frustrated as I was. Over the last six years, I’ve seen people at all levels of fitness begin with little confidence, work hard and very soon discover that they are fast. Or strong. Or nimble. The look on someone’s face when they set a personal record on a back squat or a run or – the absolute best – when they get their first pull-up: that’s what makes me want to be a trainer.
What’s your favorite aspect of fitness?
Working hard for myself and supporting others. In our gym we practice hard work, humility, kindness and empathy. By practicing at the gym I’m better able to bring these values to the rest of my life.
What are your ‘specialties’?
I really enjoy progressions – getting someone to their first pull-up, or helping new members understand some of our more complicated olympic lifts.
| 7,553 |
Flash fiction is very, very short fiction indeed - short stories of any sort of length from a Haiku to ten minutes' reading. Good for when you're in a hurry. This series is a selection of contributions to Friday Flash Fiction, where there's a limit of 100 words. I try to make all mine exactly 100 words.
Click on image
If you enjoy these stories, why not download Gordon's first two collections of these, called '100 Not Out' and '200 Not Out'? Available for all types of e-readers including Kindle and iPad, for free. Completely free, no strings.
| 572 |
Female director SJ Chiro surprises SXSW, dishes on making Lane 1974, and that special Seattle connection
Comments
Female director SJ Chiro, brings the Clane Hayward memoir to life in Lane 1974, dishes on casting lead actress Sophia Mitri Schloss from (The Kicks), and talks about the South by Southwest experience.
Lane 1974 is the story of 13-year old Lane who, grows-up in a Northern California commune with her hippy mom. Can you tell us where the storyline come from?
The film is based on a memoir by Clane Hayward, The Hypocrisy of Disco. I adapted the story infusing it with what I knew from my own similar childhood, growing up on the communes of Northern California.
The star of Lane 1974 is Sophia Mitri Schloss, from the Amazon original series (The Kicks). Can you take us through the process of casting Sophia to play Lane?
Oddly, I first met Sophia Mitri Schloss at a party for my alma mater, Bennington College. She was with her parents who introduced me when they realized I was making a film about a young girl. Unfortunately she was only ten years old at the time, and too young for the role. But fundraising is a long process and by the time I was ready to cast she was 12.
My casting agent, Amey Rene, brought me and producer Jennessa West to Los Angeles where we saw many wonderful girls for two days straight, but none of them had the quality I was looking for in Lane. Amey still had a Seattle girl for me to see, and it turned out to be Sophia Mitri Schloss, one of the most versatile, subtle, talented and hard working actors I've ever had the pleasure to work with.
Over the last few years in Hollywood we have seen an uptick in period films from the 70's like Dairy of a Teenage Girl. What do you think is so appealing about 1970's culture?
It probably varies for every filmmaker. Some seem to just love the fashions. Some films set in the 70s seem like they don't need that era to be told, but other stories, such as Diary of a Teenage girl, are based on personal experience specific to the '70s. The '70s were a unique time in history, particularly around coming of age. For me, 1974 was such a specific and important year to the story I put it right in the title. It's not overt in the film, but from my point of view it was essential.
Before Lane 1974 you directed a series of short films still, most people don't know much about your background. Can you tell us how you got started in the film business?
I started theater in middle school. I was very shy, and initially I saw theater training as a way to learn to express myself. Love of theater continued into high school and through college, where I spent an intense time in London studying. My major was interdivisional: French Lit and Theater, so I also spent time in Paris. This was a particularly lonely time for me, and I spent a lot of time in the many and various movie theaters of Paris seeing all kinds of films.
After graduation I moved to Seattle and became ensconced in the fringe theater scene, acting, directing and even becoming the AD at Annex Theatre, but filmmaking began calling to me. I applied to USC film school, was accepted, but life intervened and I wasn't able to go. Later I began to study in Seattle and make my own films.
Lane 1974 is a must see coming of age film that, captures the sprit of the 1970's brilliantly.
Katherine Moenning from, the TV series (The L Word) also stars in Lane 1974. When casting a film what qualities do you look for with actors?
For the role of Hallelujah I knew I needed someone with a fierce independence and a voice that belies no trace of wanting to please. It's more difficult than you might think to find. I was thrilled when I found Kate, and over the moon after our first conversation. In general, I insist on thoughtful, collaborative actors who are committed to digging deep into their characters, and who respect me as a director.
Congratulations on the premiere at the 2017 South By Southwest Film Festival. What was the whole experience like attending the festival?
A world premiere at SXSW was a dream come true. We had three screenings, two sold out and the third larger venue very well attended. We felt embraced, respected and well attended to by the staff. We loved being surrounded by so many exciting, innovative filmmakers and their films. There's so much to do and see at SXSW, it can be overwhelming, but in a good way!
We often talk with up-coming filmmakers who are interested in breaking into the business. What advice would you give someone who wants to pursue a career in filmmaking?
Make sure you believe fully in what you have to say. Be very clear as to why you have to make this film. Find like minded collaborators. Treat each other with honesty, dedication, and respect.
Lane 1974 has a special northwest connection to Seattle. Can you tell us more about the relationship with Seattle?
It's difficult to imagine getting this film made from a different city. Seattle is unique in the way it accepts and even embraces female filmmakers. The connection to collaborators runs deep. Seattle has a professional filmmaking community with a deep commitment to art. If people believe in your film, it's incredible the kind of support you can get. Of course, it's a two way street. We all support each other to get work done. I used to assume this culture existed in most cities, but I've come to find out Seattle is a very special place.
| 5,501 |
By Professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. / 18 Comments / July 25, 2017 February 1, 2021 / clinicaltrials.gov, Duncan Ross, fat stem cell treatments for COPD, FDA stem cells, Kimera Society, Leigh Turner, stem cell clinic, stem cell lawsuit, stem cells COPD / Blog, FDA, stem cell clinics, stem cell lawsuit
Leigh Turner, threatened by stem cell/regenerative clinic supplier with lawsuit.
University of Minnesota bioethicist Leigh Turner has been threatened with a lawsuit by a stem cell clinic-related business. Lawsuit threats in this arena come up every so often and as much as they are unpleasant realities, they can also reveal some important aspects of the stem cell arena. Ars Technica reported yesterday that Leigh’s recent paper on stem cell clinics and businesses associated with them with listings of non-FDA approved offerings in Clinicaltrials.gov was the impetus for the threat of a lawsuit and intention of asking for a retraction/correction.
An email to Leigh from Duncan Ross, the president of The Kimera Society (one of several organizations discussed in Leigh’s paper), included the reported litigation threat, which was quoted in Ars this way:
“I encourage you to amend your publication or I am going to bring suit against the institution for defamation or slander. I am going to lobby the journal for the retraction of this publication. I followed the letter of the FDA as it exists at this time and I am not going to have my name disparaged because of your lack of interest in due diligence…You continue to assume I’m being devious in some way and I’ve had enough.”
As someone who not only does stem cell research, but also writes about stem cell research and clinics, this struck me as an important development and I wanted to learn more about it. I asked Leigh for comment on this situation and he sent me his perspective along with his view of the larger context (you can read his full comment here):
“My article accurately states that the Kimera Society registered on ClinicalTrials.gov a pay-to-participate study in which adipose derived stem cells are administered to individuals with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. The ClinicalTrials.gov listing does not disclose that study subjects are charged but this information is in the public domain and Duncan Ross, founder of Kimera, acknowledges that study subjects with COPD pay to participate in this study. My article also argues that studies involving administration of autologous adipose-derived stem cells to individuals with COPD appear to require an Investigational New Drug application that has been submitted to the FDA for review and cleared by CBER. In response, Duncan Ross has called for a retraction of my article and threatened that he will sue for libel or defamation if the article is not corrected or retracted.”
For balance I also asked Duncan Ross for a comment on this situation. I thought this was particularly important to do since Leigh and I have published work together, and share some concerns about direct-to-consumer marketing of stem cells. Here’s the comment that Ross emailed me for this piece:
“My issue with Dr. Turner’s approach is this. Even in the case of your one page blog post, you chose to reach out to me to understand what I, personally, hoped to achieve and/or had done to support the publication of the trial. In fact, I had received IRB approval, whereas Dr. Leigh insinuates throughout his publication that no IRB approval is needed for publication on clinicaltrials.gov. By writing these types of sensational articles, without due diligence, he piques the interest of journalists. These journalists write an article based on a DRAFT guidance, not fully understanding what that means. Then in an email back and forth that I have limited time to attend to, I send only the 2015 approval. That get’s printed. In fact I renewed the IRB every year but didn’t care to continue my discussion with Leigh. What you end up with is someone with a non-scientific background, taking all his time to research and call out companies by name, making them look illegal when in fact I have been in contact with the FDA and done what they require AT THIS TIME. I stood up at the scientific meeting, not public, and suggested that there should be some mechanism to regulate stem cell clinics. There is none at this time. I would pursue it myself through my non-profit. SO failing a pathway, and if IRB approval is not good enough for Leigh, he is going to continue to run around half-cocked and telling half truths. If someone, and I suppose it is going to be me, does not highlight his wholly negative approach, then we might end up curtailing the positive clinical outcomes that the pharmaceutical industry is taking note of and working towards. In fact, my research and the direction of my company is wholly focused on exosome therapies now, a discovery that came out of my experience with these types of autologous stem cell therapies.
If you would like a big red box that says “paid trial’ on clinicaltrials.gov then lobby for its inclusion. If you would prefer stem cell clinics NOT get IRB approval, which I doubt you do, then state that to. I don’t see how choosing the only groups actually working through the requirements available to fulfill today is helpful or professional. Why not discuss the warning letters that were issued and how they were based in large part on sterility.”
Overall, there are hundreds of clinics and associated businesses marketing fat stem cell and other kinds of stem cell treatments for any of a whole medical encyclopedia worth of health conditions. Leigh and I reported on this in our paper in Cell Stem Cell last year. In my opinion, Leigh’s overall scholarship in this area is meritorious and has unique, positive impact. Even so, writing about stem cell direct-to-consumer businesses in any form whether it’s an academic paper or blog can be dicey.
In his comment to me, Leigh highlighted the possible impact that litigation threats can have:
“Mr. Ross’ threat is all-too-representative of the responses that emerge from individuals associated with businesses that charge patients for unproven stem cell interventions. When critiqued, they have a habit of attempting to threaten critics and intimidate them into silence. Such threats have a chilling effect on scholarship. In particular, they make academic journals and researchers wary of identifying businesses by name and critiquing specific commercial practices. The threat of litigation has impeded the ability of researchers to conduct research on such business and publish articles that address important ethical, legal, and scientific issues associated with their marketing claims, business practices, and clinical activities.”
However, one of the challenges for potential plaintiffs in such situations is that just the filing or even threat of a suit poses the risk of bringing them a hefty amount of often negative media attention a la “The Streisand Effect”.
Beyond the potential litigation issue, the Ars piece provides helpful background and new quotes from various parties including stem cell clinic leadership. One of the other interesting aspects of the Ars piece was that it got a meatier FDA quote on stem cell clinics than pretty much anything else I’ve seen from the agency in the recent past:
“We recognize that there are a number of clinics operating, which do not register with FDA. Consumers are encouraged to contact FDA and the appropriate state authorities in their jurisdictions to report any potentially illegal or harmful activity related to stem cell based products. We also encourage patients and health care providers to report adverse events associated with cellular therapies to FDA.”
Does this mean the FDA soon will actually do something concrete to bring more clarity and order to the stem cell commercial arena?
I doubt it, at least most likely not any time soon. We’ll see if as indicated in the new FDA Commissioner’s blog post the upcoming policy statements from the agency in September and then in later months might clarify the regulatory path forward for stem cell offerings such as adipose stem cells as well as other big issues such as non-homologous use and minimal manipulation. One of the rare areas of relatively greater agreement amongst many of the various stakeholders involved in or discussing stem cell clinic practices is the desire for more clarity and consistency from the FDA.
Will Kimera follow through and actually file suit against the University of Minnesota or Turner? If history is any guide, such threats almost always do not result in an actual lawsuit, but it’s possible. Regardless, I’d ask you readers a couple more questions: what is this situation telling us about the stem cell commercial arena today, and what risks and considerations are involved in being a public critic of specific commercial or other practices in the life sciences?
It’s definitely not for the faint of heart.
Note: This piece has been updated since its original posting with a few edits to reflect new information that arose in the comment thread including from Kimera’s Duncan Ross that Kimera may be more of a stem cell clinic-associated business (e.g. supplying cells to clinics) rather than a clinic itself.
Related Posts
← Previous Post
Next Post →
18 thoughts on “Stem cell clinic-related biz threatens researcher with lawsuit, wants retraction”
July 30, 2017 at 2:00 pm
I have a few more questions in trying to understand how this all unfolded.
1. I don’t know if you are OK sharing this, but can you say why you were “rebuked” as you put it by the mentor?
2. Although you’ve now said that your business is not itself directly a “stem cell clinic”, did you have any concerns that by selling experimental materials including biologics to a number of clinics for which patients then had to pay, that that might be unfair to the patients? Traditionally clinical trials do not charge participants.
3. Can you comment on the larger arena here of around 600 clinics in the US selling a whole range of stem cells and related products for many different marketed conditions?
July 29, 2017 at 2:27 pm
May I make a suggestion? Rather than threatening lawsuits, why don’t those of you who disagree with a publication respond on the publication’s website, or perhaps ask the editor for a chance to make the case for the critiqued therapy. Duncan, you are articulate and it would be a benefit for all if you would publish your own perspective.
July 29, 2017 at 6:19 pm
I regret that I said I would sue UM. Bruce Blazar of UM is one of my heroes and a collaborator of my mentor. In fact, I had been rebuked for the study a year earlier than Leigh’s publication by my mentor. I kept the study open because I had begun a relationship with a 30 year MD/PHD surgeon from Yale that I thought could actually produce the data I was looking for. In fact, I do have a small amount of data and it is very insightful. I did complain to the publication but I doubt that is going to go anywhere. I don’t think Leigh did a good job and I don’t appreciate being spotlighted here. This press will be detrimental to my work, I am not a ‘stem cell clinic’ and I think the involved parties should be more prudent before throwing life long scientists out into this type of scrutiny.
July 28, 2017 at 10:00 am
The exchange in commentary here is worth noting as an example of community engagement, yes rare, which Paul has been looking to foster amongst the diverse stakeholders in the sector. It’s in everyone’s best interest to actively participate and not just read.
This forum is an opportunity for communication between the parties to contribute, debate and clarify.
July 25, 2017 at 11:19 pm
July 28, 2017 at 11:09 am
Because the others understand that it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.
July 25, 2017 at 6:47 pm
cGMP regulations apply to any material injected into humans, including Phase 1 clinical trials. So, this implies their facility has been inspected and approved by FDA to produce material for clinical trials, they have SOPs based upon validated methods for both production and testing. It is important to establish that whatever is used for Clinical trials can be reproducibly produced commercially – in other words, can meet your “label claims.”
Their web site appears to be more like a Travel agency for Medical Tourism than a medical research facility.
Duncan Ross Ph.D.
July 26, 2017 at 6:29 am
I agree with this. This is my point. I do not have a clinic and never did, I am a PhD scientist that helps MD’s improve their protocols, thus the IRB, and thus the SOP and sterility measures that I give them to improve their outcomes. It should be further noted that each participant received a vitalograph spirometer to track their progression, however, lack of patient compliance, both with reporting and not smoking, is the outcome I found and why I’ve diverted to my own cGMP lab to produce the IND supported therapies that Dr. Knoepfler prefers. That does not mean the world of clinical stem cell transplantation should be halted because of one bad outcome by someone that did not have the background to be teaching others. There should be a standard such as is required to teach at a University level in this state. Bioheart did not meet that criteria to be teaching.
July 25, 2017 at 5:18 pm
I always like to see for myself. So I visited the Kimera website.
Here is what I learned:
(1) Starting from the bottom, we see a letter from the founder which states:
“We know you have choices when scouring the internet, and beautiful marketing web sites exist, but I was in your position once when evaluating cancer treatments, and there really is no way for the average patient to evaluate these claims. I only ask that you look for the peer-reviewed publications, and then make a decision.”
Under “COPD” we see a lot of (XYZ et al 20##) but the references are not given, neither are there links to the publications, not even to PubMed. Really, how are we to even know what publication Kimera is talking about?
Well, never mind, after all, as Duncan Ross (PhD) explained: “there really is no way for the average patient to evaluate these claims”.
Such condescension beggars credulity. Surely Duncan Ross must understand that about half of the patient population IS ABOVE AVERAGE!
(2) Duncan Ross talks about his publications but I couldn’t find where they were listed on his website. Can you?
(3) Kimera is, apparently, a metaphor for the aviation industry. Or is the aviation industry a metaphor for Kimera?
Just as well it’s a “metaphor” — otherwise the airlines might be joining in the game of legal argy bargy.
I also had a look at the offending Turner publication:
Well, it’s behind a pay wall so I only checked the abstract. The abstract is so packed with ideological assumptions that I’m inclined to think that Mr Turner, like Mr Ross, seems to think that us dumb patients need him to figure it all out for us…
Duncan Ross Ph.D.
July 26, 2017 at 6:39 am
You can find my publications on PubMed. Further, I meant that it is impossible for the average patient to read the methods and experiments in an academic publication and judge whether it is a reputable publication or real data. I know this because I failed myself when trying to judge treatments for my father and had to attain a PhD to fix it. As I do not have an MD and don’t treat patients, I don’t financially gain when patients are treated in the trial. My position here is as an educator to physicians on cell use and protocols, which I have the background to support. You can read my publications in the Biology of Bone and Marrow Transplantation and Blood. I further established a 501(c)3 to treat these patients at no cost, but no longer find it feasible to run the trial.
July 26, 2017 at 8:57 am
Duncan, it’d help if you clarified a few things. I have a few questions below.
In your clinicaltrials.gov listing (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02216630) it seems to indicate that you sent patients to clinics in as many as 5 different clinic locations across the US and those patients had to pay to get the experimental therapy, but in your comment here you said you didn’t financially gain. Who did the patients pay then? And are you saying there was zero benefit to you of any kind from this whole thing?
Did you prepare each patient’s MSCs at Kimera and then the patients got those MSCs at those other clinic locations or do the separate clinics themselves prepare the patient MSCs? If it is the latter, what was your role?
July 26, 2017 at 9:44 am
Each of these clinics is my client for their regenerative medicine needs and pays me to train them generally in cell handling, which comes with access to the IRB, but the patient pays the clinic. These clinics may or may not use closed kits I produce, or they may use their own hoods. They may decide to lower the fee or not charge at all. I am not made aware of who was enrolled until I request the data at the end of the year. All clinics are instructed to provide the vitalograph COPD-6 spirometer. They often treat many different therapies, as you usually note, and may use my purified amniotic fluid (361 product) or kits for those treatments. Throughout the day, I may have up to four phone calls from one physician asking me everything from what protocols are working for hair restoration to what may work for OA or chronic pelvic pain to why PRP causes inflammation. I travel throughout the country speaking at and attending regen med and biopharmaceutical conferences and recount that information to these clinics. In the future, I see combined off the shelf FDA approved exosome based supplements to SVF treatment as a method to improve these outcomes and am working towards that IND submission in the next few months. In fact the lead PI, epidemiologists and I are meeting Aug. 1 towards that goal to prepare to request a pre pre IND meeting. Our lab is ISO:9001 certified, our hoods are ISO 5, the rooms are ISO 7. I think with a proper framework the quality of clinic based regen medicine can be raised. It has to be and a number of serious groups are trying to get to that point.
July 26, 2017 at 11:04 am
Sir, the simple question remains: have the facilities, personnel and Quality Systems used to produce clinical grade material been FDA inspected for compliance cGMP requirements? It is a yes or no proposition. Being in “compliance” with ISO guidance is not the issue. In order to manufacture or produce material, compounds, biological matter intended for intravenous injection into human subjects you legally, materially and ethically required to have the consent of the US FDA to do so. Do you have this consent or not?
Duncan Ross Ph.D.
July 26, 2017 at 3:42 pm
I would argue that the maximum standard a clinic should be held to would be a tissue facility, and thus, AATB certification would be the path forward for clinics. That is something that could actually be accomplished.
July 26, 2017 at 6:11 pm
The FDA would disagree with you.
For storing biopsies and research use, AATB and ISO certification is fine. But if it’s used to make material for IV injection or any form of claimed therapeutic benefit, including human or animal clinical trials or material used for diagnostic work, the rules for tissue banking are entirely different and must comply with all cGMP FDA regulations.
July 25, 2017 at 3:06 pm
Duncan Ross: I have 3 questions:
1. Do you use trypsin or another enzyme to dissociate the adipose cells?
2. What is your argument that this is homologous use – are you supplementing existing fat tissue?
3. What is the mechanism of action of fat cells on COPD?
Thanks.
Duncan Ross Ph.D.
July 25, 2017 at 4:50 pm
1. Re your question regarding trypsin (or collagenase) the proper way to stop that reaction is by quenching with serum. In the protocols referred to in the case of Bioheart and Kristin Comella blinding three patients, the cells were spun down rather than the proteinase being quenched. The collagenase detached the lens in the eye. You could use a ficoll gradient if you wanted to avoid a proteinase and obtain a pure buffy coat population, however, improper use of collagenase is not a reason to stop the use of it going forward.
2 and 3. The argument behind the use of fat is that it contains mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). The fat is thrown away in these protocols. The bone marrow also contains MSC. The lungs were recently identified as a site of hematopoiesis in a Nature article. Thus, the lungs are in effect bone marrow, and using cells from bone marrow would be homologous use. Bone marrow further contains regulatory T cells and other anti-inflammatory cells that suppress the inflammation causing COPD. In theory, infusing bone marrow cells i.v. will allow the cells to traffic to the lungs where they would encounter bone marrow markers. One could tolerize inflammatory cells in the lungs to the insult that causes the COPD. The issue with the COPD patients is that they return to smoking or ‘sneak’ a cigarette, confounding the results. Further, MSC secrete anti-inflammatory proteins, such as TGF-B3, that cause Treg induction and thus lower inflammation. That is the mechanism of action, and the use of these growth factors to attain these results is the focus of my work going forward.
July 26, 2017 at 12:29 am
Unfortunately bone marrow therapies for COPD is of only marginal benefit (20 patients treated in 2008-9). Fat derived and umbilical cord stem cells are much better. Also these patients have heavy metals, chronic infections and lots of scarring and chronic hypoxia all of which need to be addressed to get some good improvements in these people.
| 22,325 |
This essay is over 17,000 words dissertation style, and must be read in one go. Get ready to be red pilled.
Everyone has heard of the matrix. The concept comes from the movie called The Matrix. The idea is that we are born inside a simulation called “the matrix”, and that the entire universe is a simulation which runs on a computer. And if you take the red pill you become unplugged from the matrix and see reality for what it really is, and if you take the blue pill, you remain plugged in and live out your humdrum existence nonethewiser with bread and circus. Because I have been improving myself and my life, my stature and my footing, as well as having more life experience and the success it brings (whether you see all that or not), I now believe that we are living in the matrix. In my previous article I explained how we are living in the system. We are also living in the matrix. We are living in the system and the matrix. The system is economic. The matrix is social.
If the matrix is social, how come we’ve never heard of it in documentaries or schools? Is this writer stupid, I hear you ask? I know what you’re thinking! Of course you think that you’re in the right and unplugged and red pilled because you are you, but everyone in the world believes they are right about everything they think about, so who doesn’t believe they’re unplugged, woke and red pilled? It’s just a silly label that people use to look cool to be hip and trendy, right? That’s what the illuminati globalists want you to think! And I don’t mean literal, there is no society called the illuminati, they don’t have meetings, there is no group, it’s more of an ideology and a subculture that people align themselves to, just like how hipsters, emos and goths have no structure, no leader and scheduled meetings to their society or subculture. It is more of a fluid society than a structured society. Yes I coined that term, fluid society. And I’m also coining another term, cobber, but we’ll get into what a cobber is later on.
Now you’re with me that there is a structureless leaderless scheduleless society that doesn’t officially exist but people align themselves to it, this fluid society called the illuminati that all the blue pillers and cobbers belong to, because I’m so unplugged from the matrix as I’m a free thinker and not a sheep, I will now explain red pill the world by explaining how we are living in the matrix, because I’m so woke.
People are either red pilled or blue pilled
The way society is, every social movement has either been subverted by shills, defamed by the media or devalued by posers. Because anyone and everyone can call themselves a particular ideology, people can call themselves that without properly knowing what it means, pervert the original ethos of it, or use something that was made for good and positivity for bad and evil. For example, there are different types of feminists, different types of libertarians. Some feminists are sex positive who believe in prostitution, porn and glamour modelling, and some are sex negative. Some libertarians believe there should be no government, and some only believe in a smaller government. When talking about an ideology or even debating it, both parties have to be clear about which type of the ideology word is meant. If you listen to the psuedo-red-pill idiots on Reddit, you will think that the red pill is about women women women, frame frame frame, dread dread dread. There is more to the red pill philosophy than women, and r/theredpill on reddit isn’t red pill, it’s blue pill, but that’s for another article. For the purpose of this article, red pill will mean believing in self improvement and self reliance and blue pill will mean believing in nanny state and state reliance.
In this world, people are either red pill or blue pill. They either believe in self improvement and self reliance, or they believe in nanny state and state reliance.
What is the nanny state?
But what is the nanny state? The nanny state is when the government says that they know better than you about what is best for you, when it only affects you and when it concerns consensual acts. Examples of such are below.
Sugar tax
Maximum spending limits on FOB’s in gambling
Needing to provide ID to watch porn online
Allowing various departments in the public sector to look at anyone’s internet browsing history (ICR’s) in the country
Anti smoking laws
Anti drug laws
Anti having trash in your car laws
National ID Cards (when we already have a driving license and passport)
Anti-branding laws on tobacco and alcohol
Age restrictions on websites, books, music, tv shows and movies
Anti-child labour laws (including restricting the amount of hours children can work)
Carbon tax
Banning junk food advertising
Mass survelliance (NSA and GCHQ)
Fines for muddy cars
Who do you think knows more about what is best for you? You or the government? Obviously that’s you, because you’re you. So what gives the government the right to tell you what you can and can’t do, with all these nanny state laws, if they only affect you? The government can fuck off! Drink driving, yes that should be illegal because it affects other people. People can die from you drink driving. But taxing sugar is wrong because you having soft drinks only affects you, so the government should get lost with its nanny state. That is what the nanny state is. The government telling you with laws, that they know better than you about what is best for you, when it only affects you. The government does not have the right to do that. I do not believe in vice laws, laws that prohibit consensual behaviour. The government making vice laws is also the nanny state.
I know what the blue pillers are thinking. Drugs and prostitution! Drugs and prostitution! Even if you had a child with severe epilepsy that can only be treated with CBD (found in cannabis which is illegal) and was campaigning for help to save your child, the government would still deny the suffering child the right for CBD medication to allow that child to live a quality and happy life, because to do that, would violate their nanny state ethos. A mother applied to the Home Office to allow her 6 year old child an exception to get CBD oil for her child, and predictably, the British government said no. All because it violates their nanny state ethos. They don’t give a shit about the child. Now onto prostitution. Even if you got rid of the money, and you had people trading Pokemon cards for sex, the government would still have a problem because it violates their nanny state ethos. Even if a man approached a woman for her phone number politely in a social environment or the street and she happily gave it to him, the government would violate their nanny state ethos. Any human behaviour they can control, they will control. Remember Tony Nicklinson who was paralysed for eight years after a stroke, diagnosed with Locked In Syndrome, who communicated using eye movements and a computer on his wheelchair that he wanted permission to die from the High Court? The British government denied him that right to end his suffering which is very cruel. He had to undergo a slow and painful death by dying from a hunger strike. It took him weeks to die.
Blue pillers believe in the nanny state. When someone is in real and immense suffering, the blue pillers don’t give a shit. All they care about is whether helping such person would violate their nanny state beliefs, and if it does, they always refuse to help and not just walk away doing nothing, they do the exact opposite by making the person’s suffering worse, and then be intellectually dishonest by giving a disingenous reason why their cruelty is in the best interests of the victim and humanity, with the most farfetched reason anyone could conjure up, and the stupid sheep lap it up with glee and cheer to the blue piller’s virtue signalling about how good, kind, moral and virtuous they are and how they make the world a better place.
Blue pillers like Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May have the same end goal
Blue pillers like Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May always use the slippery slope argument. If we allow one person to have euthanasia, eventually anyone will be able to walk into their doctors and get an instant suicide like they can with cough medicine, they say. If we allow a child with severe epilepsy to have CBD oil so he can have a quality of life, eventually everyone will be allowed to take cannabis and the streets would be flooded with lunatic druggies, they say.
The irony of this, is that it is the blue pillers who are slippery slopers, not red pillers. Blue pillers always trying to creep things in through the back door ever so gradually (just like how Hitler made Jews be forced to wear a star everywhere they went years before killing them), as it is the blue pillers who want to have a monopoly on fun and they like to control every single element of your life. They will not stop with drugs and prostitution, or whatever nanny state laws they are implementing. They will not stop with the sugar tax and banning porn. If you think that, you are stupid. They will keep expanding the nanny state, and it will keep getting bigger bigger bigger, until every element of your life is controlled by the state. What you do, what you think, where you go, who you’re allowed to communicate with, what you read, what you buy, what you say, each and every little thing one could possibly imagine. Think I’m joking? Why else do we have the Investigative Powers Act which bans end-to-end encryption, requires technology companies to implement backdoors for the government, store your internet connection (web page) records for 12 months, and not only that, allow virtually every employee from every government department to look at everyone’s internet browsing history, including the Food Standards Agency. This is 1984. Read the book. This is orwellian. Eventually everyone who works in the public sector will be the secret police.
Jeremy Corbyn, depending on who you ask, is either a communist or a socialist, and Theresa May is either hurting the working class or she’s stopping the country from being wrecked by the Labour Party. Because one is spend spend spend, and the other is cut cut cut, people believe that both leaders are different. Yes in that sense they are different. But as they both are blue pillers believing in nanny state and stare reliance, they are both the same. To think that Labour and Conservative are different in 2018 is stupidity or you being brainwashed. One is a lefty liberal, and the other is lefty lite. They both have the same end goal, to control every element of your life, and creep in communism through the back door, as they both believe in nanny state and state reliance. So as long as they are both in power, they will always keep making nanny state and state reliance bigger bigger bigger bigger bigger. Corbyn and May will pretend to hate each other in Prime Minister’s Questions in parliament and in the media, but behind closed doors they both love each other really, because they have the same end goal, but just a different application. And people say that the British media tells the truth and that we live in a democracy. Instead we have the illusion of choice, just like how things were before Trump ran for president and became one.
If you want to get rid of the nanny state and state reliance, vote for UKIP, and they will defend freedom of speech, and get rid of the nanny state and get rid of state reliance. This leads me to my next issue. Mass immigration, or as blue pillers prefer to call it, immigration.
Blue pillers do not care about the poor and the prosperous
For every immigrant that is given citizenship in a country, a person who was born there is rendered worthless. Immigrants do steal people’s jobs. Mass immigration is bad because it puts a strain on jobs, strain on the NHS, strain on schools (schools are overcrowded and some cities have ran out of school places), strain on roads, strain on housing so there’s a housing shortage, it decreases wages (because workers have higher competition and less bargaining power, wages increased when migration from the EU decreased due to Brexit), it increases the price of rent (as the demand for housing exceeds the supply), puts a strain on social housing and it causes high unemployment (of which the government reported unemployment rate is fake), and even more problems. We have a mass unemployment crisis [one] [two] [three] [four]. If you tell a blue piller this, they will call you a heartless xenophobic racist and that there’s plenty of space. You only have to apply common sense to find out that is not the case. According to the Office of National Statistics, there is 1.83 million people who are unemployed in Britain. According to the same ONS, there is always a minimum of 250,000 people entering Britain every year. This means that over a period of 8 years, there will be more immigrants in the country than the unemployment. And mass immigratiyon has been happening for decades! Using simple logic and common sense, it would be sensible to conclude that government reported unemployment statistics are fake.
If you need any more proof (if you are a blue piller reading this who always says after someone says an emperical truth “have you got a source for that?”), here it is.
What the British government says:
The true statistics that get leaked to The Guardian by a DWP employee.
You can read more here. Half of UK’s young black males are unemployed.
Unemployment among young black men has doubled in three years, rising from 28.8% in 2008 to 55.9% in the last three months of 2011. Which unemployment statistics do you think are the real statistics? The ones given by the government, or the ones given by a newspaper??? How did unemployment go from 28.8% to 55.9 in three years????????? The reason why black people are much likely to be unemployed than white people, is not because of racism or discrimination, but because black people tend to live in cities where there is lots of immigration or densely populated cities. Areas that have more immigration have higher unemployment. When you have 1 million people entering a country every 4 years, the country also needs to create 1 million jobs every 4 years, which this country does NOT!!!!!!! Also in the US, 102 million americans are unemployed if you look at the real unemployment rate, and 37.2% of households are on food stamps.
When you tell a blue piller these facts, they will either call you a racist, try to troll you, tell you you’re taking them out of context, give you lies to back up their arguments, or abort the conversation by blocking you or refusing to discuss it any more. Well you know what I say, Facts don’t care about your feelings. Blue pillers a full of cognitive dissonance and they come up with a hypothesis and work backwards from that.
The reason why blue pillers like mass immigration, is not because they care about the starving syrian refugees or because they care about people in poverty. The real reason why they like mass immigration is because they want everyone to be dependant on the state. If you were born in the 90s onwards, we will never have the living standards that our parents had. We are the lost generation. Blue pillers love it when someone graduates from university (likely with a 2:1 in a STEM degree) then end up being long term unemployed, or working a part time job (likely on a zero hours contract) not being to afford rent for their own place. They claim that they want university graduates to do well in life and get a good job, but they are lying and being disingenous. Blue pillers are disingenous.
This is also the reason why Labour and Conservative like mass immigration, to get everyone dependant on the state. Vote for UKIP, Britain First or For Britain if you want to get rid of nanny state and state reliance, preferably UKIP as they are a major political party.
Blue pillers always claim so much to care so much about the poor, so much so, that they believe in a welfare state so they believe in people claiming benefits. However if you probe these people enough, you will find that blue pillers have evil marxist beliefs. Marxist, as in beliving in the writings of Karl Marx, the inventor of communism, an evil along with marxism responsible for the genocide, oppression and extreme poverty of millions. Even if they haven’t read Karl Marx’s writing, they will still align themselves to that ideology, because they are that way inclined.
One way you can test this, is to find out whether they believe thar wage slavery is real. Blue pillers will be 100% guaranteed to tell you that wage slavery is real, because we are forced to go to work and if we don’t work we starve to death, so therefore going to work is slavery. Do you know what blue pillers is empowering? Not working and living entirely off the government. They think that is empowerment. Going to work isn’t slavery. It can be exploitative, but it’s not slavery, that’s an extreme comparison to make. I lived in a house where my landlord threatened to evict me if I got a job, so I was trapped on benefits with him violating my human rights to exchange my labour for money. Luckily I managed to move out to a landlord who allows me to work. Exchanging your labour for money is a human right, to them it is slavery. My friend had a girlfriend who would say to him “Conceirge! Hold my handbag!” If he held her handbag, that would make him feminine, if he didn’t hold it, she would be upset with me for not being chivalrous. If you were him, what do you do in that situation? That was exploitation, but it wasn’t slavery.
One way you can know whether blue pillers truly care about the poor, is to find out their attitudes to the homeless. Remember that blue pillers are disingenous, blue pillers are duplicitous. What blue pillers argue to say, is not what they mean. Don’t watch what blue pillers say, watch what they do. Well anyway, blue pillers will always tell you that they never donate money to the homeless because all they do is spend it on drugs, tobacco and alcohol. At first glance, this sounds like either ignorance or classism, looking down at people who have less status or money than you. However when you understand that blue pillers believe in nanny state and state reliance, the true reason why they never give to the homeless becomes clear.
The reason why blue pillers never give to the homeless despite claiming they care about the poor, is because they want the homeless person to be dependant on other people giving or not giving them money deciding whether or not they will have anything to eat for that day. Blue pillers never giving money to the homeless is them practising state dependance. Living off the government in poverty is empowerment and working to be prosperous is slavery. A homeless person being dependant on passers by for money is good and someone with money donating them £5 so they can buy a toothbrush, eat food, buy a sleeping bag etc, is bad because that would give them self improvement and self reliance. Blue pillers only like the welfare state because you claiming benefits makes you worse off than you would working, but if someone cannot claim benefits due to not having a fixed address or has nowhere to live due to no fault of their own, then homelessness is better than them having somewhere to stay, as they’d rather the homeless person beg and dependant on others, than them to get a leg up off the ground floor onto the first floor.
So blue pillers do not truly care about the poor and the homeless, really. They are just virtue signalling and will always sprout loudly about how much they care for poor people. As Paul Joseph Watson said, the people who do the most virtue signalling are the least moral people. Do you know who does donate to the homeless? Red pillers. Red pillers are always donating to the homeless, all the time!!! They just don’t brag about it virtue signalling about it for brownie points. In the rare instance that a blue piller does donate to the homeless, all they wll do is buy them a measely amount of food like a half sandwich that came in a packet of two sandwiches with a bottle of plain water, then later on that same day they’ll be virtue signalling about how “kind” and “virtuous” they are, when deep down they know that if they actually gave the homeless person the money they spent on that food, instead of the food, they would be much better off. Not only do blue pillers not care about the poor, they also do not care about the prosperous, because they’d rather you be claiming benefits than working, to fit their strict totalitarian state dependency agenda that for some strange reason everyone in the world must follow. Blue pillers follow a philosophy of greed, envy and selfishness. “If I can’t have something good that someone else has because they have a higher IQ higher intelligence that puts them into better and more higher paid jobs, or were born to rich or middle class parents, then nobody else can!” They are the child with ten toys that will steal the other child’s one toy because that one toy glows in the dark, even if that glow in the dark toy is not electronic and the ten toys they have are electronic and run on batteries.
Also blue pillers always use AdBlock and Ghostery (which blocks adverts and analytics), as they don’t want you to make money from your intellectual property. They claim it’s because of privacy being disingenous, when really it’s because they don’t want you to make money from your intellectual property. They don’t want you self improving seeing how popular you really are, seeing your traffic going up, and they don’t want you having self reliance making money from advertising so you make money from your work.
If you want to know where to find altrusitic people who are humble and moral, spend time around red pillers. If you want to spend time around two-faced duplicituous virtue signallers, spend time around blue pillers. This is a fact.
What is the role of government?
What is the role of government? That’s a good question. What is the role of government?
Profit and tax are both theft
If you are a libertarian, you believe in there being limited or no government, little or no taxes. You would believe in the non aggression principle or voluntarism so you wouldn’t like taxes because the government forces you to pay them and puts you in prison if you don’t. The most famous libertarian, Ayn Rand, does not believe in the public sector. In the video below, she said she believes in there only being private roads, private schools, private police and private prisons.
Libertarians believe in the free market or free market capitalism, which means that there should be no regulations for businesses, and no market distortion. Regulation that protects against pollution, no fault evictions, no fault firing, no forced over time, all bad, to a libertarian. Also a minimum wage, sick pay, maternity leave, rent caps, university price caps, all bad to a libertarian, as they are a market distortion, and a market distortion is something that artificially inflates or deflates the value of something.
bSocialists and communists (and people who call themselves socialists who are really communists), believe that all natural monopolies should be run by the state, as if something is a natural monopoly, it’s better the profit is taken out the equation, if there isn’t much competition. What is a natural monopoly? A natural monopoly is an industry where it is inevitable for there to be one or a stark few companies competing in that field because it either costs millions of pounds to setup that company, or because there is limited geographical space for the infrastructure to go. Industries like telecommunications, electricity, water, gas, hospitals, postal service and public transport should be run by the state according to them
An ISP is a natural monopoly because…
It costs millions of dollars to create an ISP (Less than 0.1% of the population have the money required to create an ISP)
There is limited physical space to build the infrastructure for an ISP. (It’s impossible to have 100+ sets of underground wires in the same city/country or 100+ satellites in space to all provide the same service.)
Communists believe that housing, education, money, healthcare and everything else you can possibly imagine, is a human right. It sounds wonderful, but they do have lunatic beliefs you will find. However, communists don’t just believe that natural monopolies should be run by the government, but also that every business should be run by the state. Yes that’s right! Every business. However without competition and without incentive, there is firstly no incentive for the government run business to spend money efficently (I’ll get into that point later), and secondly there is no incentive to innovate. A planned economy is a failed economy. There would be no Apple or Dyson in a planned economy. Richard Branson touches on these two points in the following video.
I believe (as a socialist) that profit and taxation are both theft. The typical response to this, is how is profit theft? If I make money for doing something, how is it theft for me to make money doing something that I’ve been paid to do voluntarily? I see that point, but listen to this.
Profit is theft because if you pay £5 for a taxi and £3 goes to the taxi driver and £2 goes to the CEO of the taxi company, the employer (or bourgeoise) has stolen £2 of the worker’s (or proletariat’s) labour. This stolen labour is called “surplus value”. When people have jobs, they do not enjoy all the fruits of their labour. If we had a society where there was no taxes, absolutely zero taxes, we would have low wages, high prices, monopolies and cartels. Every car would be made by one company. Every house would be owned by one landlord. Every shoe would be made by one company. And you would be working 12 hours a day with no weekends for a pittance in a sweatshop. You would be eating a bowl of rice every day of your life one meal a day. So that’s why profit and tax are both theft. Yes the employer invested money to start the company and needs to take a cut of the labour in order to cover the operating costs and have profit left over to keep the company running, but it’s still theft. There’s still an element of exploitation going on, even though the exploitation is essential for the economic system, the system, to function. Without profit, there would be no Apple and no Dyson. Without private enterprise of people exchanging money for products and services, how else do you think people will get stuff? From charity handouts or the government printing money out of thin air? Although profit is theft, it is essential for our society so profit is also good. It’s a double edged sword, but an essential double edged sword.
Taxation is also theft. If you don’t pay your taxes, the government can fine you or put you in prison, and if you don’t pay the fine, you will go to prison. Not only does everyone pay taxes in some way even if you don’t pay income tax because you don’t earn enough, our taxes also go on things we do not consent, such as wars, art (which the government should not fund), poor quality schools and rubbish collection that are so bad you wonder what the point is of you paying your taxes. However without taxes, you would have to pay for the police, pay for roads, pay for prisons, and your human rights would not be protected, so we all understand (I hope) that taxes are an essential thing we all pay as a cost from reaping the rewards of living in a society (instead of the hunter-gatherer times), and as we reap, we also pay back, so we pay our debt back to society.
So profit and taxation are both theft. The libertarians are always screaming to regulate tax, and the communists are always screaming to regulate profit, whereas me as a socialist believes that profit and tax are both theft, who wants to regulate both.
Communism is an ideology of force and libertarianism is an ideology of coersion. If you need food and I put a gun to your head and tell you to suck my dick for money or I’ll kill you, or I offer you the choice to suck my dick for money but the only jobs availaable from every other employer is sucking dick, what’s the dffference? Exactly! That’s what I thought!
Tynamite believes the role of government has 4 purposes
Now back to my earlier question, what is the role of government?
Protect your lifestyle
Protect you from other people, not yourself
Freedom of speech with no hate speech laws
So I believe the government should protect your liberty, as in defend your basic human rights. So theft, murder and rape should be illegal, so that your liberty is protected, so you have your freedoms. That’s pretty standard. The government should protect your lifestyle, so if you are successful or enjoying freedom, you don’t need a SJW emailing your advertisers to cause an advertiser boycott or ringing up your employer to get you fired from your job. So laws that protect your lifestyle are anti-defamation laws, anti-fraud law, anti-piracy law, intellectual property law, consumer rights law. Also nanny state laws should not exist and drug laws should be relaxed, because the role of the governmet is to protect you from other people, not to protect you from yourself.
Also we should have freedom of speech laws and all hate speech laws should be abolished. This does not mean that I support people telling passers by in the street racial slurs as they walk past, as that is harassment. But if someone is speaking on their own private wordpress blog, or at a private meeting, their own personal space, and what they say isn’t harming or advocating for the harm of someone’s liberty, and isn’t harming or advocating for the harm of someone’s lifestyle, then I do not see a problem with that.
I know what you’re thinking. “Hate speech harms someone’s liberty as it is rude and mean.” Oh really? What is hate speech? Can you define in clear english what hate speech is? The Oxford Dictionary defines sexism as “Prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex”. Let’s imagine all two categories of “sexism” in the definition in order. So if I say that an asian woman I had an appointment with who had the quietest voice I’ve heard in my life, and she didn’t like me being dominant and telling her as an employee and me not, what to do, because there’s a stereotype that asian women are submissive and dosile, so she expected me to be like all the abusive controlling men she’s dated, is that hate speech? So if I say that men think logicially and women think emotionally, is that hate speech? If I say that I prefer having male friends, is that hate speech? It’s funny how the dictionary definition conflates prejudice and stereotyping with discrimintion, when the former two are a thought and the latter is an action, and a person can have good behaviour and good end goals even if they generalise.
So as you can see, hate speech, is highly subjective and is labelled to words and people in an arbritary fashion, blue pillers are selective on who they apply that label on. Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May cannot explain in clear english exactly what hate speech is, so why should I follow hate speech law, if they can’t explain clearly what it is? Yes sexism and racism is real, but the dictionary definiton of those words reek of political correctness. So that’s why I don’t believe in hate speech laws, and you can see here that political correctness has gone mad.
So those are what I believe are the four roles of government. I’ll repeat again.
Protect your lifestyle
Protect you from other people, not yourself
Freedom of speech with no hate speech laws
Margaret Thatcher was the real socialist
Depending on who you ask, Margaret Thatcher who was the prime minister of Britain in the 80s, was either the greatest prime minister of all time, or an evil woman who never cared about the working class and the poor. Corbynistas just cannot fathom why the working class vote for Conservative, if Labour is the part of benefits. To understand Thatcher’s rise to power, you first have to understand what Britain was like before she was in power.
When Labour was in power before she was, under Edward Heath, the rich paid a minimum of 85% income tax which hurt British companies and devalued the currency, only making everyone (including the poor) worse. The Beatles were financially raped with a 98% income tax. Yes, 98%, no joke. Because of the amount of borrowing to satisfy the “socialists” ever-increasing appetite for more, the country had hyperinflation so every week prices would go up. Also because the unions were so powerful and had too much power, every week there was a strike so there were certain hours of the day when you would have no electricity, no water and no gas. Britain is world class when it comes to art, culture, wealth and business, but because of the supertax, hyperinflation, weekly strikes and more.
The country was a joke. Britain was a laughing stock of the world! We had so much potential and resources, and we were not using it and the country was stagnating and getting worse. We had a run on the pound, as our currency was worthless, any more of Labour, and we would have ended up like ’10s Greece financial crisis (if you do independant research you’ll see that it’s very bad there) where women are selling sex for less than it costs to buy a sandwich. We needed an alternative, and that alternative was Margaret Thatcher.
However not only did Thatcher move a wrecked country with a worthless currency around and turned into a powerhouse where the country got richer, but also the poor got richer too. Unemployment went down, homelessness went down, povery went down, wages went up, small businesses increased, and prices when adjusted for inflation, became cheaper. To understand, watch these videos.
I can see the cogs spinning! If you listened to the fake news in the lamestream media, you would think that Margaret Thatcher didn’t care about the poor and was a free market capitalist. Well she did. She cared more about the poor than Labour ever did. I can give examples of socialists (really communists), would rather have the poor poorer if it means the rich were less rich. The socialists, ahem, communists tried to reduce the gap of wealth inequality, and all they did is devalue the currency and cause a run on the pound which made the poor poorer.
Grammar schools in Britain used to only accept kids who scored high on an IQ test called 11+, and grammar schools would have better GCSE (school qualifications you get when you finish school) results. The socialists complained that not enough coloured, female and stupid people were getting access to these elite schools, so once the socialist blue pillers got their way by forcing grammar schools to accept a certain percentage of stupid people, everyone’s grades in grammar schools started to get worse as stupid kids were mixed with intelligent kids so teachers could not plan and teach two seperate lessons for one class in an hourly slot, and because there was so much bad behaviour from the stupid kids, so everyone’s grades got worse. The same applies with affirmative action which forces universities to accept a certain perentage of coloured people into their courses. This caused a lower pass rate as black people dropped out of STEM courses halfway through the course. The same applies to firefighters and police lowering the physical fitness requirements to join so more women can have the job, the vulnerable and harmed people are made more unsafe by people not equipped to protect them. Also this applies to video game developers. Before they were hired on merit, but when Ubisoft went the politically correct liberal diversity approach, they positively discriminated for women, so now the staff are mostly women and the games suck and their revenue and profits are down.
So not only did Maragret Thatcher care about the poor, she also believed in a welfare state as in benefits for unemployed people, and a minimum wage. So she wasn’t a free market capitalist after all! Labour was too busy trying to regulate profit profit profit, but they never once in their entire time in power, regulated tax. Do you want to know who the real socialist was? Margaret Thatcher. I do have some problems with her though. I don’t agree with the Right to Buy and Poll Tax laws that she added to the country.
Someone messaged me and told me they wanted to make an online education classroom website about programming, where people (or students), get lessons, submit their work, can see each others work and comment on it, so they can have collaborative learning. He asked me what I thought of the idea. I told him that the idea already exists, it’s called MOOC, massive open online course, and I told him that it’s a stupid idea. I told him that I am excellent with my talents, so if I was to join his MOOC, everyone would be copying my ideas, copying my techniques, copying my style and copying my work, so what incentive is there for me to join a MOOC? I told him that if you want to create a MOOC, you need to attract the talented people who are excellent, but there is no incentive for them to submit their work publicly, if everyone will copy their ideas, techniques, style and work. So I told him that if he wants his MOOC to work, he has to keep the incentive for the people at the top, otherwise it won’t function, as it is the people at the top who keep the whole system running. Someone of my talent would have no incentive to reveal my source material publicly on a MOOC.
Whatever is red pill they censor, as hate speech is abritarily defined
As this article earlier says, red pill people (red pillers) believe in self improvement and self reliance, and blue pillers believe in nanny state and state reliance. I’m also sure you know that people are being censored online by social media, startups and technology companies. What one must know, is that if a twitter account, youtube channel, political party or news company is promoting self improvement and self reliance, then the blue pillers will try to censor it, shadowban it, get their advertisers to boycott, get demonetised, get those people fired from their job and call for it to be banned. Anything calling for self improvement and self reliance will face the social justice mob of the social justice warriors (SJWs). It has nothing to do with the red pillers being bigots, racist, sexist, islamophobic, etc; it has everything to do with them promoting self improvement and self reliance, as you’re seeing with the SJW attacks on Infowars, Breitbart and the Republican Party.
Social justice is not justice
As blue pillers will always keep making nanny state bigger and state reliance bigger no matter what, if you vote for the people they are calling a feminist, believing in equality and social justice, every element of your life will be controlled by the state; but if you vote for the people they’re calling a racist, sexist, islamophobe and a bigot, you will be free to live the life you want. They are trying to bring in communism through the back door. Red pillers will ensure that not only you will get to live the life you want, but that everyone else will get to as well. It is 1984 out here people. Read the book. Social justice is a scam.
Jeremy Corbyn is a lunatic
I know what you’re thinking. “Jeremy Corbyn (of the Labour Party) is a great person, he truly cares about the poor!” Oh really? If he is elected into power, he will wreck the country and it’ll be in ruins. I ain’t even going to lie, he has some good ideas, but his bad ideas are disastrous. His good ideas are not worth coming into law when you consider his bad ideas.
Removing all immigration restrictions and allowing unlimited immigration
£10 minimum wage
Removing the benefit cap, which will cause the public rental sector to have rents spiralling out of control
Seizing empty houses from the rich and housing it with homeless people
Nationalising the water, gas and electricity companies
Staying in the single market giving us the worst brexit deal
Staying in the single market requires us to accept unlimited immigrants from the EU, so he would give us the worst brexit deal, denying us our democratic mandate. Removing all immigration restrictions allowing unlimited immigration. You can’t have open borders and a welfare state. He will put a strain on jobs, schools, roads, hospitals, and cause rents to rise and wages to decrease.
There is no doubt which one of us is respecting the will of the British people and delivering on the Brexit vote, and it isn’t Jeremy Corbyn. pic.twitter.com/4Lq5Z9rr5b
— Theresa May (@theresa_may) July 18, 2018
A £10 minimum wage which will kill the service industry which cannot afford the hike. Taxing the majority of the rich’s income which will hurt everyone. It will hurt economic growth, in fact make the economy decline and it will devalue the country’s currency causing hyperinflation and a run on the pound. The government giving itself the power to seize private property from people, is a terrible idea as it will be abused and it violates our right to own private property. Nationalising the water, gas and electricity companies is a bad idea as it will replace multiple companies with only one company. Rather than the government create an energy/gas/water company to compete with the private sector, he would rather replace multiple companies with one company, as he wants a planned economy of which all aspects of the economy is planned by the state, which will result in higher prices, less innovation, less competition, and a planned economy is bad because there would be no Apple or Dyson in a planned economy.
The minimum wage full time is £15,600 a year. The Conservative Party made the benefit cap £20,000 outside London and £23,000 inside London. The purpose of the benefit cap was not only to ensure that people were no longer better off on benefits than they were working as there were workless households who got more than households who work, but also to control the public rental sector. Every year under Labour, landlords charged the maximum rent because they knew the government was paying the rent (under Housing Benefit) and not a person, and every year the rent would go up, and every year the Housing Benefit would go up. Corbyn removing the benefit cap will incentivise the workshy, make public rent spiral out of control, cause a run on the pound due to the government borrowing money to pay for all the benefits (as they can’t get that money from increased taxation or printing money out of thin air), and cause private rent (of which the tenant pays their rent) to increase so the tenant has no money left after being paid their wages, and cause landlords to threaten their tenants with eviction if they get a job, because the Section 21, law alows a landlord to evict a tenant for any reason and not even have to give a reason with no fault evictions. [one] [two]
A vote for Jeremy Corbyn is a vote to wreck the country and the economy. He does not understand economics (or pretends not to). He’s a lunatic and a wolf in sheep’s clothing. And remember that both Labour and Conservative want to creep in communism through the back door as they will always be ever-increasing the nanny state and state reliance.
Now for some more traits about blue pillers. I’m sure you have figured out by now, that blue pillers are indirect about what they want and that they always creep things in the back door. Before you could not say something racist or sexist on twitter, then it was that you couldn’t retweet something racist or sexist, now the PC culture has gone so far thanks to blue pillers that you cannot follow on Twitter someone who is or presumed to be racist or sexist, even if they are your child. Before transgender activism was about tolerance that they just wanted to be accepted, then it became about equality under law, and now if you don’t want kiss a transgender you are transphobic as with what happened to Omarion on Celebrity Big Brother which was controversial when he refused to kiss a transgender woman who asked him to kiss her. Before you couldn’t misgender a transgender person, then it was you can’t state their birth sex, and now it’s that you can’t use any gendered language. When you speak to a red piller, they are direct about what they want, and when you give a red piller what they want, they will be satisfied with that and not use their stated aims to push unforeseen end goals.
Blue pillers are disingenous. The reasons they give for why they want what they want, are not the real real reasons why they want those things, as you’ve seen with mass immigration (to get everyone dependant on the state), affirmative action (to discriminate against white men) rather than be and hate speech laws (to oppress selectively red pillers who believe in self improvement and self reliance with laws applied in an arbritary fashion). Blue pillers are always enforcing newspeak on people, they manipulate language to restrict the range of thought. Instead of saying pregnant women you must say pregnant people, instead of saying sociopath you must say antisocial personality disorder, instead of saying muslim you must say asian. Blue pillers manipulate words to restrict the range of thought. They hate freedom of speech, they are aganst that. If you self censor, you allowing the communist blue pillers to win. Speak out while you can. Your silence is their gain.
Liberal used to mean someone who believes in equal rights. (For women, gays and blacks, when they faced institutional oppression.) Now we have “rights equality” the meaning changed. The previous meaning of liberal is now called a “classical liberal” and the current meaning of liberal is an “authoritarian liberal”.
It is 2018 and people are still talking about inequality and privilege even though we have equal rights. The focus has moved from “rights inequality” to “agency inequality”. Even though men and women, whites and blacks, straights and gays have equal rights under law; some groups or demographics are more free to excercise certain actions than others by having less repercussions for those actions, or by having more decisions they can choose from.
However liberals (not a classical liberal) and conservatives, differ in opinion of how to achieve this equality that we long to seek for.
Conservatives believe in equality of opportunity and liberals believe in equality of outcome.
I have examples of the destructive effects of liberalism here, for those who don’t know how liberalism affects us in today’s society..
It shouldn’t need to be said, that blue pillers do not believe in freedom of speech. But do you know what they think is censorship? Special interest groups. If you want to have a weekly meeting with musicians, hippies, dark triads, men only, women only, or bloggers, blue pillers will say this is censorship. Even if the special interest group allows outsiders to participate in their special interest group which has a polarised ethos, they will not be happy with just that, they will have to subvert the group into the opposite ethos or no ethos at all, so the more blue pillers you allow in a special interest group, the more your special interest group will disintegrate, and the more you might as well be socialising with 30 random people of the general public you’ve just picked off the street. The more blue pillers you allow inside a special interest group, if undetected and allowed to assert their power or charm, the more your special interest group will wither away.
Imagine you have three containers. One with white rice, one with brown rice and wild rice (which is blue). Diverse, isn’t it? To a red piller, there is no need for all cultures of rice to be seperate, any rice grain is free to hop from container to container as they wish. Any rice is free to go where they want to go, and all three containers have their distinct culture, attitudes, and behaviour. To a blue piller, this unfair. A blue piller has to get all three types of rice into a big container and vigorously shake it, so that there is so much varied rice in one place, each section of the container loses its distinct personality. Much like when you get oil and water, shake it, and you end up with something homogenous.
What blue pillers fail to realise, is that if you want diversity of opinion, you must also have diversity of culture. Society will not progress if you have homogenised culture and homogenised arts (books, music, tv shows), instead it will stagnate and die as no new original (or better) ideas will be created.
It should be of no surprise that blue pillers believe in a superstate, which is the EU, the European Union. Blue pillers in Britain would switch the country’s currency from pound sterling to euro of they could, so that country wouldn’t have control over their money supply. The ability for the British government to increase inflation by printing more money and reduce inflation by increasing interest rates, would be rendered null.
Who in your life can you trust?
Imagine that you have a house, a lighter, and a matchstick. Anyone can burn down a house. It is easy. Even a five year old can do it. Yes it will take a short while to get over the fear of the flame and how to handle it, but it can be learnt in less than thirty minutes. However, what is not easy, is building a house. It takes a lot of intelligence, talent and skill to build a house. You need an architect, a bricklayer, electrician, plumber and more. So as you can see, anyone can burn a house, but not everyone can build a house.
You can apply this same philosophy or logic to life and society that you see around you. Anyone can destroy society and their peers, but not everyone can contribute to society and their peers. If you are stupid, you will envy the people who contribute to society and their peers (usually socially), because they don’t have the ability to or they haven’t been in a situation where they had motivate themselves to learn it. When looking it at this way, it is easy to see why intelligent, creative, popular and contributive people get so many haters. Red pillers build houses because they are intelligent, and blue pillers destroy houses as they don’t know how to get positive attention, so the only attention they can get is negative attention.
In society, there are two sectors really. The public sector and the private sector. How does the private sector make money? From intellectual property and private property. How does the public sector make money? From charitable donations and mandatory taxes. There is a distinction to make here, that one is voluntary and one is not, but it goes deeper than that.
If an employee in the public sector does not work to maximum efficency, they still get paid. They can work at 90%, 50% or 10% efficency, and still get paid. However if an employee in the private sector does not work to maximum efficency, they get less money, as they get paid from voluntarily and the public sector employee will get paid no matter what they do.
Councils across Britain are always complaining that they have no money to deliver public resources (like libraries and waste collection in Birmingham). However the amount of council tax (which is a poll tax so it’s a flat rate and not based on your income) you have to pay, keeps on increasing every year, and if you look at council tax amounts across the years, it is higher than it was ten years ago, even if you account for inflation. So where has all that money gone? I can tell you where that money has gone. The government is rubbish at spending money because the government has zero incentive to spend money well. If the government (or council) pisses their money down the drain, they still get it back (as taxes are mandatory) and will still stay in operation in the years to come. However if a private sector company or creative individual pisses their money down the drown, they starve and the company can end up shut down due to making losses. The government (or councils) have all the money, they are just rubbish at spending it. People who work in the public sector are breastfed, they are hooked up to a machine, a feeding tube, and the people who work in the private sector have to actually walk outside their house to visit the supermarket for food.
Not only that, someone’s labour had to be redistributed to a public sector employee for them to get paid. Private sector workers are making labour backed money and public sector workers are on monopoly money, they walk past “go” and they get £200.
A private sector worker gets paid for doing a transaction, someone wants something from someone and only pays when they are happy with the result given, a transaction happens; whereas a public sector instead gets paid for making a promise, but they don’t have to deliver on the promise to get paid, they only have to convince you or someone else that they’ve delivered even if they haven’t.
It should be of no wonder, why blue pillers are always working in public sector jobs, where they can piss their efficency and money down the drain and still get it back, as they are being breastfed. Actually, if you have a think right now, and I suggest you do, look back at all the people who really helped you in life. Changed how you see the world, improve your footing in life, was there for you when you were in a bad situation. Now look back at the people who really screwed up your life. Always being directly rude and passive aggressive towards you, making you suffer in life and lose what you once had, wanting you to fail in life and doing all sorts of unacceptable behaviour. Do you get it yet? All the people who helped you in your life work for the private sector, and all the toxic people in your life work for the public sector. This is a fact. Of course there will be exceptions or anamolies, but in general, it is true.
I have a friend who thought that she might have an anxiety disorder because she was surfing the internet and she noticed that some symptoms match what she experiences. She then proceeded to phone NHS 111 to tell them this, so she could have an idea about whether she has an anxiety disorder or not, because as the NHS is free, the waiting list to get a diagnosis, she would have to wait months before she gets her assessment. When she phoned them up the first woman she spoke to on the phone had no medical background so she got a doctor to phone her back later on in the day. Later that day the second person, a doctor, said it was complex and she couldn’t give a possible guess about whether she has an anxiety disorder or not, and said that she would get a psychiatrist to call her later on that day. Finally the third person, a psychiatrist, answered that she didn’t know. After all those calls had finished, I told her to phone Anxiety UK, a British charity for people with anxiety. When she phoned them, the phone call lasted ten minutes, and the woman on the phone, with no medical background, said that she probably has general anxiety disorder but cannot be sure because she’s not a doctor. The one person from Anxiety UK in the private sector without a medical qualification, was more helpful than three people people from the government, of which two had a medical qualification. Why? Because Anxiety UK is funded not from donations, but by membership fees that its members pay to be a member of the charity in exchange for what the charity provides.
People who work for the private sector are more intelligent, more hard working, and more trustworthy. This a fact. And they just so happen to have more interesting personalities too, because they know what a transaction is.
What is a cobber?
Cobbers don’t like complexity in life. As a thrill seeker, I like complexity in life. I believe that the more uncertainty you have in your life, the more better your life is!!! If you sit at home watching netflix smoking weed all day every day, nothing good will happen in your life, and the years will fly by and it all will be wasted. I believe that you need as much variables (or factors) in your life as possible, for you to have a good life. A predictable life is bad, a life with uncertainty is good.
Some people don’t like exams. I like exams as long as I’m not learning for the sake of learning, which is why I volunteered to do the maths challenge and a Mensa IQ test, even though the tests are very hard. Some people don’t like going outside and meeting strangers. I like going outside and meeting strangers in places I’ve never been before.
All cobbers want is a simple life. Do you think the simple life a cobber wants is to be married, with kids, a car, a mortgage, a well paid 9 to 5 job with savings in their bank account? That’s not the simple life a cobber wants. Cobbers want a cobber life. A cobber wants to live in a closed off box room with a television, microwave (no cooker), bed, sofa, and toilet in one room, with no windows and no doors. And they don’t want a smartphone, they want a pager, so they can only communicate with people that they’re allowed to communicate with. Cobbers want a cobber life. They want to live in a closed off box room, where everything they need is in one room and they’ll never have to go outside (or even speak to anyone outside).
But it’s not enough for cobbers to live like that, they have to force everyone else to live like that as well! That’s how cobbers work!
Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May are cobbers who want a cobber life, but it’s not enough for them to live a cobber life, everyone else has to live like that as well. That’s how cobbers work! It’s no wonder why cobber always try to get you ex-communicated by preventing you from contacting the outside world, try to stop you being successful by breaking your stuff or throwing it away, MK Ultra, passive aggression, using your diary to catish you, attempting to murder you, and always trying to manipulate you, them trying to discourage you from achieving your dreams and ambitions with fake advice masqueraded as genuine advice. Also they do reverse negging, where instead of playfully telling you a negative, they seriously fail to tell you a positive, so cobbers always refrain from giving you positive feedback or complimenting you.
Also cobbers are antisocial and maladaptive. Antisocial as in doing behaviours that makes it harder for society to function, and are maladaptive in behaviours that are bad for evolution that make it harder for them to pass down their genes, which in this article means not being able to regulate their emotion and they have heightened responses for the most trivial of things (which is why cobbers are always self harming). Cobbers being antisocial is why cobbers are always committing crime, being directly rude or passive aggressive, don’t go to school, have no education, are unemployed or can’t keep a job.
Cobbers are very easily offended and they get very upset for the most trivial of things for a long time. Also they will always claim to have depression or mental scars for something that happened over ten years ago, that has no reflection on how they live their life now. Whereas a normal and mentally sound person can be raped ten years ago or verbally bullied ten years ago as a child, and live life as an adult not affected by it because what sex or mean words they received ten years ago, has no affect on their ability to live their life, they will always say “you don’t know what it’s like, don’t judge me”, when you can judge, because seriously though, when you break it down, it doesn’t affect them now. It only affects them because they allow it to affect them. They act as if they know everything but they have never known they were wrong about anything. They have cognitive dissonance with that, and other areas of their life. They need cognitive behavioural therapy counselling.
You know what I say, Winners focus on winning and losers focus on winners. And let’s face it, cobbers are losers. That’s why cobbers will always be stalking you on a regular basis whether you know it or not, and snooping on you, going through your emails, laptop and phone to see your private messages and files. If they put as much time into winning than they did into stalking and hating, being a hater, they would be mentally sound, less antisocial, less maladapative, and more successful and popular.
Because cobbers are generally bad people and are mean to people, they need a way to compensate for their horrible and disgusting behaviour, so what they do is they show face, they put on a facade. When you meet them, they will put on their best sunday outfit for church and be giving you smiles and pleasantries such as compliments, messages of encouragement and gifts, when really it is all fake. All they know how to do is appeal to emotion, and charm because they cannot work on their personality in any other way. Cobbers cannot be honest about who they truly are, because if they were, they would not have friends or anyone associating with them, and because they are full of cognitive dissonance. They tend to be closet haters.
If cobbers have never worked on improving their personality (or social skills) in their entire life (other than being ficitous), what makes you think that they can be cool? Exactly! That’s what I thought. Cobbers are a follow fashion, they always follow what is hip and trendy in the current year or the scene, and when that fad dies, they move onto the next current fad. If someone does not have original opinions, let alone thoughts, they are not intelligent. Only intelligent people have original thoughts.
As cobbers are stupid, and closed minded because they never listen to any advice you give them for them to become better people, they are copycats. They will see what you do and copy it, practically everything they can from you, but as they are stupid and truly do not want to teach themselves critial thinking skills so they can actually apply the intelligence they were born with, they will copy your conventions, but not your concept, so when they do what you do, it will feel ill fitting, as it won’t feel natural, it’ll feel forced or synthetic. The more time you spend around these people, the more bad vibes you will get, and the more depressed you will get. Cobbers work in the public sector and thrill seekers work in the private sector.
Cobbers are cobbers. To a thrill seeker, the world is an exciting place like an adventure movie, but to a cobber the world is a scary place like a horror movie. They will always want to live in the closed off box room and they will always want to impose their cobber life on everyone else. That’s how cobbers work! Cobbers will always be cobbering, to their detriment, and they want it to be of your detriment too.
That’s right! She has social anxiety, she always has a constant feeling of fear all the time, she chose to be homeschooled but regretted it afterwards, and guess where she works? In the library in the public sector, very predictable, peaceful and simple Where do I work? In the private sector having two jobs as a market researcher and personal assistant. Because Monica makes intellectual property and has original opinions, she’s a nice cobber, an exception, as she isn’t trying to bring everyone else down to live her cobber life too, she believes in self improvement and self reliance, and she’s trying her hardest not to be a cobber even if she has an anxiety disorder and depression disorder that she cannot control. If she never had original thoughts (also known as having intelligence), she wouldn’t be the exception and nice cobber she is.
What allowed Facebook and Twitter to monopolise public communication online, is that when they first launched, they claimed to support freedom of speech as well as claiming to be an ecosystem that others can plug their products, services and businesses into, so they can grow and get more influential and richer.
Once these companies gained dominance, they started censoring people (particularly based on their political views in order to influence an election), by shadowbanning in news feeds, search and recommendations, censoring content and banning users. They (Facebook, Twitter, Google, Youtube) apply their rules in an arbritary fashion so their rules means whatever they want it to mean the time, and they are applied in a selective way, so certain races, genders, and political affiliations are allowed to say certain things that other groups are not allowed to say the same thing. Google and Youtube censor too. Youtube censors videos by banning them for political reasons, demonetises videos for political reasons, and shadowbans channels by hiding them in the recommendations in the side so the channels don’t grow (also for political reasons). What most people don’t know, is that Google Search is also censored. Google demotes websites from page one for poltical reasons, such as Infowars and Natural News, they personally remove answers they don’t like from the Instant Answers feature of their search engine, and they removed negative autocomplete suggestions for Hillary Clinton to influence the 2016 election, of which that behaviour is found to swing 60% of undecided voters. Blue pill social networks do a bait and switch. They claim to be open and politically neutral, then they turn an ecosystem into a walled garden and censor based on political beliefs discriminating.
Facebook heavily promoted people paying to advertise their Pages so they could get free traffic by posting stuff to their fans, and when they switched the News Feed from achronological to “top news”, so that posts from Pages only reach 15% or less of their fans, whilst charging those who spent thousands or millions on advertising and growing their pages, money to “boost” their posts to more people. What Facebook did is fraud, gaining money by deception, and they should have been sued for that. Twitter claimed to be an ecosystem which an open API, but once they got big they cut off the API which killed media services like Twitpic, Twitvid, Plixi and Yfrog, it killed external twitter clients like Ubertwitter/Ubersocial, MetroTwit, even though their retweet feature came from Ubertwitter/Ubersocial, their bird logo came from another app, and lists came from another app. Facebook and Google make themselves a walled garden by promoting videos in the news feed that are hosted on Facebook over alternatives like Youtube, and promoting Instant Articles or AMP results over external blog articles, as well as Google illegally favouring Google Shopping over its competitors, breaking anti-monopoly law. Facebook demotes content that links to external websites through their news feed algorithm.
Reddit is triple cancer. Reddit is commienet censornet cobbernet. When people aim to create an uncensored subreddit, Reddit employees change the rules to make that subreddit illegal, or outright ban it entirely such as r/uncensorednews which deletes all the content from the subreddit off the website. The website is full of communists who are not worth debating as they are disingeous (or intellectually dishonest). And when you pay Reddit for advertising (Facebook does this too), if the staff do not like your political views, they either give you fake clicks you are paying for clicks that don’t exist that don’t reach your analytics and will tell you that your visitors have javascript off (even though advertising networks don’t accept clicks from people with javascript off), or they will give you extortionately high CPC rates ($15 per click with Facebook), that there’s no point even advertising with them.
Windows 10 and Android is spyware. Did you know that Windows 10 tracks what you do and doesn’t allow you to turn the tracking off? When you think you have turned the traffic off, Windows 10 still tracks you in ways you do not consent of which the tracking is absolutely unnessacary. Did you know that Windows 10 tracks everything you type in on your keyboard, and sends it to Microsoft every 30 minutes? It even has tracking you cannot turn off. Kaspersky sued Microsoft for blocking third party antivirus software on Windows 10, to ensure that all files are scanned with Microsoft Windows Defender. Android has Google tracking your location even if you turn location off or turn off the Google location tracking off, and this also happens if you install Google apps to your iPhone. Also Google Chrome has an antivirus that scans every file on your computer and you can’t turn it off.
Windows 10, Chrome and Android is spyware, so people choose Apple as they do not want to use cuckware. With Apple you are not cucked by the cuckmaster. When Android launched, Google Play (that was called Android Market at the time), did not have virus scanning on apps, whereas Apple’s App Store had virus scanning on apps from day one. Apple’s iPhone security is 100 times better than Google’s Android security. Yes with Windows and Android you can customise it more, but that’s like the Garden of Eden in the Bible how the apple from the tree of knowledge teaches you what evil is. Windows and Android are satantic, and their technology promotes nanny state and state reliance. That’s why christians, the red pill religion that teaches self improvement and self reliance, are always using Apple for their laptops and phones, they believe in the illuminati, their favourite newspaper is The Guardian, have read 1984 and know that people are trying to creep in communism through the back door via nanny state and state reliance. That’s also why I have switched from Windows and Android (which are satanic) to Apple. When socialising with new people. When you have Apple, it’s a status symbol to show that you are unplugged from the matrix and are part of “the club”. Just look at the first advert Apple made, of which the company launched in 1984. Apple accurately predicted the future. With Apple you are protected. I now understand why a girl asked me what phone I have, to show her my phone, then told me to get an iPhone, and when I asked her why repeatedly, she just told me “because it’s better” with no further explanation. She wanted to know if I was unplugged from the matrix.
Tim Cook is a terrible CEO for Apple for banning Infowars. The whole point of Apple was to stop 1984, that’s why Apple controlled everything, to protect you from a totalitarian orwellian government, which is also why their stores are designed like churches and why they have a cult following and long queues when they launch a new product. Steve Jobs needs to make a comeback.
As Richard Branson said, if you’re rich and you let your money just sit there, it goes stale. That’s why Virgin (or Virgin Group) is so big with so many businesses. Every time Richard Branson gets richer, he creates a new business to circulate his money around, create jobs, and stimulate the economy with all the jobs his businesses create elsewhere for his business simply existing. Red pillers Elon Musk of Telsa and SpaceX and Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Washington Post and Blue Origin also do this, and all three believe in freedom of speech and have done actions within their company to defend it. The irony is that blue pillers like Jeremy Corbyn, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders claim to care about the poor, are both millionaires, but they have not created a single business or a single job. Instead they create fake charities which are a cover operation for tax avoidance, as they pay less taxes on the money they get for running a charity. Corbyn has never had a real job in his life, just getting paid to be a backbencher accomplishing nothing with his life, and Sanders never had a job until he was 40.
The below videos explains how blue pill technology is loaded with gamification and subliminal messaging.
Compare the lyrics from the chorus
Who run this mother? Girls! [4x]
The world that the children made
The world that the children made, here
The world that the children made, here
The world that the children made
Near, far, wherever you are
I believe that the heart does go on
And my heart will go on and on
I’m not saying this to shake you up saying
I’m just saying this to wake you up saying
‘Cause granted my love for you is real
I was watching BBC News on TV because it was already on TV, not because I chose to watch it, and there were two murder stories in a row. I thought to myself “that’s not news, how is that news?” I then switched over to Sky News and it was showing more of what was news. I do not like watching or reading BBC News because it keeps you dosile. It does not show you what is really going on in the world. Do you know how people say that the government puts flouride in the water and that they emit frequencies from cellphone towers to lower our IQ and keep us dosile? BBC News (which is run by the government) is the same thing. BBC News will not tell you what is going on in the world. Stupid people watch BBC News and intelligent people watch Sky News. Did you know that…
Julian Assange is under solitary confinement with no internet access in the Eucadorian embassy?
The European Union wants to create the EU army
New Zealand legalised beastiality
Cambridge Analytica gets undercover prostitues to have sex with politicians, get that leaked to the press, to damage that politician’s reputation
France debated lowering the age of consent to 13
Russell Brand is related to one of the Rothschilds
I don’t watch or read the news. How do I know all that?
Stupid people’s favourite newspaper is the tabloid The Sun that does sensationalist journalism (funded by corporations). Intelligent people’s favourite newspaper is The Guardian, which does investigative journalism. It was The Guardian who was the first to report on the Snowden NSA leaks and the Panama Papers, and if served a superinjunction, they can publish news abroad as they operate in three countries. Did you know that The Guardian gets more money from the general public than they do from advertising. The Guardian is independant media. Liberals and conservatives always complain that The Guardian is too left or right wing, as they are against Trump, for mass immigration, yet also against Corbyn at times, when before the 2015 election, The Guardian published articles both for and against Jeremy Corbyn, even though they publish leaks about the government as well. I think that The Guardian is bipolar. If you want to know what is really going on in the world, read independant media like The Guardian, Infowars, Breitbart, Rebel Media and Got News, even though other news media have good articles there too. Government and corporate funded media likes censoring independant media as it harms their competition and allows their narrative to not be challenged.
Books, TV shows, movies, I don’t consume blue pill stories. What is blue pill multimedia? I define it as the high octane genre that is the trend today, designed for the social media generation with short attention spans, to compete with twitter, instagram, vine, and snapchat.
Shallow characters
Farfetched storyline
Designed for children
The high octane style for entertaining stories, what happens in them is not realistic, it’s farfethced.Childrens stories always have this structure to the story: introduction, problem, build up, conflict, resolution, ending.
What is amateur dramatics? That’s anything that a writer uses to make a story interesting that is cheap an tacky of which the trick isn’t very imaginative. Things like a introducing a new character when it gets boring, epic orchestral music like Hans Zimmer, a love interest, a character with some sort of flaw (being poor, bullied, lonely or stupid) defeating the odds in the face of adversity, an injury accident (eg. car crash).
Also there’s shock value, always trying to push the boundaries, like murder, rape, arson, sexually provocative clothing, a gay or transgender kiss or sex scene, the diversity agenda to add gay characters and a female lead, or adding people with mental disorders like autism or bipolar. The thing with shock value, is that the general public gets desensitised to it as time goes on, so the writers always have to up the ante. Eight years ago, someone being shot in a cartoon or tv show with a gun was shocking and controversial, and when that happened to Phil on Eastenders or Mr Burns on The Simpsons, everyone was talking about it and couldn’t stop talking about. The Simpsons used to be controversial then stopped being that way, then Family Guy was, then South Park was.
Shallow characters are characters of which their behaviour is not consistently matching up with their personality, instead that the character does what the writer wants them to do while going against their personality in the process. I’ll give you examples.
There’s an episode of the simpsons where Homer drives out of Springfield to a different state in order to find his kids over a paranoid suspicion that had no basis, just to make sure they were safe. There’s another episode where Homer buys a gun with no safety, parades it around in the house, doesn’t store it somewhere safe but out in the open, and plays games with it that involves damage to property and could get someone seriously injured. There’s an episode of Bojack Horseman where Bojack is an apathetic melancholy defeatist person. There is another episode where is an empathetic upbeat motivated person.
Characters in TV shows (including cartoons) nowadays are not authentic characters. They are shallow characters. There is no depth to them. They chop and change back and forth on an arbritary whim when the writer (or multiple writers) want them to. If you watch the old cartoons of the 90s, you’ll see a different style to what they’re showing today.
Now compare that to my stories that are in the thought provoking style. The complete opposite.
Sophisticated dramatics
Designed for adults
If you hate JK Rowling’s fantasy novels in the high octane style, you’ll love my urban life novels in the thought provoking style. So it should be of no surprise that I have red pill and conservative political views, and she has blue pill and liberal political views. If you hate her writing you will love my writing.
IQ results are scrubbed
I am a programmer who makes websites and apps, a pianist, a songwriter, music producer, blogger, novelist, tabletop game maker and podcaster. When I was 11 I took an 11+ test so I could enter a grammar school. The scored so high that the school teachers refused to tell me my result. When I got my IQ tested by university staff for a psychological experiment, the researcher running the experiment refused to tell me my result. Both work for the public sector and are cobbers.
I got my IQ tested by mensa, but what most people don’t know, (which they would if they read the small print), is that the score they give you through the post, is not your real IQ. It is an “age adjusted IQ”. Mensa claims that as you age your IQ declines, so they adjust your IQ on the results they give you. Luckily I got my IQ tested independantly myself using the real IQ test before I took the mensa test, and I got the real result, and it was very high. I do not need to say what my real IQ is, as I don’t need to give you a single number to prove my intelligence, but what I can say is that when Mensa adjusts your IQ for age, they don’t boost your score, they reduce it. I know this because the age adjusted score for the test I took independantly gave me an age adjusted IQ that was much lower than what my “raw” IQ actually is. Yes that’s right! When you take an IQ test, your score is scrubbed, because the people who score the test don’t want you to know how intelligent you really are so you underachieve in life.
Christianity is a red pill religion. Have a look at the below extracts from the bible.
Self improvement
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.
If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.
Atheists love sprouting about how atheists are more moral than christians, using flawed psychological studies, when if you look at who is running all the food banks, most of them are run by christians.
Have you ever wondered why western and european politicians chose to import millions of muslims into the country, when there are plenty of poverty stricken christians in Eastern Europe and Asia? It’s because those politicans know that islam is oppressive, that they will not shed their oppressive end goals and actions in the west, and because they want to destroy the christian culture in the country. After all, christian countries tend to be secular, democratic with equality, and muslim countries tend to be run by a dictatorship, run by sharia law where there is human rights violations. They know that. That’s the whole point!
As long as muslims fit the nanny state (of sharia law) and state reliance (of sharia law), that’s all that matters. It doesn’t matter that the muslim immigrants they are importing have values which are not compatible with western culture, just as long as it fits their nanny state and state reliance ethos. Have you ever noticed that when you go to a fish and chip shop run by a white person, they hire staff of different races and religions and have brown sauce, but a fish and chip shop run by a muslim only hire muslims and they don’t sell brown sauce? That’s all you need to know! Brown sauce was invented in Britain, HP Sauce. What does British culture represent? The first and oldest democracy in the world, freedom of speech, trial by a jury, a free press. Also in Britain muslims have an unspoken rule to not be friends with non-muslims. If a muslim is seen being pally with a non-muslim, there is stigma and they are beaten with the belt by their parents among other consequences.
What makes a free society? There are various definitions of this. I can think of two. Freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of press (of which the press is allowed to criticise the government), and freedom of equality. Another definition is the four estates. The first estate is democracy, the second estate is trial by a jury, the third estate is the press, and the fourth estate is Wikileaks. Muslims want to get rid of the four estates or the four freedoms, and replace it with sharia law. I know what you’re thinking. “Not all muslims are like that. Most muslims are tolerant muslims.” Oh really? There is no muslim majority country where the rights of minorities are protected. How about asking a muslim these questions?
Do you believe in gay marriage?
Should a gay or transgender person have kids?
Is the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack where people died, is that justified?
What would you do if your child married a christian?
What would you do if your child had a christmas tree in their house?
Should people living in a muslim country have the right to protest for democracy?
What would you do if people were protesting on the streets about verses in the quran which incite violence, to raise awareness? Should that be allowed?
Should sharia courts continue to operate in Britain?
Should someone who is against no-go zones in Britain where homosexuality and alcohol is forbidden, be physically attacked for their beliefs?
What should happen to the women in Iran who are protesting having to wear a hijab?
Considering that non-muslims allow muslims to block roads by praying in the street and violate dress codes in the workplace, should a muslim be allowed to buy someone who is not a muslim, a bacon sandwich?
Would you bake a cake to celebrate a transgender or gay marriage, if someone who was that way, asked you to as a cake baker?
Should women who are not muslims, wear the hijab or burka?
Is quoting [oppression in] the quran, islamophobic or blasphemy?
Is making jokes about islam, islamophobic?
Do you believe that people should have been murdered in France for the drawings of muhammed that appeared on the front cover of the Charlie Hebdo magazine?
Once you get an answer from a muslim to these questions, you can come back to me about islamophobia and tolerant muslims. It’s no wonder why there is an extremism problem in the UK.
Not only that, Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May (who donates weapons to Saudi Arabia which are used to bomb secular country Yemen) both support islamic terrorism. To find out how, watch the videos below.
There is always something interesting going on in my life. I only write in my diary when something interesting has happened, and it’s been running for 15 years and a third of those days are in my diary. Red pillers live interesting lives as they are always making decisions that ensure their life stays interesting because they are proactive.
The thing with blue pillers, is that they live boring lives. If you try to be their friends, I’m sure you’ve regularly asked them what’s new in their lives. They will always tell you that nothing interesting happened that it’s the same old same old. That’s because they don’t make an active effort to make their lives interesting. They are not proactive.
Imagine that you have a pole that stands on the ground that goes upwards. A blue piller will be moving up that pole from the floor to the sky. They will get the nice job, nice house, marriage, car, get all those things, and not be happy and not know why. However they outwardly have lots of success. A red piller’s life goes a different direction. A red piller will be moving around in a circle like a roundabout, and still be in the same footing in life than they were 3, 5 or 10 years ago, of which the blue piller moved up the ladder rapidly in those years. But what happened in both of their lives? The red piller met lots of cool people, did lots of cool things, and had a more balanced and exciting life. The blue piller moves up a pole with a successful lifestyle and no impact on the world whilst enjoying the trappings of success moving up the ladder very quickly, and a red piller moves around in a circle with no successful lifestyle but makes an impact on the world with much less trappings of success. Now you tell me who is more happy? Whose life is more interesting? Who is more successful?
A red piller’s life they steer it down the direction they want it go, whereas a blue piller’s life is stewarded, their decisions are made for them or heavily influenced by other people.
As you can imagine, blue pillers envy red pillers, for a multitude of reasons. Blue pillers are asking intelligent red pillers why they are in a bad situation in life if they’re so intelligent. However the minute these red pillers get a bit of success and popularity, the same people who called them stupid and lazy start hating on them being envious. Red pillers are free thinkers with original thoughts and blue pillers are a sheep with only rehashed thoughts. Not all is lost on those blue pillers though. There are things they can do to start being red pill, you just have to get into the mindset.
Stop being lazy
Yes. Stop being lazy. I have come across lots of people who have a talent who wasted it. I knew someone who wrote a novel and then burnt it because she didn’t like it. I know two people with a talent for writing stories but they never worked on it they never practised so they never ended up writing a novel. I wrote my 120,000 word novel in six months (with a two month break inbetween), because when I was a child I used to write short stories every week nearly every day for years. I know people with a talent for music producing who never became as good as me, because they never wanted to make an album, and they wonder why my album is excellent. Even if you’re not a creative person, everyone is good at something, whether that is hard science, soft science, athletic ability or performing arts. You just need to find something you’re good at, work on it, and keep on working on it. If you ask a red piller who you think is talented, they can mention people in their field who they think are better than them, but that didn’t stop them from trying, so why should someone being better than you stop you from trying?
I know blue pillers who claim that they are hard working and want to be successful and start a business, but they do not take the steps it requires to be successful, because they are workshy. If they got a full time job which they don’t want to do, they would have the money to fund their business.
Blue pillers are lazy but can’t admit they’re lazy, so they believe their own lies. When you tell them the steps to improve themselves or their life, or you give them helpful advice on how they can be just like you, they always refuse to take those steps, then be envious or complain about how much better or privileged you are than them, when you gave them really good advice but they repeatedly refused to follow it. Blue pillers are lazy but can’t admit they’re lazy, so they believe their own lies. They are dissonantly lazy.
Never give up
As Donald Trump, You should never ever give up. For me to get the level of success and skill I have now, I had to spend years practising. For me to get the job I have now, I had to spend years looking for a good prosperous springboard job rather than stick with a measely wagecuck dead end job. For me to have the friends and social circle I have now, I had to spend years always meeting new people. Sometimes you can try and never get anywhere, but you know what I say, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
If everyone stopped attention whoring on social media (particularly facebook and instagram), the world would be a much better place. We don’t need any photos of your car, trainers, selfies or any one like one prayer photos next to a disabled person or terrorist attack just so you can grow your own Facebook page. Red pillers (like me) don’t use Facebook and Instagram because everyone there is begging for likes, (and if they do have an instagram it is private for trusted and real friends only).
Although some do, red pillers tend not to have personal or business websites, and red pillers tend not to pay for followers or engage in follow trains or follow spam to grow their followers. Red pillers prefer to grow their influence online organically and not pay or spam for followers. I’ve been headhunted by Thomson Reuters to work for HP. I was headhunted to dj playing hours of my music (along with other people’s music) at a technology conference where Apple founder Steve Wozniak was the special guest. I am related with the Fortune 500. How did I get these connections and influential people headhunting me and watching my Twitter? Because I focused on word of mouth. A blue piller will tweet something to their 50,000 followers and get no replies, likes or retweets because they paid or spammed for followers.
Red pillers seek solo validation then move onto the next thing and blue pillers seek plural validation with their one track mind doing the same thing over and over against. When a red piller wants validation for something they did or made, they only seek it from one person. A blue piller will seek validation for something they did or made, off as many people as possible, not happy with the 10th, 100th of 1000th positive feedback they get for the same thing.
Stop waiting for someone to hand you the keys
To be a red piller, stop waiting for someone to hand you the keys to what you want, and use your own initiative and lateral thinking to find ways to get what you want. Yes anyone can be in poverty or trapped in the system, or be a victim of bullying or domestic abuse, and it doesn’t make you stupid or lazy. If you don’t have the money pay for something, try teaching yourself. If you don’t have the connections, create something amazing before you start pitching half-baked work. Don’t accept outside investment from venture capitalists or angel investors where you have to give away your intellectual property, ideas or not have the majority of the company’s shares (a saudi prince owns more Twitter shares than CEO Jack Dorsey). Don’t become beholden to your advertisers so that they can’t dictate what content you make or allow to be published or submitted on your platform. Don’t self-censor if you can help it. Don’t allow yourself to be cucked by the cuckmaster.
People said I needed to know music theory to play piano so I could understand the notes. I don’t know music theory. I only know the C major, F minor and A major scale. Yes I had a piano teacher, but I learnt piano anyway with the piano books she gave me and I just aced through it as I can read music. People told me I can’t make a website with £30 a week EMA money and that I need to pay a company £4000 to get one made. I taught myself and did it anyway. My first website I made on Microsoft Word with animated text, wordart, clipart, autoshapes and background music, as I would go to File, Save As, then save it as an HTML file (the website was shit). People told me I needed to go to a music school to be a music producer. I did it anyway self taught with no training. I never used books, youtube, advice, manuals, all just trial and error. People told me I needed to read adult books to write an adult novel. I decided not to take inspiration from my competitors and only read children’s books, and I wrote an adult novel anyway. People told me I needed money to advertise a website. I advertised it word of mouth and I paid 7 people collectively £17 to visit my web pages, an advertiser headhunted me to pay me £25 to promote their forum to them, and I made £7 profit, I did it anyway. People told me I need a script, format, or interesting or knowledgable people to make a podcast, I just used what’s around me recording it in one take improvised with no script and did it anyway.
I create my own content, do my own advertising, and my own marketing. I own my voice, brand and intellectual property. I can run a business with no money, I can run a business with pocket money, EMA, dole money and minimum wage. My business Hostingz Accent isn’t dependent on corporations with their corporate interests, because they want to own all my intellectual property and ideas, which from then on they will either then replace me after five years then after that shut the business down and strip the assets for the parent company, or they will streamline it and put shareholders interests above the user or customer. Hostingz Accent is a grassroots business.
I am moneymaxminded.
The point is not whether you can do it anyway or not, the point is that I tried to do it anyway without someone else handing me the keys or giving me step by step instructions in front of me, and the blue pillers claim they want to be an intuitive thinker who can figure things out of their own accord with no instructions, and they never even tried! Not even once!
Create your own system, art and culture.
Stop waiting on someone with authority or experience to hand you the keys or tell you what to do. When you ask someone for help and they tell or write down what to do, you do not always need to call them over to have them show you step by step instructions of what what to do right in front of you. You have a brain too. Nine times out of ten, all the knowledge you need to do what you want to do is already in your brain, you’re just choosing, consciously or subconsciously, not to use it.
Another thing you should do is expand your social circle to go beyond the regular conversations that go stale, and mix with a balanced group of people who have a diverse range of opinions. If you don’t have any friends or don’t know anywhere to go, there are red pill social networks you can use online.
Stop wallowing in your own sadness
Blue pillers say, don’t judge someone for how they feel, every feeling is valid. Where does that lead them? To being snowflakes always getting offended at every trivial thing, being a defeatist giving up on life, self harming (especially by cutting themselves), and wanting safe spaces. Red pillers that just because you’re offended doesn’t mean the other person did something wrong, which is what I say. As a great masculine mind said, If you can’t change it and it will never change, stop bitching about it and deal with the problem realistically.
Blue pillers if you have faith you’ll get what you want in life, you just have to have faith. Where does that lead them? They follow the sheep route doing what society and authority tells them to do, they get all that, then they’re not happy. Red pillers say that you create your own reality, and not to merely believe in yourself, you have to actually go out there and make it happen. Do you know where that leads them? Success, happiness and meaning in life.
Learn about the world we’re living in. Do your own independant research. Just because someone in authority says something, doesn’t make it true. Question authority. People in authority (or people who claim to be your friend) don’t always have your best interest. You know what I say, Don’t take things at face value. If books or the internet aren’t of any help, ask multiple trustworthy people for help who think differently from each other, so you have a varied range of opinions to process and contemplate about.
Also if you see, hear or read something and you become inspired, don’t shy away from admitting who and what inspired you, and saying who your role models are. If you are doing something becuase you were influenced by something or got inspiration from somewhere, why do you always have to say you made it up and that it was fully your idea? How are you meant to grow as a person and fix your flaws, if you can’t even admit what about you came from where?
So in conclusion, blue pillers are nanny state busybodies and killjoy cobbers who wnat a monopoly on fun. We are living in the system and the matrix. The system is economic, the matrix is social. You are either red pill or blue pill, you are either unnplugged or plugged in. Blue pillers are trying to creep in totalitarian communism through the back door. So reject blue pill things that designed to keep you dosile so you can be oppressed and repressed. Beware of cobbers, who want to live the closed off box room life and them try to impose their sucky lifestyle on everyone else (including you), so know how to identify them, protect yourself and don’t let them win.
Don’t expect the Youtube to help you find out information on the illuminati fluid society as they censor all the intelligent and well thought out videos and keep up all the lunatic and farfetched videos. Look at what happened to JFK, Kanye West, Britney Spears and Michael Jackson when they spoke out about the illuminati trying to bring in the New World Order one world government. They were either murdered, forcibly drugged or sectioned. If any of that happens to me in the future, you know why.
I don’t believe in God. Maybe there is a God, I don’t know. But what I do know is that before I woke up from the matrix, PayPal took £1 off me and Google reversed it, and after I woke up from the matrix, the next day the computer system for the bank I use was offline nationwide, then shortly after Giffgaff took money from my account they weren’t supposed to and asked me if I wanted the money back as credit or via PayPal which I know censors people (including red pillers) so I chose the top up credit, and Facebook emailed me asking me to update my trusted friends. Maybe there is a God, but if there is, that the devil trying to break me.
In the time of the Roman Empire, the Roman leaders commonly said “it’s all bread and circuses”. What this means is that if you give a population food and shelter as well as entertainment, they will be too happy going round on their little ferris wheel to even notice the bad things happening all around them. The British Empire followed this maxim by saying “If you keep people worrying about the small things, they’ll be too busy worrying about that, to worry about the big things.” Labour prime minister in the 70s Harold Wilson followed that maxim by saying “All British people want is a bit of peace and quiet, anything for a quiet life.” Britain needs to be rescued, as we are the second most nanny state in the EU.
A myth that blue pillers and liberals believe, is that if they censor someone or people for having particular opinions, that it will stop people from having those beliefs. This belief is an absolute myth, and actually, the bigger the aggression the blue pillers, cobbers and liberals give us with their oppression and repression, the bigger the backlash they get in return. We wouldn’t of had Trump and Brexit (and other right wing groups) if it wasn’t for how satanic, communist, oppressive and repressive liberalism is. People have had enough of PC politics. The same goes with sexual harassment. Before women were called ugly for rejecting a man, then hit, and now murdered. Now we have #metoo as a backlash to that, stronger anti-rape laws (and rules in universities), and now society is more stringent on what immoral sexual behaviour we are allowed to do to each other compared to years ago.
We are living in the system, we are living in the matrix, the system is economic, the matrix is social. The system and the matrix makes up the grid. It’s red pillers vs blue pillers, self improvement and self reliance vs nanny state and state reliance, socialists vs communists. Pick a side.
Update
I saw Theresa May on the news on tv saying that she wants to advocate for "self improvement and self reliance". I forgive her for correcting her previous faults now. I knew she was not bad after all (of which Labour is). So yeah, I forgive May.
— Tynamite (@tynamite) October 7, 2018
I saw Theresa May on the news saying that austerity is over.
— Tynamite (@tynamite) October 7, 2018
I saw Theresa May on the news saying that she's writing an article for The Guardian's sunday paper, The Observer. Be sure to read it. @guardian
— Tynamite (@tynamite) October 7, 2018
@BBCNews I was watching BBC News Breakfast and I saw that you're actually showing real news now. Great work! Keep it up!
— Tynamite (@tynamite) October 20, 2018
Further Reading
Red pill music playlist
A nanny state that dictates what we drink will soon be telling us how to think
What are some good red pill social networks?
What are stereotypes of cobbers?
What I’ve Learned from Normal People
We were wrong to try to ban racism out of existence, says former equality chief
The Coddling of the American Mind
The things we don’t say about race that are true
Has Political Correctness Gone Mad? (only british people can watch this, I’ll be uploading it to youtube soon)
| 104,937 |
Earlier this year, “On the Fly” featured an article about Europe’s top low-cost carriers. It showed Ryanair’s busiest airports, led by London Stansted, and its largest country markets (led by Italy and Spain).
Now let’s look at Ryanair’s busiest city-pairs, ranked by seats scheduled for the 12 months through September 2022. This includes all of Ryanair’s operations, including subsidiaries Ryanair U.K., Malta Air, Lauda, and Buzz (Ryanair Sun).
Data from CIrium DiioTM immediately reveals the importance of Italian domestic markets, including Rome Fiumicino to Catania, Ryanair’s single busiest route (Catania is on the island of Sicily which isn’t connected to the mainland by rail). This summer, the Irish airline is offering as many as nine flights per day each way in the market, in competition with Wizz Air and ITA.
There are many explanations for Ryanair’s extraordinary success over the past several decades, including its favourable aircraft deals with Boeing, the ancillary revenue it generates, its negotiating leverage with airports, economies of scale, and so on. Its success in taking advantage of Alitalia’s extended decline can also be added to this list, enabling it to win large amounts of new business in Italy.
Here’s one more note about Ryanair gleaned from Diio data: For the week starting August 15th, the airline is offering an incredible 2,309 city-pairs, 1,893 of them served less than daily; 85 are served just once per week.
Source: Diio by Cirium, data ran on Aug. 15, 2022
NEXT WEEK: What makes Atlanta the busiest airport in the world?
Never miss an on the fly story. Sign-up to receive an email notice when a new story is published.
subscribe to on the fly
See more aviation analytics on the fly posts, here. For a closer look, schedule a demo.
June Lee
Ascend by Cirium Weekly Team Perspective: Boeing plans to remarket 737 Max ordered by Chinese airlines
| 1,941 |
*If you are unable to login and cannot reset your password, the fastest way to contact us is by creating a temporary account and sending a pm to the sysadmin account.
Cuisine at home Forums
Cuisine at home Forums
You are either not logged in or do not have permission to view this page. This could be because one of the following reasons:
You are not logged in or registered. Please login and retry the desired action.
You do not have permission to access this page. Are you trying to access administrative pages or a resource that you shouldn't be? Check in the forum rules that you are allowed to perform this action.
| 633 |
thanks for all your condolences – i’ve come to terms with it but i still find it a little hard to believe…
anyways, today i had my japanese test. no idea how well i did, either i did decent or really bad… i’ll have to see when we get it back.
i got feisty_fitz‘s birthday present today. ssh! don’t tell her! XD
right now though i’m rather bored… nothing to do… waiting for whammywah and raptorhigh and bruno_boy and a few other guys to get out of their classes so we can hang out, so i’m sitting in the commons and poking around on the interweb while watching hawt chix. usual glenn stuff.
March 3, 2004
Next Post →
← Previous Post
Recent Posts
A rival appears!
The sunsetting of a relationship
Competence and consequences
Archives Select Month January 2022 March 2021 January 2021 January 2020 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 November 2018 October 2018 August 2018 October 2017 August 2017 October 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 December 2015 November 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 September 2014 April 2014 January 2013 August 2012 July 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 May 2011 February 2011 January 2011 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003 December 2002 November 2002 October 2002 September 2002 August 2002 July 2002 June 2002 May 2002 April 2002 March 2002 February 2002 January 2002 December 2001 November 2001 October 2001 September 2001 August 2001 July 2001 June 2001 May 2001 April 2001 March 2001
Log in
Comments feed
© 2001–2022 Glenn Fitzpatrick | Proudly powered by WordPress | Theme: The Glenn Fitzpatrick Times, a child theme based on Bugis by Elmastudio
| 3,026 |
My whole body felt so light and full of joy. With every step I took, my heart started pounding, faster and faster, it was like I was SO EXCITED! But somewhere inside me... I was pretty scared.
When I entered, I felt so cool! It was cold! It smelt like a hospital and the room made me feel like I was at the space station! I felt like I was an astronaut. So while waiting in line, I imagined myself riding the roller coaster, I imagined hearing screams and feeling the cool air pass by me. Just then, I realized... IT WAS MY TURN TO GET ON! Just hearing the fact that I was getting on made me really excited. My heart started pounding... but slowly.
The room was getting darker ever since the roller coaster left the light, and Darkness soon covered the room, all I could hear was the sound of the rails as the coaster went up. Was I excited or was I scared? I couldn't tell! I couldn't even think straight! Can I scream? I tried, but nothing came out, I was... Speechless?
The roller coaster was then heading down... "This is it!" I thought. When it went down, it immediately went sideways, making me feel, like I was going to fall off. It was amazing! I don't think I even caught my breath! When the coaster made a quick spin, I felt like I was going to fall! And whenever it made a turn, I would push myself backwards. I was laughing... Not really something a person riding a very fast roller coaster would do.
By every turn the coaster made I enjoyed every last bit of it! The lights placed around the room in the distance made me think they were stars, shining everywhere. It was like I was traveling the entire Galaxy at the speed of light! The breeze I felt was so cool! It felt amazing! I didn’t even scream... I wasn't scared... I was having the time of my life!
When the ride ended my heart just stopped beating... Was that it? It was as if time stopped, but really it didn't. The ride felt so short, and when I asked my parents how long it took, I couldn't even believe that what they're saying was true. While getting off and walking out, my legs started to tremble, I couldn't feel my legs! and at the same time I felt dizzy. That was the best roller coaster ride I ever rode! ... I WANNA GO AGAIN!
How was it? Did you enjoy reading it? I would really appreciate it if you shared with me your thoughts in the comment section below!
Week 8: Games and More Games
Hello fellow readers! For this week... I decided on doing Game 1!
People's Blogs I commented on:
-blogs- by E L L A
How was it? My magazine! Any Comments about it? Did you like it?
Please answer me in the comment section Below!
Hello fellow readers! This weeks post is all about!!! "The 9 Elements in Being a Good Digital Citizen". I hope you enjoy the chat! ^ ^
Chatroom: The 9 Elements in being a blah blah blah by E L L A
How was it? Did you enjoy reading the chat? I sure hope you did, let me know in the comment section below
| 3,023 |
Are there any negative public records on your business such as judgments, tax liens, lawsuits, or bankruptcies?
Yes
No
What is the name of your Business? *
First and Last Name *
Best email address? *
Best contact number to reach you? *
Thank you. Your dedicated Funding Specialist will contact you shortly to further discuss your pre-approval.
| 345 |
I’ve been an active Roofer in Florida since 2014, and involved in the roofing industry my entire life. My father and grandfather gave me my first of many experiences in roofing as a child in Illinois, where I was actively working until moving to Orlando. With my hands-on knowledge I have the know-how to tackle every type of roofing project. I always work hard to ensure my clients are completely satisfied with my quality work. When quality counts, call C.Q.R.
Get in Touch via Email
Specialist in roof repairs of all types
Call to see if your project is eligible for lifetime craftsmanship warranty.
From big projects to small jobs, I do it all: all types of Shingles, all types of metal-copper, tile, clay, slate, concrete, TPO, EPDM, BUR, SPF, and more! If it is a roofing product I CAN do it. No matter what you need, I make sure it is done right - the first time. Call me today for a free consultation.
There are many different types of projects, and that's why I make sure to discuss every detail with you before beginning so you know exactly what to expect, and exactly how much it’s going to cost.
If you’re looking for an experienced Roofing Contractor for your next project, I’m the person to call. I explain every step in the process to you to ensure you always stay on top of your Skylight Installation. Call today for your free estimate.
This happens to be a specialty of mine. Due to my experience and know-how, I offer this service at an extremely competitive rate while not compromising on a quality finish. Get in touch to learn more.
Here at CQR, I do NOT have anyone aside from myself perform the repairs. I do this to ensure nothing but quality for my customers. Too often companies send inexperienced workers to do the work which is a headache for both sides. With CQR, the state licensed roofer will be the one performing the work to ensure top quality.
| 1,956 |
During the vice presidential debate on Oct. 4, 2016, Republican candidate Mike Pence referred to undocumented immigrants as "criminal aliens" at least three times.
When the topic turned to immigration, moderator Elaine Quijano asked Pence what he would tell undocumented immigrants who have not committed violent crimes and wish to stay in this country. That's when he uttered a two-word phrase that needs to quickly be removed from our shared vocabulary: "criminal aliens."
GIF from PBS Newshour.
Look, we get it. It's hard! Despite years of activists working to disassociate the word "alien" (and "illegal") from immigrants, sometimes your eyes don't work properly or you're real tired or something, and law-breaking extraterrestrial beings do look a whole lot like human beings just looking for a better life for themselves.
But have no fear. We're here to help you tell them apart!
This is a criminal alien. He's from outer space.
He's from another planet, and he's running away from the cops. Technically, he also just kidnapped a bunch of kids on bikes.
This is an undocumented immigrant. She's doing homework.
Photo by John Moore/Getty Images.
She's a high school sophomore and, like many high school students, she's doing her homework. She came to America with her family in 2000. Her dad works in construction.
The majority of undocumented immigrants say their number one reason for coming to the U.S. is to find a better life, inspired by the promise of the American dream.
This is a criminal alien. He's under arrest.
GIF from "Man of Steel."
His name is Zod and he's a former Kryptonian general. He's also definitely not from planet Earth. He was accused of treason and banished to the Phantom Zone. When he escaped, he tried to destroy Superman and take Earth down in the process. So, yeah, he's not very nice.
These guys are undocumented immigrants. They're also brothers. They helped with cleanup efforts after Hurricane Katrina.
Undocumented Mexican laborers Hermenegildo, Juan, Amadeo, and Juan Sanchez take English lessons in a church shelter for migrant workers in New Orleans. Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images.
These brothers traveled together from their hometown of Paso Amapa, Mexico, to New Orleans shortly after Hurricane Katrina struck. They, like many others, came to the area to help with much of the cleanup work in the wake of the storm.
These are criminal aliens. They're from Mars.
Image from "Mars Attacks!" ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection.
They tried to invade Earth in the 1996 movie "Mars Attacks!" and unlike undocumented immigrants, their heads explode when they hear the song "Indian Love Call."
This is a group of immigrants. They're eating dinner.
Immigrants at the Casa Del Migrante shelter, part of the Coalicion Pro Defensa, which aids immigrants and asylum applicants seeking entry into the United States. Photo by John Moore/Getty Images.
As of 2014, just over half of all undocumented immigrants in the U.S. are Mexican. Believe it or not, the estimated number of immigrants moving from Mexico to America has decreased since 2009, down from 6.4 million to 5.8 million in 2014.
This is a criminal alien. He's in a police lineup.
GIF from "Guardians of the Galaxy."
His name is Groot and he is an extraterrestrial being. He was arrested with the other "Guardians of the Galaxy" after he and his friend Rocket Racoon tried to capture another alien named Gamora, who was trying to take the Cosmic Cube from a human named Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord. Their story, while exciting, is a work of fiction.
This is an undocumented immigrant. She's a mom, a community activist for immigration rights, and a small business owner.
Undocumented Mexican immigrant Jeanette Vizguerra holds her 3-month-old daughter Zury. Photo by John Moore/Getty Images.
She came to America with her husband in the late '90s, and all three of her children were born here and are American citizens. Research shows that first generation immigrants commit less crime than native-born Americans. When it comes to second generation immigrants, the crime rate increases, but doesn't exceed the crime rate among native-born Americans, which makes sense, because a second generation immigrant was, most likely, born here.
This is a criminal alien. He's under serious arrest.
His name is Loki and he's both a frost giant and an Asgardian prince. He was arrested for throwing an epic temper tantrum in New York City and leaving billions of dollars of damage and destruction in his wake.
This is an undocumented immigrant. She's a child with a doll and brightly colored gloves.
Salvadorian immigrant Stefany Marjorie, 8, holds her doll Rodrigo after crossing the Rio Grande from Mexico into the United States with her family. Photo by John Moore/Getty Images.
Crossing the border is not a decision made lightly. People crossing the border illegally risk their lives, traveling however they can, often in overcrowded vehicles and across dangerous terrain trying to find a better life for themselves and their families.
So, what's my point here?
The point is that saying "criminal aliens" instead of "undocumented immigrants" invokes the subtle implication that immigrants are sub-human or, even worse, not human at all.
Fortunately, language can change and terms are fluid so it's important to point out the obvious distinction between aliens from outer space who wish harm to planet Earth and human people coming in from another country simply because they want a better life for themselves and their families.
Saying "undocumented immigrants" reinforces the notion that undocumented immigrants, whether they arrived in the country through legal means or not, are still human beings deserving of dignity and respect.
Using terms like "illegal alien," or worse, "criminal aliens," as freely as Mike Pence did during the vice presidential debate, only perpetuates the implication that individuals who are in the country illegally are not really people at all.
It's time to retire that hurtful and inaccurate descriptor. We are all from this planet and deserve to be treated as such.
And if anyone brings up these terms and you get confused as to which is which, feel free to pull up this handy guide for an instant refresher.
Chewy
Chewy
Chewy Claus is fulfilling thousands of pet wishes this season. Have you written your letter yet?
Every letter submitted donates a pound of food to pets in need.
via Chewy
Adorable Dexter and his new chew toy. Thanks Chewy Claus.
Every holiday season, millions of kids send letters asking for everything from a new bike to a pony. Some even make altruistic requests such as peace on Earth or helping struggling families around the holidays.
But wouldn’t the holiday season be even more magical if our pets had their wishes granted, too? That’s why Chewy Claus is stepping up to spread holiday cheer to America’s pets.
Does your dog dream of a month’s supply of treats or chew toys? Would your cat love a new tree complete with a stylish condo? How about giving your betta fish some fresh decor that’ll really tie its tank together?
Or do your pets need something more than mere creature comforts such as life-saving surgery?
via Chewy
“At Chewy, we know pets are a part of the family and we wanted to give them a way to truly participate in the holiday season this year,” said Orlena Yeung, VP of Brand Marketing at Chewy. “Through Chewy Claus, we are hoping to spread joy while recognizing the most important gift that keeps on giving—the love and companionship of our pets.”
To submit your letter to Chewy Claus, just go to be.chewy.com/chewy-claus.
Not only could your pet’s letter make their holidays even merrier, it will give back, too. For every letter submitted to Chewy Claus, Chewy will donate one pound of food to Greater Good Charities (up to 15,000 pounds). Further, for every product purchased during the Season of Giving, Chewy will match up to $1 million per week in a pet food and supply donation to Greater Good Charities, for a potential total of $10 million.
I’ve got a new dog this year, a one-year-old boxer mix named Archie and I know what he wants this holiday season.
via Chewy
The first letter sent to Chewy Claus came from True & Faithful Pet Rescue in Venice, FL. The rescue, which focuses on saving senior dogs, was one of the many victims of Hurricane Ian. Their wish was simple; they asked for food for themselves and those in their community.
Chewy Claus delivered by providing a 20-thousand-pound truckload of food to True & Faithful and other shelter and rescue partners in the community. Chewy also assembled a team of volunteers to hold a clean-up day and donated the necessary funds to rebuild their beloved dog beach.
via Chewy
“We are so grateful for Chewy’s support in rehabilitating our space and not only donating thousands of pounds of food to our community, but also providing the help and funds necessary to rebuild our beach,” Lisa Letson, Founder of True & Faithful Pet Rescue told Upworthy. “The beach is our senior dogs’ happy place, where they can live their best lives for the time they have left. It really is a dream come true for us.”
Chewy is the best place to shop for pets this holiday season because it's the gift that keeps on giving. It’s simple: when you shop, they donate. Chewy will also match customer purchases in the form of a product donation up to $1M per week for a potential total of $10M throughout the season of giving. That means pets living in shelters and rescues will receive toys, treats, food and other essential items this holiday season. Plus, if you write a letter to Chewy Claus, your pet may get their holiday wish and pets in need will get theirs, too—a win win win. Isn’t that what the season is all about?
10 things that made us smile this week ›
8-year-old girl gives 600 pounds of dog food to local animal shelter ... ›
Dog owner dressed up as dog's favorite toy and his reaction was seriously adorable ›
Keep ReadingShow less
chewy
Adam Sandler's teen daughters wrote his award speech and it was delightfully savage
A legendary roasting.
Sandler's daughters held nothing back.
Clearly the funny gene runs in the Sandler family. Comedy aficionado Adam Sandler just proved it after reading an insanely funny acceptance speech, which was allegedly written by his two teenage daughters— Sunny, 14, and Sadie, 16. It was such a savage roast, one is compelled to not doubt the claim.
The event was the prestigious Gotham Awards in New York, where Sandler was set to accept a Lifetime Achievement Award. Michelle Williams and the late Sidney Poitier were also honored, just to give you an idea as to how highbrow this event was.
But did that stop Sandler’s daughter from going all out? It did not. They were hilariously ruthless.
Sandler first explained that his daughters found it “rude” that he was “too f—king tired” to write his own speech, so they would offer their services. Of course, Sandler agreed, since it would be nice to see them “doing something other than watching YouTube or going to f—king Lululemon every f—king weekend.”
Reading the entire thing as his daughters requested—in the “goofy Southern accent you do all your dumb speeches in”—Sandler struggled not to split at the seams.
Full video is below, but the speech starts around the 6:39 mark:
He managed to gracefully thank the “well-dressed dignitaries, highly educated hipsters and various other plus-ones of the Gotham Awards,” but completely lost it after having to say, “It means a lot to him seeing how most of the awards on his trophy shelf are shaped like popcorn buckets, blimps or fake mini-Oscars that say 'Father of the Year,' which he sadly purchased himself while wandering in a self-pitying fog through the headshops of Times Square.” Wow. Shots fired!
Things only got more brutal as they reviewed “Daddy’s silly film career,” which apparently was formed by "two guiding principles: people in prison need movies too and TBS needs content.”
Though Sunny and Sadie were bummed to not be there at the awards, they informed the audience that they would be at home enjoying all the things they weren’t normally allowed to do, the most daring activity being to "laugh out loud at Ben Stiller movies.”
"The last time Daddy caught us chuckling away at the ‘Meet the Parents’ trilogy,” they teased, “he immediately stormed into the room he calls 'The Screaming Room,' which we just call the shower, and bellowed out the phrase, 'Only the Sandman makes people laugh! F—k every other comedian!'"
Sandler finally dropped the accent after the speech was complete, but didn't leave before thanking his wife, whom his daughter thinks is more deserving of a lifetime achievement award for “putting up with daddy and his crazy f—king mood swings all these years.” Sandler concurred.
Sandler’s daughters definitely inherited their father’s uncanny ability to be crass and delightfully charming all at the same time. Even if his movies aren’t your cup of tea, I think we can all agree this was a comedic masterpiece.
Jodie Sweetin from 'Full House' reveals the touching way that Bob Saget was part of her wedding ›
After a 24-year-absence, Adam Sandler returned to SNL and sang a touching tribute to Chris Farley. ›
Adam Sandler and Pete Davidson's 'Stuck in the House' rap for SNL is an instant classic ›
Keep ReadingShow less
Community
Philadelphia is taking the city back to the past by reinstalling pay phones
Philadelphia is taking the city back to the past.
Remember when calling your parents, a tow truck or a friend when you were out and about meant digging in your pocket for a quarter to make a pay phone call? Well, a Philadelphia-based collective, PhilTel, is jumping into the past with a modern twist, by installing free-to-use pay phones throughout the city.
Of course, the pay phones that many of us grew up were removed from public places years ago. There no longer seemed to be a need for them when most people had a phone in their pocket or in their hand. But it's easy to forget that not everyone has or wants that luxury. For some people, staying that connected all the time can be too much and for others, it's simply financially impossible to own a cell phone.
Cell phones are expensive, and when you add the cost of a phone plan or paying for minutes, they quickly become out of reach for many people on fixed incomes or those experiencing homelessness. PhilTel's aim is to help close this gap by making phones accessible to all. There's only one catch: You have to leave the quarters at home!
Photo by Jonas Leupe on Unsplash
That's right, the phones will be free to use and that includes making nationwide calls. For the people of Philadelphia, that means a lot less asking strangers to use their phone if your battery dies or you accidentally lock your phone in your car. According to opensource.com, Mike Dank, the co-founder of PhilTel, said, "Philadelphia in particular has a lot of payphone use, even as payphone companies have been steadily removing phones from service year after year."
Dank continued, "Residents who rely on these phones are being increasingly marginalized and if this trend continues, many will be left without a communication platform they need to carry out their lives."
This isn't the first time pay phones were added to a city in the age of cellphones. PhilTel was inspired by a company called Futel in Portland, Oregon, that has a similar program.
Photo by arj. on Unsplash
The phones are not new, they're actually refurbished pay phones and will use a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service to connect callers. If you're in Philly, you'll be able to use one of these free pay phones as soon as December 17, when the first one gets installed at Iffy Books.
While this is a wonderful solution for those that need access to pay phones for day-to-day life, one has to wonder if the name will get updated. I mean, they're not really pay phones anymore. They're free phones or just public phones. I don't know about you but this little detail is going to live in my head rent-free for a while.
17 things we all used in the year 2000 but never do today ›
Parents who grew up in the '70s and '80s remember the experiences that blow their kids' minds ›
Keep ReadingShow less
A wild goose was taken to an animal hospital. His mate knocked on the door to find him.
This article originally appeared on 07.22.21
As if a Canada goose named Arnold isn't endearing enough, his partner who came looking for him when he was injured is warming hearts and having us root for this sweet feathered couple.
Cape Wildlife Center in Barnstable, Massachusetts shared the story on its Facebook page, in what they called "a first" for their animal hospital.
"We often have people ask if they can visit the patients they dropped off, but today we had our first animal visitor!" they wrote. "For the safety of our patients we do not accommodate visitation requests, but in this case we had to make an exception!"
Arnold is a Canada goose that lives on a pond near the facility and is part of a mated pair of wild geese that have been together for several years. The center said the geese usually keep to themselves, but one of their staff noticed that Arnold was walking with a "significant limp" and kept falling over. They were able to capture him and bring him into the hospital for examination.
A goose visits its mate at the Cape Wildlife Center
"Upon exam our veterinary team found that he had two open-fractures on his foot," they wrote. "This means that the tissue and skin has been pulled away leaving the bone exposed. Our best guess is that a Snapping turtle or other predator attacked him while swimming."
To save his foot and help him survive, the staff knew they had to amputate one of the digits and suture the other wound closed. They gave him antibiotics and pain meds and prepped him for surgery the following morning.
Then his mate came knocking.
"Today, as we prepared to sedate Arnold and get him ready for surgery, we heard a faint tapping at the clinic door," the center wrote. "We turned to see that his mate had waddled up onto the porch and was attempting to break into our clinic! She had somehow located him and was agitated that she could not get inside. She remained there throughout the entire procedure, watching us work, never moving from the doorway."
Surgery went well, and once Arnold woke up the staff decided to let him recover by the doorway so he and his mate could see each other.
"We opened the door and gave Arnold his flow-by oxygen in the doorway. His mate immediately calmed down and began to groom him through the door. They both seemed much more at ease in each other's presence."
"Arnold will likely need several weeks of treatment in our hospital before he is ready to rejoin his mate in the wild," they added. "He will need to be kept inside for the majority of this time in order to keep his wound sterile and prevent infection. We will do our best to get him back out quickly and will perform bandage changes and treatments in view of the doorway when possible so that his mate can check up on him. "
While attempting not to anthropomorphize too much, it's so sweet to see animal partners show such genuine care for one another. Canada geese mate for life, and they are known to mourn in seclusion when they lose a mate. Seeing Arnold's mate coming to find him and comfort him during his treatment is just too lovely.
Feel good story of the day, indeed. Wishing you a speedy recovery, Arnold!
Attention small children and seniors: I know it's fun, but please don't ... ›
3 comforting lessons about grief we can learn from the animal ... ›
Canada Goose is launching a new parka line created by Inuit ... ›
Keep ReadingShow less
Get stories worth sharing delivered to your inbox
Email Address
By signing up you agree to Upworthy's privacy policy.
popular
Think all cats are the same? These pictures prove they each have their own personality
Photographer Nils Jacobi shows how cats aren't nearly as aloof as one might think.
People often mistakingly attribute a singular personality to cats—usually the words "aloof" or "snobby" are used to describe them. At best, they might be given the "evil genius" label. But in actuality, no two cats are alike. Each has their own distinct ways of being, whether that’s silly, sophisticated, affectionate, downright diabolical or somewhere in between.
This photographer has the pictures to prove it.
Nils Jacobi, better known online as furryfritz, the catographer, has photographed literally thousands upon thousands of cats—from Maine coons who look like they should be in a perfume ad to tabbies in full-on derp mode.
Jacobi started on the traditional photography path in 2011, focusing mostly on human portraits.
When he noticed that his kitty content generated a lot more buzz online (no surprise to cat people), Jacobi started developing a niche, and now has made a career out of it. He not only does commissioned shoots for individuals, but is often called on for commercial work in magazines and pet food ads. In other words: cats on cats on cats. All day, every day.
This was certainly an unexpected life path, since Jacob admits to not even liking cats as a kid—a lot of that due to a temporary childhood allergy. It wasn’t until he met his adopted cat Fritz, aka the “love of his life,” that he started to have a change of heart.
Despite having worked with so many cats, Jacobi says that every photoshoot is unique, and that's what keeps things exciting. The key, he tells Upworthy, is being flexible and patient. “You can’t force a cat to pose in front of the camera. If it feels uncomfortable, you will notice it in the photos and it won’t look good.”
He also stresses the importance of tending to the needs of each individual cat. Some respond to play more, kittens especially. Others are a bit more treat oriented. Occasionally he'll even pull out the “kitty drugs” like valerian, catnip or silvervine if a feline client is particularly high strung.
Actually, there is one thing that remains the same. Every photoshoot begins with a thorough sniffing of Jacobi’s equipment.
In case you're still on the fence about whether or not this guy has the best job in the world, one of the biggest perks is meeting kittens on the regular. It’s one of the things he finds the most rewarding, along with collaborating with shelters. For two years in a row, he’s participated in a charity photoshoot for his local animal shelter, and he has offered free photoshoots in exchange for shelter donations. You could say he’s using his talent to be a top-notch catvocate.
And of course, when not sharing images of his fabulous meowdels, Jacobi offers us vital info on his TikTok, like how to make kitty Christmas cookies:
| 23,885 |
Turmeric is a flavor used in lots of Indian and also Eastern dishes to add a refined taste, yellow shade, and also earthy fragrance. It likewise has antioxidant residential or commercial properties that can help protect the body’s cells from hazardous totally free radicals. Turmeric supplements are usually considered their health benefits however may have some unwanted side effects.
What are turmeric supplements?
Turmeric Extract Supplement Makes Use Of as well as Benefits
Some researches recommend that turmeric extract might likewise assist with fat burning, but a lot more study is required to confirm this case.
Turmeric has actually been shown to have advantages for weight loss, inflammation, and also a number of other problems. One of one of the most notable advantages of turmeric extract is its ability to reduce joint pain in individuals with arthritis. It likewise aids to minimize swelling in those with injuries or post-surgery.
This section will certainly discover the various ways that turmeric can be eaten, in addition to its prospective benefits for health and wellness and also health.
Clinically Checked and also Accepted
Turmeric extract can not just stop your pain spells, yet it is valuable in several means, which have been confirmed government bodies around the world. It can likewise provide several various other health advantages that can hinder the problems causing sharp pain. These problems might include heart disease as well as osteoporosis.
Turmeric has actually approved as one of the most dynamic and efficient organic treatments to several problems which we create as a result of wrong lifestyle and consuming routines. The checklist of avoidable conditions is larger than the ones which you may have read and understood from numerous sources. The turmeric includes solid anti-oxidants that secure your body from the free radicals.
Oxidation is completely an all-natural as well as inescapable process, but it can be reduced, to a specific extent. This is just one of the methods nature keeps a track of points and also maintains the cycle of life from new to old and then back again. Nonetheless, whereas this oxidation is an all-natural means of points, it can be diminished to reduce the procedure of early aging.
Anti-aging Component
One of the very best means to fend off premature aging and also establishing disease is to integrate the ideal amount of anti-oxidants in your routine meal. It will certainly keep at bay the oxidation process, and you may lead to a healthy and balanced as well as rewarding life.
This is just feasible when you make certain that you take the ideal foods with ample exercise and also hours of rest.
In addition to above-mentioned suggestions, you have to also guarantee to ingest a multivitamin supplement daily. This multivitamin supplement must have natural extracts, which will supply you right dosage of anti-oxidants required to decrease oxidation procedure causing aging as well as illness.
Much to your shock, there is a supplement which contains all kinds of organic extractions which your body can assist in to maintain the protection that it needs against free radicals.
The very best thing about this herb is that it is rich in numerous other nutrients. This brand-new conveniently found herb can use you with anti-inflammatory and antibacterial advantages too.
How Do You Select The Most Effective Turmeric Supplement?
With a lot of various options on the market from many different makers, how do you pick the most effective Turmeric Supplement?
Ever since the first turmeric supplement came onto the marketplace, there has been a continuous push on the part of supplement makers both huge and small to make the best product possible.
The greatest issue with a turmeric supplement to take into consideration is exactly how well it is absorbed and utilized by the body.
This step is called bioavailability as well as figures out how useful the cornerstone in turmeric, curcumin, is at doing what it’s meant to do within you. Namely, lowering swelling, protecting your nervous system as well as aiding to prevent persistent, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
Normally, curcumin has a low bioavailability which indicates that most of what we ingest is pushed out of the digestive system with really little going into the blood stream. Nevertheless, research studies suggest that the small amount that does stay in the blood stream is still adequate to cause cell death in cancer cells as well as “old” cells.
Among the manner ins which bioavailability is increased in a turmeric supplement is by incorporating it with fat. Curcumin is not water soluble however is fat soluble and also matching it with a top quality fat boosts absorption in the tummy. Some excellent options consist of fish oil, lecithin, dark delicious chocolate (85% or higher), flaxseed oil, almond butter (or any top quality nut butter other than peanut which is an extremely inflammatory food) or coconut milk.
Conclusion.
If you are bent on stay healthy and balanced as well as vibrant, there is no better multivitamin supplement than those having turmeric concentrate. If you integrate such multivitamin supplements in your life, there is nothing that would be needed to supplement your various other dietary demands as turmeric itself is unique and full in all sense. So, don’t forget to incorporate turmeric in your normal dish and delight in the distinction.
| 5,537 |
Roads in the United States aren’t as busy these days, with much of the country still under some form of lockdown and many people still electing to work from home. Pictures of completely empty New York City streets from March—an occurrence that would have been nearly unimaginable just a few months ago—are perhaps the most emphatic example of decreasing mobility. In fact, though New York is in the process of re-opening, the most recent mobility reports indicate that visits to workplaces were still down 20 percent from pre-quarantine levels after being more than 40 percent down at certain points in May.
One benefit of reduced traffic has been a decrease in accidents and other driving violations. In fact, traffic fatalities in New York City are down a little more than 30 percent compared to 2019 figures. A clean driving record can be one small silver lining for many people who have been stuck at home for the past few months.
Of course, there are also many drivers around the United States who don’t require extended periods of time with little to no driving to hold a clean record and keep the roads as safe as possible. Eager to recognize some of these motorists, the data science team at Insurify decided to take a closer look and identify which states have the drivers with the cleanest records.
National averages. In total, 23.83 percent of drivers have committed at least one moving violation. Additionally, 12.46 percent of drivers have an at-fault accident on their record, and 11.67 percent have been cited for speeding. Across the country as a whole, there were 11.2 vehicle related fatalities per 100,000 motorists as of 2018, and 227,558,385 licensed drivers.
A cross-country problem: The data shows that there’s no specific region of the country that produces good drivers, with states on both coasts, the Midwest, and the South represented in the top 10. If anything, there appears to be a slight Eastern tilt—seven of the 10 states on the list are located in the Eastern half of the United States, with an eighth right in the middle.
More drivers doesn’t mean more violations: One might think that more licensed drivers in a state might lead to more crowded roads, more opportunities for accidents, and thus a proportionally larger share of the population with moving violations on their record. This is especially true of smaller, more densely populated states like New York, and Massachusetts. However, the data shows no significant relationship between the number of drivers in a state and the proportion of the population with a prior driving violation. What’s more, there was also no significant correlation between population density (defined as the total population divided by the total area in square miles) and the proportion of the population with a prior driving violation.
To determine which states boast the best drivers, the data science team at Insurify gathered some information from it’s database of over two million car insurance applications. To apply for car insurance quotes, interested motorists input personal and vehicle information, including whether they have been cited for at least one of nearly 20 different traffic violations in the past seven years, including at-fault accidents, DUIs, reckless driving, speeding, and failure to stop infractions. This data was then aggregated by location to determine which states had the lowest percentage of drivers with any kind of violation. Additional data on the number of drivers with a prior at-fault accident or speeding ticket was also gathered from the Insurify database. Information about the total number of licensed drivers in each state was gathered from the Federal Highway Administration, and the number of vehicle-related fatalities per 100,000 motorists was taken from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
States With the Best Drivers
Percentage of drivers with any prior incident: 19.88%
Percentage of drivers with a speeding ticket: 9.36%
Percentage of drivers with an at-fault accident: 11.14%
Total number of licensed drivers (2018): 17,370,383
Total vehicle-related fatalities per 100,000 motorists (2018): 12.7
Kicking off the countdown is Texas, the largest state in the top 10. The Lone Star State is a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to traffic safety. It does have a rate of vehicle-related fatalities that is greater than the national average, but also has a percentage of drivers with speeding tickets or at-fault accidents that are at least 11 percent below the national average.
Percentage of drivers with any prior incident: 19.81%
Percentage of drivers with a speeding ticket: 6.74%
Percentage of drivers with an at-fault accident: 12.48%
Total number of licensed drivers (2018): 6,342,876
Total vehicle-related fatalities per 100,000 motorists (2018): 6.3
New Jersey, which is home to the traffic-filled New Jersey Turnpike and legions of New York City commuters, is nonetheless one of the safest states in the country to drive in. Just 6.74 percent of drivers in the Garden State have been cited for speeding, though the state has some of the country’s more lenient speeding laws—only Connecticut boasts a better percentage in that regard. Additionally, New Jersey’s rate of vehicle-related fatalities per 100,000 motorists is third-best in the country, trailing just Rhode Island and New York.
Percentage of drivers with any prior incident: 19.77%
Percentage of drivers with a speeding ticket: 9.53%
Percentage of drivers with an at-fault accident: 10.18%
Total number of licensed drivers (2018): 5,284,970
In contrast to New Jersey, Arizona actually has some of the strictest speeding laws in the country, with driving in excess of 85 miles per hour or driving 20 miles per hour over the posted speed limit classified as a criminal violation that is punishable with up to 30 days in jail and fines in excess of $500. Likely due in part to these strict laws, Arizona has a proportion of drivers with a speeding ticket—as well as a percentage of drivers with an at-fault accident—that is well below the national average.
Percentage of drivers with any prior incident: 19.71%
Percentage of drivers with a speeding ticket: 5.78%
Percentage of drivers with an at-fault accident: 13.76%
Total number of licensed drivers (2018): 2,605,612
Total vehicle-related fatalities per 100,000 motorists (2018): 8.2
Connecticut has some impressive traffic safety statistics to its name. They have the lowest percentage of drivers with a speeding ticket in the country, as well as a rate of vehicle-related fatalities well below average. Though it is not a perfect state with regards to traffic safety—their rate of drivers with an at-fault accident is more than 10 percent greater than average—it’s quite easy to see why Connecticut cracks the top 10.
Percentage of drivers with any prior incident: 19.31%
Percentage of drivers with a speeding ticket: 8.57%
Percentage of drivers with an at-fault accident: 10.83%
Total number of licensed drivers (2018): 1,136,775
Just 8.57 percent of drivers in West Virginia have a speeding ticket on their record, a figure which ranks among the 10 lowest of the 50 states. Impressively, West Virginia’s percentage of drivers with an at-fault accident is also among the 10 lowest in the nation. Interestingly enough, though, West Virginia has a rate of vehicle-related fatalities that is eighth-worst in the United States, which indicates that the Mountain State still has some work to do when it comes to traffic safety.
Percentage of drivers with any prior incident: 18.6%
Percentage of drivers with a speeding ticket: 7.44%
Percentage of drivers with an at-fault accident: 11.39%
Total number of licensed drivers (2018): 15,368,695
Total vehicle-related fatalities per 100,000 motorists (2018): 14.7
Like West Virginia, Florida’s percentage of drivers with at least one speeding ticket is among the 10 best in the nation. But, according to the Florida Highway Patrol, empty roads due to the coronavirus pandemic may have had an adverse effect on speeding. After just 144 drivers were cited for going more than 30 miles per hour over the speed limit in January, 313 motorists were ticketed in April, when the roads had cleared. This kind of reckless behavior might be one of the reasons that The Sunshine State had a rate of vehicle-related fatalities well above the national average.
Percentage of drivers with any prior incident: 17.9%
Percentage of drivers with a speeding ticket: 7.64%
Percentage of drivers with an at-fault accident: 10.03%
Total number of licensed drivers (2018): 1,983,453
Total vehicle-related fatalities per 100,000 motorists (2018): 10.9
Nevada nabs the fourth spot on the countdown, as just 17.9 percent of motorists have at least one prior traffic violation on their record and only 7.64 percent of drivers have been cited for at least one speeding ticket. Interestingly, Nevada is one of the safest states to drive in despite lacking some crucial traffic laws. According to Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Nevada is one of 12 states that was rated as “lagging dangerously behind” in the adoption of the group’s 16 recommended laws to improve traffic safety. The laws include measures to improve passenger safety and stamp down more on distracted driving, but Nevada has implemented only six.
Percentage of drivers with any prior incident: 17.82%
Percentage of drivers with a speeding ticket: 10.34%
Percentage of drivers with an at-fault accident: 7.98%
Total number of licensed drivers (2018): 2,058,036
Mississippi’s proportion of drivers with an at-fault accident is part of the reason they rank so highly on our list. Just 7.98 percent of drivers have been involved in a crash—only one of the 50 states has a better mark. They are also better than average in terms of the percentage of drivers with a speeding ticket. However, Mississippi also has the highest rate of vehicle-related fatalities per 100,000 motorists in the country at 22.2, a mark that nearly doubles the national average.
Percentage of drivers with any prior incident: 17.41%
Percentage of drivers with a speeding ticket: 6.89%
Percentage of drivers with an at-fault accident: 10.06%
Total number of licensed drivers (2018): 3,032,530
Total vehicle-related fatalities per 100,000 motorists (2018): 16.2
Just 17.41 percent of drivers in the Bluegrass State have a prior traffic violation on record, a figure which earns Kentucky the second spot on our list for the second year in a row. Kentucky also has one of the lowest percentages of drivers with a speeding ticket in the country, and it seems the state is determined to make the roads even safer. As part of a statewide campaign to reduce aggressive driving, police agencies are stepping up their presence on some of the busiest highways in the state, including I-75, as of June 2020.
Percentage of drivers with any prior incident: 15.73%
Percentage of drivers with a speeding ticket: 8.17%
Percentage of drivers with an at-fault accident: 6.16%
Total number of licensed drivers (2018): 7,153,645
Michigan is the safest state to drive in according to our countdown for the second year running. Just 15.73 percent of drivers have a prior moving violation on their record, nearly a full 10 percent less than the second-place state, Kentucky. Michigan is also one of two states that ranks better than the national average by all measures in terms of speeding tickets, at-fault accidents, and vehicle-related fatalities. In fact, Michigan has the lowest proportion of drivers with an at-fault accident of any of the 50 states. Clearly, the state deserves its spot atop the countdown.
| 12,029 |
Deborah Silver is an accomplished and experienced landscape and garden designer whose firm first opened its doors in 1986.
A few days ago I drove to Metamora to see a client. For those of you not in my area, it took over an hour and a half to make the trip out and back. I only saw tulips blooming in one place that entire trip. A group of 30 or so bright peach tulips outside a business were easy to spot, even though I was driving 55mph. They looked glorious. Nearer to my client’s property, miles on a country gravel roads, I saw nary a one. How disappointing, given that we are coming up on peak tulip season. There are so many species and groups from which to choose. A smattering of every class of tulip could keep a gardener in tulips for 6 weeks or better. But planting tulips has been in decline in our area for quite some time.
I am sympathetic to gardeners who are having to deal with exploding populations of deer. They are incredibly destructive to landscapes and gardens alike. They can mow down an emerging collection of tulips in no time at all. Once the flower bud has been eaten off, that is it. No secondary bloom stalk and bud will replace the first. To see them destroyed is frustrating. It will be a year before there is an opportunity for a second chance. I would guess that declining tulip planting is in direct proportion to increasing deer populations. We have them at the shop, even though we are in an urban area. The vacant field next door is hardly what I would call a friendly habitat for deer.
We do drench the young tulips from the time they break ground with Deer Scram or Liquid Fence. We have a number of deer repellent sprays, and we alternate them. We also fortify the perimeter of the bed with Plant Skydd. I find that deer repellents work, as long as we are possessed with applying it often and consistently. Of course this is a nuisance and an expense – but less so than the prospect of no tulips. Every tulip that came up is either in bloom, or about to bloom.
The first year following a fall planting of tulips is always the best. We plant number one grade bulbs that have been patiently grown on to that size by growers in Holland. A number one grade bulb results in a number one grade flower. A tulip bulb will divide itself after the first year. A smaller grade bulb produces smaller flowers, and in many cases, no flowers at all. So yes, a planting of tulips is not a forever planting, unless you limit your choice to the early flowering species tulips that are known for their persistence. If you should decide to defy nature, and provide optimum conditions for a repeat bloom the following spring, the foliage must be left intact until it completely matures. This can take a month or more. The process of photosynthesis enables the bulb to store food for next year’s flowers.
The length of flowering has everything to do with the weather. A warm spring means a brief flowering period. A long cool spring means the flowers will last longer. This is true for every spring flowering bulb or ephemeral. Unlike the crocus, or the double bloodroot, who have been known to bloom and drop their petals over the course of one day, there will be that moment when the tulip flowers are perfectly glorious. That moment of great beauty is not much different in duration than the lilacs, peonies, redbuds, dogwoods and magnolias-brief, but so sweet.
Tulips come in a wide range of colors. Just about every color, with the exception of blue. Gardeners in my zone who value blue is the spring have to content themselves with forget me nots, brunnera, lobelia, nigella and delphinium, among others. Choosing a collection of colors and succession of bloom can be a lengthy process, as there are so many possibilities. The flowers are large and striking, to say the least. This means they may not play well with other plants whose flowers are not so large or spectacularly showy. They can be tiresome in their demand for attention. In much the same way as peonies, delphiniums, lilies, hibiscus-you get the drift.
I have tried to dispassionately cover all of the reasons why not to plant tulips, but I would not dream of not having them myself. From the time they emerge from the newly thawed soil to the bloom a month later, their rapid growth is an enchanting process to watch. The leaves are beautiful in volume and form. Newly opened tulip flowers grow larger with every passing day. They brave the wind, cold temperatures and the occasional spring snow with aplomb. Even the tallest varieties stand upright without assistance. They make terrific and long lasting cut flowers, given a cool spot indoors. The variations in flower and leaf form, height, color and bloom time make them one of the most versatile of all spring flowering plants.
I plant a collection of tulips at the shop every year. This moment has been many months in coming, and is so welcome after a long drab winter. A lot of pictures get taken. Parents photograph their children with them in the background, and friends who come to shop do the same. I never see anyone walk by them without taking a good look.
The bloom is just about at it peak moment, should you be inclined to take a look. As for the trouble it takes to get to this moment, none of that interferes with the experience. Did I mention that fresh spring fragrance?
stunning, this.
Posted on: May 10, 2019 38 Comments
Comments
Donna Thibodeau says
May 10, 2019 at 8:05 am
Deer ate all my tulips. I don’t have to wait another year because they ate all the foliage and the bulb will disappear. Some I had for over 20 years. I also use all those repellants but didn’t get out in time. Rabbits eat the crocus. Our habitat is now shared with wildlife. I depend on daffodils and hyacinth for trusty spring color. I love tulips!
Dianne Young says
May 10, 2019 at 1:07 pm
Donna, I would suggest that you could plant some tulips in containers if you have a place to overwinter them, like an unheated garage, but my sister tried that, and the deer actually came up on her porch and ate those tulips, too!
Bill Bird says
May 10, 2019 at 8:29 am
Deborah: Thank you for the beautiful pictures of the tulips at Detroit Garden Works and the information in your post. We too, struggle with deer and tulips…gardening has its challenges. If you have the time to drive here to Holland, Michigan, we are at the hight of our Tulip Time Festival. The city and surrounding area are bursting with beds of tulips. Google it if you would like to, you will enjoy pictures of the glorious fields of tulips as well as smaller spaces filled with this colorful spring flower.
Lorelei Stinson says
May 10, 2019 at 8:35 am
Deborah, your recent post about tulips was so lovely that I just had to comment. I too love this spring time flower but like many have stopped planting it becase of the plethera of rabbits and squirrels in our area . My spring bulb of choice has been the daffodil in all forms. However your words have given me food for thought – perhaps I will re-attemp tulips next year – i miss my angelique .tulips most ?…..t. But,
Dan says
May 10, 2019 at 8:36 am
I love the color combo this season, kudos for this choice!
May 10, 2019 at 8:47 am
breathtaking!
Christie says
May 10, 2019 at 8:58 am
So so beautiful and one of my best flowers. Do tulips do well in Florida? Orlando to be specific.
Dianne Young says
May 10, 2019 at 1:03 pm
Tulips require a number of hours of chilling temperatures, as in their native climes. You can buy tulip bulbs that have been “pre-chilled” to plant in warmer zones like yours, but most varieties will not rebloom a second year. Even as far north as Arkansas, tulips are treated more like annuals. You would likely have to plant new bulbs each fall to have reliable blooms. I am staying with my son in Durham, North Carolina right now. They have pulled out all of the tulips and pansies from the flower beds here and planted summer annuals that can take the heat. This next fall, they will plant new pre-chilled tulips to bloom the following spring, because the winter temperatures do not stay reliably cold enough for new tulip flowers to form in last year’s bulbs.
Lynn Taggart says
May 10, 2019 at 3:05 pm
Anita Berlanga says
May 10, 2019 at 9:06 am
I am fortunate to not have deer (a 6′ fence in town and a 130-lb dog) but I do have voles & ground squirrels. I planted ‘Spring Green’ tulips in large baskets, fashioned from chicken wire, and they bloomed beautifully in this cool, damp spring. I really wanted crocuses, so I sunk them in terracotta pots and covered them in wire mesh over the winter. They, too, bloomed beautifully. But for the most part I stick with narcissus in all its forms. Your tulip display is awesome, Deborah! Thanks for taking the time to create it – and to share it with us.
Jan Meissner says
May 10, 2019 at 9:08 am
Stunning. Thank you for this post. We relocated to zone 9a in FL after living 50+ years in Chicago/Cleveland. I gave up on tulips long ago in the Midwest. But your post has brought the thrill and the smell of spring almost as vividly as being there. Thank you so much. Happy spring.
Christine Clement says
May 10, 2019 at 9:22 am
Yes tulips are worth the show. I am down to a dozen, the rest have been eaten by the deer despite the sprays. So now I only plant daffodils. The range of colors can’t compare, but some early color is better than none.
Jennifer says
May 10, 2019 at 9:27 am
I too switched to daffs and hyacinths in my client gardens as I’m not there every night to spray. In my own garden I still have tulips and sprayed nightly. Our biggest culprit(s) here is a gang of older ladies who walk the neighborhood daily with plastic bags and scissors, cutting our tulips!
Antoine says
May 10, 2019 at 9:31 am
That is quite a Keukenhof you have going on there in your front yard, Deborah! I was tempted to plant some myself when I viewed the website of the tulip bulb provider that Martha Stewart uses – this company does a great job mixing and matching for color and structure. Sadly, the deer and squirrel population where my mid Michigan garden is makes that impossible. I have had some success with drifts of ‘Thalia’ daffodils that naturalize really well. Since my garden has a white color scheme I don’t mind. But now that I read your description of tulips, I am tempted to just try them for next year …
Cindy Coghill says
May 10, 2019 at 9:51 am
Thanks for the deer tips. Suburbia has become a haven for deer here in Columbus, Ohio, and they nipped nearly all of my tulips very early on. The few they missed were splendid, but with the combination of deer and the fact that they often don’t repeat bloom, it is hard to justify a limited garden budget with this expense. But, I do agree, there is nothing like the tulip for spring color and beauty.
Deborah Silver says
May 11, 2019 at 8:01 am
Dear Cindy, Rob says the tulips are a party one throws for their spring garden. Love that description. It is not easy to garden, and every gardener gets to choose what battles they want to wage. That said, my urban garden at home is not populated with deer. all the best, Deborah
Lenore says
May 10, 2019 at 10:16 am
Red tulips….nothing can beat that in the Spring. Enjoyed yours today. I stopped growing tulips due to the deer. I have hundreds of daffodils now to give me Spring color. I had enjoyed the angelique and parrot tulips. I live in the country with many deer that practically live in our yard in a woodland. Perhaps I will have to fence in an area and plant tulips again. Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful bed of tulips.
Joni says
May 10, 2019 at 10:33 am
Well virtually none of my tulips I planted two years ago came up this year. And after reading this I’m going to give up on tulips. Other than Daffodils/Jonquils what hearty, tall standing spring flowers are there to plant?
Deborah Silver says
May 10, 2019 at 11:05 am
Dear Joni, I am sorry you are giving up on tulips. There is nothing else like them in the spring garden. I hope you reconsider. Perhaps this will provide a little perspective. You could treat your tulips like spring annuals. Like you do your summer annuals. For sure it is less expensive to plant the bulbs, than buy tulips as cut flowers in the spring. best, Deborah
Joni says
May 10, 2019 at 12:33 pm
Good point Deborah…..I will work on naturalizing daffodils and tulips as “annuals” sniffle. You’re the best. PLUS thanks to all the comments, as I am writing down what alternative plantings others have done.
Daisy says
May 10, 2019 at 11:31 am
I went allium crazy last fall (500 assorted) and it appears have paid off.
I also planted assorted naturalizing bulbs in my woodland setting.
Will look at more this fall.
Tulips will be purchased cut in the spring!
Dianne K. Young says
May 10, 2019 at 12:55 pm
Daisy, if you like daffodils, many varieties are great for naturalizing. They are fine in deciduous woodland settings. They get enough sun to bloom before the leaves develop on the trees. I have planted several large installations of daffodils, even at the edges of my large yard where deer tend to cross, and they never touch them. The deer seem to know that daffodils are poisonous to them. I’ve never seen so much as a nibble on any of the flowers or leaves. The rabbits leave them alone, too, which further encourages my plantings.
Joyce Baekr says
May 10, 2019 at 11:37 am
Not to say I am happy to know all of you have deer problems, but misery loves company, so I now know not only the south has deer that love flowers. They walk my neighborhood feeding during the morning, not moving with traffic passing.
The only flower I have been able to grow without deer eating is Lantana.
Silvia says
May 10, 2019 at 12:04 pm
We’ll see them this weekend- traveling to visit Aunt Teedie for Mother’s Day.
Mary Sue Ewing says
May 10, 2019 at 12:17 pm
Yes, we stopped planting tulips ( with great sadness) for three years. We erected a deer fence which worked well for another 3 years until the varmints started crashing through in desperation for our fat and delicious tulips.
Next season will be vigilant on the deer proofing.
As always thank you for your beautiful and educational post.
Dianne young says
May 10, 2019 at 12:42 pm
I used to live near Metamora and currently live in rural area west of Mt. Pleasant. As several others have noted, we have stopped planting tulips because the deer overpopulation is so troublesome. Also squirrels, rabbits, and other rodents eat tulips, either as bulbs, or they nip off the tender flower heads before they even have a chance to open. I gave up on crocus, too, because of the deer, chipmunks, squirrels and voles. We choose to grow organic, which means we have to compromise with the animals who pass through our rural yard between neighboring woods. I plant more & more daffodil varieties, as well as alliums, and any other bulbs that are naturally poisonous or distasteful, that the deer and rabbits avoid, in order to have the bright spring colors that I crave. Deer are also mowing down yews and other shrubbery in suburban yards in their quest for food in winter, especially by March & April when the deer are starving. There are fewer game hunters, even in northern areas, to cull the herds, and not enough predator animals like coyotes and wolves anymore to keep the deer herds in balance. It’s a huge problem for landscapers, farmers and gardeners out here in the hinterlands! But that’s why you don’t see many tulips!
Deborah Silver says
May 11, 2019 at 7:47 am
Dear Dianne, I only want to point out that most deer and rabbit repellents are concocted from entirely natural materials. Plant Skydd is blood based. It is not poisonous.The odor is a repellent. We also plant our tulip bulbs fairly deep – 6-8 inches below ground. This is a deterrent to small rodents. The later the tulips come up the better. By mid April, there are lots of things to eat-and not just tulips. best regards, Deborah
Linda McNally says
May 10, 2019 at 7:48 pm
We have deer, but, my biggest culprits are the chipmunks, squeegees and squirrels. They love bulbs. They’ll leave Daffodils alone, but, not yummy tulips. That and the foliage left for so long when I’m desperate for space and planting in a timely manner for the spring and summer seasons. Tulips are wonderful, though!!!
Janet R says
May 10, 2019 at 8:33 pm
I adore tulips but had basically given up years ago because of the chipmunks. I did plant some last fall and am enjoying the very much but I generally put my money on daffodils! I live in a very rural area and just recently started getting deer damage, but they haven’t found the tulips yet – probably too busy destroying the promise of hydrangea blooms again…
Lauren says
May 11, 2019 at 5:27 am
What combination of tulips did you use in your garden? It is beautiful!
Deborah Silver says
May 11, 2019 at 7:54 am
Suji Wong says
May 11, 2019 at 4:12 pm
I planted tulips & allium in pots left on my patio. I was away over winter & on return in early May found all bulbs had decayed in the pots. Too much moisture. Have you a solution? How can I assure better drainage or am I at the mercy of a snowy/rainy winter & spring!
Thanks!
Deborah Silver says
May 12, 2019 at 5:58 am
Dear Suji, there is plenty of detailed info on line about how to successfully winter over bulbs in pots. The pots have to be kept in a very cold but frost free spot. Left outdoors, the bulbs can freeze solid – through and through. Having been completely frozen, the bulbs will rot once the temperature warms up. An unheated garage is a great spot for the pots over the winter. best, Deborah
Suji Wong says
May 12, 2019 at 6:58 am
Frank says
May 12, 2019 at 8:10 am
I love the color mix, what a fantastic display nestled in between the hedge. Tulips are a celebration of spring that I can’t imagine being without.
Carol deLuca says
May 19, 2019 at 3:13 pm
IF you don’t live in deer country, you’ll have most tulip luck with the Emperor series or the Darwin Hybrids. Squirrels will usually leave the crocus tommasinianus alone. The best flowering daff is the Ice Follies, so said the guy who wrote the 2 volume book on bulbs. S’all I know.
Eileen Ripp-Emerson says
May 30, 2019 at 11:25 am
While this looks great now in Spring, do you pull the bulbs out to add Summer plantings?
Deborah Silver says
June 1, 2019 at 6:05 pm
Dear Eileen, yes, we treat the tulips as annuals. We pull them out, and compost them. best, Deborah
Leave a Reply to Joni Cancel reply
Notify me of follow-up comments by email.
Notify me of new posts by email.
Δ
Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.
Email Address
About the Author
Deborah Silver is a landscape and garden designer whose firm, Deborah Silver and Co Inc, opened its doors in 1986. She opened Detroit Garden Works, a retail store devoted to fine and unusual garden ornament and specialty plants, in 1996. In 2004, she opened the Branch studio, a subsidiary of the landscape company which designs and manufactures garden ornament in a variety of media. Though her formal education is in English literature and biology, she worked as a fine artist in watercolor and pastel from 1972-1983. A job in a nursery, to help support herself as an artist in the early 80’s evolved into a career in landscape and garden design. Her landscape design and installation projects combine a thorough knowledge of horticulture with an artist’s eye for design. Her three companies provide a wide range of products and services to the serious gardener. She has been writing this journal style blog since April of 2009.
| 20,582 |
© 2022. All rights reserved.
I turned this in as an essay for professor David Russo’s Software Planning and Management class at UT Dallas (SE 4381, Spring 2006) prior to posting it here.
I ramble at the end, but I think the essay includes a few ideas worth sharing.
In his essay “No Silver Bullet,” Frederick Brooks presents the view that software development is an unusual field because we will never discover a single technique or technology which provide massive increases in development productivity. Brooks claims that this is due to the intrinsic complexity of software development. I concur with Brooks on the general claim that there is no silver bullet that will slay the “demon” that is software development productivity, but I dispute much of his explanation of this principle as well as his reasons for arriving at it. I argue that the closest we can achieve to a silver bullet is to construct software components with reuse in mind, but that the market works contrary to the goal of improved productivity.
Before expending mental effort on whether Brook’s holy grail exists, we must ask: why would we even be looking for a silver bullet? Most fields lack one. Brook’s grounds for expecting a silver bullet in software are the great gains made in the related field of computer hardware production. This makes little sense to me. If lumber prices were at an all time low, would we expect the task of an architect to rapidly become easier because of its association? Surely not. Hardware seems to be the exception rather than the rule. Furthermore, computer hardware production is still a relatively young industry, and we cannot assume that current hardware trends will continue indefinitely.
Brooks is correct in saying that complexity is an intrinsic property of software. A piece of software is generally written to solve a specific problem. Software is written to solve hard problems—quite simply, problems which require the power of computers. Some useful pieces of generic software have indeed been written, but when software is most useful is primarily when it is written for a specific problem. No piece of software is ultimately generic, just as none is ultimately specific; rather, every piece of software is written with a given amount of specificity towards every domain it can possibly aide. Generally we find that greater specificity means greater gains in the relevant field. A handyman cannot carry a single tool for all needs—pliers may be a great general tool, but if you really want to gap a spark plug, a spark plug-gapper is the ideal tool. The same is true of software tools.
Ex vi termini, generic applications cannot natively address specific software needs. Often a generic piece of software can be configured to solve a specific problem, but the software lacks the desired function prior to this customization. The more specific the problem, the more configuration is required. But this configuration is a form of programming in itself. The question comes down to, “should the programming be on the head or the tail end of the software life cycle?” A spreadsheet can be used to implement invoices and bid sheets, but not without either the user or the software producer writing these problem-specific sheets and macros. We cannot expect to escape the general principle of needing to program towards a specific problem. But we may be able to make programming towards a specific problem easier.
Configuring a generic piece of “software”—essentially high-level programming—can produce large productivity gains over building a unit of software from scratch (whether generic or not is of little consequence). If useful pieces of configurable, generic software can be utilized, then we can greatly reduce our production costs. Writing an invoice application built on spreadsheets allows a much more rapid process than writing an invoicing application from scratch, if (and only if) the spreadsheet application allows for the specific kinds of customization the (sub-)application writer requires.
In short, the key to improving software productivity is the availability of reusable, programmable general purpose software tools. It may not be a silver bullet, but it is a bullet. By “programmable” I mean that the components should not only be able to fulfill a wide-breadth of similar needs, but also that they should not stand in the programmer’s way. We must minimize our tools' ability to restrict our usage of them. Software should not get in the way. Part of not getting in the way means that components need to be combined easily. Ease of combination means widespread use of abstract interfaces, open standards. Software components can’t “talk” to one another unless we provide a formal means to do so.
But when combining many different components, possibly from different vendors, development complexity can increase tremendously. In-house coding and design standards may no longer be followed, and code-reading becomes more difficult. Even combining pre-built modules can become difficult when they are designed with different development paradigms in mind. As software engineers, we must work to reduce this complexity through the use of stable, encapsulating interfaces. This encapsulation need not restrict the programmer’s ability to access component internals—as, indeed, many modern programming language constructs have enforced—but simply to ensure that a component has few external requirements. As long as a component can be utilized without the programmer knowing its internal function, the most important goal of encapsulation has been met. When Nike designs a new pair of tennis shoes, Nike doesn’t have to know how to make produce rubber for the sole—the rubber company takes care of that. Leave rubber to those who have spent decades perfecting the process. The software industry has much to learn from other industries.
But our various incompatible languages and libraries are working against this goal. The general principle behind 90% of programming languages is identical—is it really that difficult to make them inter-operable? It is certainly not impossible, but doing so has not been undertaken as a priority. How many basic TCP/IP socket libraries does the world really need? One? Two? Yet hundreds have been written.
Certainly generic mechanisms are less efficient than problem-specific solutions, meaning that development productivity works contrary to product efficiency. But as computer hardware technology improves, software efficiency becomes less important. Certainly a slight reduction in program efficiency would be worthwhile if it could reduce the number of critical bugs in the application—and this is what we are finding to be true. Indeed, we are now realizing that it is productive to trade some program efficiency even for such intangibles as code-readability because of the long-term impacts of unintelligible code.
But we are quickly leaving behind the days of programming to the machine, and entering the days of programming to the idea. We need languages written to weave ideas, not to toggle bits.
Most modern programming languages place too much focus on how things should be done, when they should be focusing on what needs to be done. It is of trivial importance whether a set of boolean values is stored in integer variables or combined into a bitmask; these kinds of issues don’t matter to the modern application designer—he shouldn’t live so close the hardware. We should no longer tolerate needing six lines of code to sort a list of values. The idea can be expressed (nearly-)unambiguously in two English words: “sort list”. Modern programming languages should either match this terseness or come close.
The reign of C++ and Java is coming to a close—or, it rightfully should be—and the days of Lisp are finally upon us. Brooks says, “I believe the hard part of building software to be the specification, design, and testing of [the] conceptual construct, not the labor of representing it and testing the fidelity of the representation.” But in software, the difference between design and implementation is the ineffectiveness of the programming language. Software is built on nothing more than ideas, we simply need the appropriate language to write our ideas down in. A software engineer is like an architect with an unlimited supply of building materials and a flawless construction crew—all he needs is a sharp pencil to draw his plans. But as software engineers, we are left with only crayons. If we can use the appropriate language choice and concept-encapsulation to bring programming and idea-specification to be the same activity, then suddenly the difficult portion of building software (the former portion of Brook’s statement) becomes significantly easier (as the latter portion of the statement).
Unfortunately the free market works contrary to the two great potential software advances I have discussed: using better languages, and reusing code. The former because the market is resistant to change, despite the known rapid advances in technology. The latter because one does not simply aide the competition. When our ideas are our product, we can’t simply share ideas.
When you are making engines, you own an engine factory, have ties to steel manufacturers, wire-makers, etc. These material goods leave you with something (something large, actually) even if someone else has your engine designs. You may be able to make the engine cheaper, or make it from better materials. Your competitor even has to have the capability to make an engine (most people don’t). With software, the paramount design document is the source code. The source code is both design and implementation. If someone takes your source code, you have lost your product (excluding any legal recompenses). With the triviality of duplicating a piece of software (any computer user can do it), and the subsequent wide-spread piracy of software, we cannot make profits on unit sales alone in an unprotected market. We must protect our ideas and hence our code.
Software completely defies the standard notion of laissez faire capitalism in a fashion similar to media with the invention of mass-publishing techniques. We either need to implement new mechanisms for making money from software in a capitalistic-friendly manner, or we need to accept that the software development process will never advance as quickly as we’d like because the market will slow it down.
Software quality is poor because it doesn’t have the full force of capitalism to help it along in the same way that many other industries have benefited.
In summary, I agree with Brook’s claim that there is no silver bullet in the software industry. Nothing is going to solve all of the industry’s problems. As software designers and programmers, we search for elegant solutions to all problems, but not all real-world problems have such a solution. The greatest gains we can achieve in the current state of the software industry stem from using (and developing) programming languages which allow us to build towards ideas rather than implementation details, and from the use of generic, programmable code modules.
Was this post helpful or interesting? Please consider supporting my (independent) writing with a Brave or Lightning tip, and follow me on Twitter for additional posts and content.
| 11,591 |
$1,000,000 is a common benchmark when it comes to retirement goals, and many resources will recommend this number as how much you should save before you retire.
However, while a million dollars may sound like a great goal to strive for, the truth is that a million probably isn’t going to be enough for you to live a comfortable and enjoyable retirement.
To better understand how long a million dollars will actually last in retirement, we’ll take a look at some of the factors affecting how much retirement costs.
Want to Retire Early?
The first problem with setting a million dollars as the standard across the board for how much people should save for retirement is the fact that the cost of living varies dramatically depending on where you are located.
A person living in a small town in Mississippi will be able to make one million dollars last a lot longer than a person living in New York City or San Diego. In determining whether a million dollars will be enough to retire on, it’s crucially important to take into account the cost of living for where you are located.
Some people are able to get by perfectly fine on less than $20,000 a year and are quite happy doing it.
Others have become accustomed to lifestyles that cost six figures just to maintain. While it’s one thing to calculate how much you need to save just to survive post-retirement, it’s another thing entirely to calculate how much you need to save to pay for the lifestyle you have become accustomed to, especially if you are seeking to retire early.
Since this figure is going to be different for every person, setting a single benchmark of a million dollars that applies to everyone is largely ineffective.
Inflation is another ever-present force to take into account, slowly eroding the value of the money we set aside over time.
The good news is that investing your money in companies rather than keeping it in cash allows you to bypass inflation. However, this does not change the fact that inflation skews the true value of benchmarks such as a million dollars.
The truth is that the buying power of one million dollars today is not going to be the same as the buying power of a million dollars 20 years from now. For this reason, it’s a good idea to factor in the average inflation rate when setting your retirement goals.
Every person’s retirement needs are going to be different, and how much you need to retire is going to be influenced by your location, your lifestyle, inflation rates, and a wealth of other factors.
So, Can You Retire On a Million Dollars?
However, for the average, everyday person, is one million dollars going to enough to retire on?
The sobering answer is “probably not”.
There are a variety of reasons why one million dollars isn’t likely to be enough for the average person to retire on, from increased life expectancy to rising costs.
However, the important takeaway is that you need to sit down and calculate your own goal based on your own situation rather than relying on so-called “standard” benchmarks such as one million dollars.
Once you calculate that figure by determining how much money you want to have available each year, multiplying that number by the upper end, an optimistic estimate of the years you expect to be in retirement, and factoring in inflation, go out and start saving towards that goal a little bit at a time (my calculators can do all of this for you).
Though the number you come up with may seem staggering at first, with a sound investment strategy and plenty of discipline you can get there in little time at all.
Phil Town is an investment advisor, hedge fund manager, 3x NY Times Best-Selling Author, ex-Grand Canyon river guide, and former Lieutenant in the US Army Special Forces. He and his wife, Melissa, share a passion for horses, polo, and eventing. Phil’s goal is to help you learn how to invest and achieve financial independence.
Phil Town is an investment advisor, hedge fund manager, 3x NY Times Best-Selling Author, ex-Grand Canyon river guide, and former Lieutenant in the US Army Special Forces. He and his wife, Melissa, share a passion for horses, polo, and eventing. Phil’s goal is to help you learn how to invest and achieve financial independence.
| 4,413 |
20 May Solidarity Protest in front of Prime Minister’s residence: call for amendment in the rape laws.
23 May Minister pledges amendment to rape law in current parliament session.
29 May Finance Minister Janardan Sharma presented an annual budget of Rs 1.793 trillion for the fiscal year 2022/23.
Violence against Women
Series of videos went viral in social media where an aspiring model claimed she was drugged and raped by an organiser of the beauty pageant multiple times in 2014 when she was 16 years old. This incident which has come to light after 8 years has shaken the whole nation to the core. Serious concerns have been raised on social media platforms about whether the rape case can be filed in court owing to the limitation imposed by law. The video which appeared across social media infuriated the public, with people coming to the streets to voice their overwhelming support to the victim. A solidarity protest took place near PM residence demanding the removal of the statute of limitations for rape and sexual violence and called for action against the guilty. The protest has drawn the attention of the Nepal police. However, in the absence of the official complaint from the victim, the police cannot investigate the case. Nonetheless, the Ministry of Home Affairs had directed Nepal Police to form a high-level team to initiate a probe.
In the present scenario, since the victim revealed the incident of rape after eight years, the statute of limitations prohibits the Nepal police from charging the accused of rape. However, under pressure after widespread protests and the House of Representative directive, police arrested Manoj Pandey- one of the key suspects into custody for investigation. He has been arrested under the Human Trafficking and Transportation (Control) Act 2007 (2064) as there is no statute of limitation to register compliant of sexual and physical exploitation of a person under this Act.
The prevalent culture of stigma, shame, intimidation, and trauma has long prevented women from speaking out and reporting cases of sexual harassment cases on time. In many such cases the victims do not want to go beyond naming and shaming the alleged offenders and lodge a formal complaint. Nonetheless, an official complaint is prerequisite for Nepal Police to start an investigation into sexual violence and rape. As per law, such a complaint must be filed within a year of the incident. If the claimant fails to bring the action before the court within a specified period of time, such claim can be “time-barred”. A statute of limitations is a law that sets the maximum amount of time that parties involved in a dispute have to initiate legal proceedings from the date of an alleged offence, whether civil or criminal. When the statute of limitation expires, the courts have no jurisdiction over the matter. The intention behind creating the statute of limitations is to resolve the case within a “reasonable period of time” so that the case does not go beyond a specific length. Additionally, statutes of limitations were enacted in part to prevent convictions based on “untrustworthy witness testimony,” such as memories of incidents that occurred years ago.
The intention behind creating the statute of limitation may seem justified as it aims to prevent the miscarriage of justice. However, in an offence of rape, period of limitation creates a legal barrier to access justice by the victim; taking into account the stigma that women and girls face when reporting cases of sexual crimes. Therefore, considering the socio-cultural factors, it is imperative to extend the statute of limitation provision so as to ensure effective access to justice for rape and end the culture of impunity. At the same time, the policy makers should also keep in mind the accused’s legal right to defend himself, while drafting the laws relating to limitations.
Action to reform rape laws to ensure Justice
The Women and Social Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives has directed the government to immediately bring the necessary bill in the parliament to amend the existing laws to remove the statute of limitations to register rape cases. Minister of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs Govinda Bandi has directed the Nepal Law Commission to submit a study report and make recommendations on extending the statute of limitation in rape cases. Based on their recommendations, the ministry will begin the process of amending the law.
Prior to 2017, Nepal had 35-day statutory limitation for prosecutors to file a charge sheet for a rape. In the year 2017, government drafted the new penal code amending the existing Muluki Ain, which further increased six months of statute of limitation on rape cases. In the Muluki Criminal Code 2017 which came into effect in August 2018, the statute of limitations was increased to one year. According to legal experts, a year period is still among the shortest limitation periods in South Asia.
In this background it is pertinent to note that, in the year 2008, division bench of Supreme Court had issued a directive order in the name of the Government of Nepal stating that “there should not be any limitations for rape victims to file complaints and for the police to begin investigations since it is a crime against humanity.” Nepal authorities failed to comply with the Supreme Court directives. After 14 years of the judgement, the Ministry has finally come to an agreement to amend the provision of limitation. Whether the provision of limitation in rape cases will be removed or increased in the near future, remains to be seen. Having said that, the ongoing issue is also an indication that changes in official policy, leading to changes in laws and regulations, are more often than not motivated by public pressure.
Gender- responsive budget for the new FY 2022-23
During the discussion on the Federal Budget for the new FY 2022/23, the lawmakers of the House of Representatives underlined the need to make collaborative efforts to achieve gender-responsive budgeting (GRB) in the upcoming budget, policy and programmes. The Women Committee of House of Representative has directed the National Women Commission and the Minister of Women, Children and Senior Citizen to prioritise women related issues such as reconsideration of tariffs in the import of sanitary pads and silicon cups, to ensure the rights of sexually marginalised communities, reducing gender-based violence, minimising maternity and child mortality rate.
In the FY 2021/2022, the proportional share of the budget for the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizen was one of the lowest amongst the social sector allocations, with an expenditure of Rs. 9079 million. The share of federal budget was allocated to eliminate all form of sexual and gender-based violence including dowry system by undertaking awareness programs.
In the FY 2022/2023, a budget of Rs 1.77 billion has been allocated for the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens. Investments shall be made towards distribution of one electric stove (as a grant) to each family; development of Nepali sign language; sign language and braille textbooks to be available for free.
Furthermore, a policy of positive discrimination has been incorporated in the budget for senior citizens, single women, differently-abled people, Dalits, indigenous groups and children below 5 years of age. Rs. 1.34 billion has been allocated for social security allowances for the benefit of the above mentioned categories. There has been a change in the age limit for availing the old age allowance. The old age allowance will now be allocated from the age of 68 years, previously it was 70. However, the contribution-based social protection fund launched by the government of Nepal is yet to attain the expected success. One of the reasons being the contradictory provision stipulated in schedule 9 of the Constitution of Nepal 2015 and the Social Security Act. Schedule 9 of the Constitution lists social protection as a common right of the federal, state, and local levels. On the other hand, the Social Security Act only clarifies the role of the local governments in the management of the distribution of security allowance. Critics argue that the federal government should be involved in the management of the allowance’s distribution to attain the desired goal.
There has also been change in tax related provisions wherein the customs duty on pads has been reduced by 90 percent. According to the finance minister, a significant discount has been made on the import duty on raw materials required for the sanitary pad manufacturing industry in Nepal. Additionally, the sanitary pads to be distributed as per the program approved by the government or public bodies should be purchased from indigenous products. In the FY 2021/2022, progressive investments were made towards menstrual hygiene and health. INR 4.79 billion was allocated free distribution of menstrual sanitary. In this background it is pertinent to note that, when Sher Badhur Deuba-led government approved a replacement bill to amend the annual Nepal budget plan 2021/22, the approval of the budget subsequently increased the price of sanitary pads in the market, which led to protest demanding tax rebate on sanitary pad.
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.
Previous Post Previous Post
Next Post Next Post
Related Posts
News Digest (April 23 – April 29, 2020)
News Digest (April 23 – April 29, 2020)
News Digest – Gender & Social Inclusion (December 24 – December 30, 2020)
News Digest – Gender & Social Inclusion (December 24 – December 30, 2020)
Man held for incestuous rape: A woman filed a case against her brother on December 8, 2020, at Palpa District[...]
News Digest: Human Rights, Gender and Social Inclusion (September 16 – 22, 2021)
| 10,449 |
Fascinating study in sociology, Raym. I don't know how you found time to write this what with all the ironi...
you are on that wavelength for sure haha.
prev prev
Posted on November 7, 2017 by raymi
Helloweek. The week when Halloween is over for adults, but still hasn’t happened yet for kids. Its a holiday misfire. Are you happy? Oh I’m ready to unleash. When this month ends i will put on a disguise and go full hallow. Looking forward to something-different November
Sometimes my energy goes for a walk outside in Leslieville, and occasionally gets invited inside for drinks. Here i am going inside On the Other Hand jewellery shop at 1015 Queen St E. You have to buzz and wait. They look you over and will unlock the front door if they like what they see, just like they do downtown at the fancy shops in Yorkville.
The owners are halfway through painting a mural on the exterior of their abode, so today the store appears to be ‘molting’ into a colourful maturity, just like the rest of the neighbourhood.
Leslieville is an area of Toronto that is emerging. When people say an area is emerging it means condos are emerging. When condos appear it means the cool artsy shops and cafes that were struggling a decade ago, and now thriving, will soon disappear. One by one they’ll be gobbled up by bigger businesses. Franchise outlets will devour the cute sandwich shops and the indy cafés will go Starbucks and On the Other Hand jewellery store will … probably survive. These gals are survivors, and what they do is very unique.
On the Other Hand jewellery shop is run by two girls. Below is Karen MacRae who’s a big name Canadian jewellery designer and gemologist. She’s fun because she’s happy and she’s happy because she has a great job and super interesting life making things with her hands.
She took me a behind-the-scenes tour of her craft studio, which soon after became a shopping spree in the front end of her store.
On the Other Hand Jewellery in Leslieville makes Custom Jewellery
Too broke to buy new bling? Can’t afford hand-crafted keepsakes made from gold, silver and Mexican wood? Me neither, so I was thrilled to be bribed. It was a bribe the scribe scenario. The goods are certainly not free to me, as you understand reading this artful text that took so much time to compose.
While Karen tends toward traditional fine gold and silver and she uses the best diamonds and gemstones to make superb World class custom engagement rings, Sabrina likes to ‘break the mold’ and use more unconventional materials – like wood.
Above is silver ring with a Bocote wood insert. Each piece is beautifully unique, with striking patterns of swirling grain. Native to Mexico, Central and South America, this wood is also used to fabricate musical instruments and gun stocks. Sabrina just wrote about breaking tradition by using unconventional materials to make jewellery on the OTOH blog.
I had an idea for a TV show – Is this the End of the World? Thirteen scenarios. Every episode would be a meltdown of some kind. Start with Trump in Episode One – a deranged US president makes an apocalypse to get re elected. Second episode – environmental disaster – Trump again. Third episode, economic meltdown. That episode follows Trump’s America First economic action plan to its logical conclusion – class warfare.
unfinished skull ring at On the Other hand jewellery
Is this the End of the World? series would have Metallica ‘Four Horsemen’, as theme song. That’s whats this ring is about. Its one of the first things that caught my eye when i went inside the jewellery studio in the back of the shop. Its a ring for the end-of-the-world.
Sabrina Melendez is a Swiss trained and certified goldsmith. Together with Karen they’re a team and a couple of kindred spirits who frequently collaborate. They’re inherently happier than the rest of us because they have fun and interesting lives and as such they seldom argue with each other. Its easy to get giggling and have a blast with people who are happy.
Sabrina is a work horse who is always doing something. While I was messing around with Karen in the back she was doing engravings and setting a ring. She never stopped, except to come out and give me one of her pieces. a necklace
Sabrina took a break to give me one of her necklaces, a silver Slinky-like band on a black leather cord. It has a great weight and sophistication. It has a subtle charm. I love it.
Sabrina wrote this abo0ut the necklace in an email she sent to me later that afternoon,
…usually when I make a piece of jewellery it’s around a pretty stone. That’s my starting point. The point of the exercise with those necklaces was to use metal pieces that I had available for something cool. So I had this silver metal tube available. (making tube is a labor intensive process). The tube sat at my bench for months before I decided to make some really simple necklaces with them. I also had this beautiful Japanese cord ( the necklace part) It’s made in Japan, it’s great quality and the cord has this sort of shimmer to it, you can tell it’s well made. So I decided to put these 2 simple elements together, the cord and the silver tube, and one shows off the other I think.
What’s so cool about On The Other Hand jewellery is that anything is possible. If you have an idea or some materials and a sketch these gals can breath it into life. On the Other Hand jewellery makes luxury in Leslieville.
| 5,735 |
This morning I awoke to the sound of an alarm I set much too close to the time I should depart from San Jose — typical. My wonderful husband rushes me out the door, arriving at SJC in record time. Of course, I forget that I live 10 minutes from the airport, I’m TSA pre, and no one except for academics and folks with an astonishingly high tolerance for freezing temps, would in their right mind travel to Saint Louis in the middle of February. Anyway — I made it to my gate an hour early. No big deal, I’m excited. After two years, I’m finally going to WIPIP!
For the hectic start to my morning, I welcomed a relatively quiet flight to Denver. But that would not be as interesting a story, now would it?
As I await take-off, I open wordle and fail. I’m convinced NYT has made the game much harder — they will be hearing from my lawyers. I try Dordle and fail. I try Quordle and fail. Today is not my day. A bit of foreshadowing perhaps?
I look up from my screen, 50 minutes later, to find that I’m still grounded. The pilot comes overhead “well guys…I’m not sure what to tell ya.” Exactly the assurance we needed.
We would later learn that the delay was caused by paperwork that needed to be hand delivered from a printer at another gate. I’m not sure what exactly that has to do with flying a plane, but that’s why I’m a lawyer, not a pilot.
With the sacred text delivered, we soon danced with the friendly skies. A kind old veteran was seated next to me. He told me tales of the war. I shared with him a rare NFT I was awarded for being blocked on Twitter by the father of Web 3 (a story for another time). We are not the same.
As we started our descent, I noticed that my connection from Denver would depart in 20 minutes. I was arriving at gate B17, and the connection was set to depart from B53. Now readers, for those of you unfamiliar with the Denver airport, allow me to illustrate the quandary. The architects at the time truly took to heart the premise that the fastest way between two points is a straight line. And unfortunately for me, I missed out on the genes that separate myself from Usain Bolt.
I flag down a flight attendant and share my dilemma. She looks at me, with a glimmer of helplessness in her eyes, and simply says: “good luck.”
Dearest readers, how I wish I could tell you the journey ended there, and that I write to you from a cozy nook inside my hotel in Saint Louis. But, unfortunately (for the both of us), the story continues.
I arrive at B53 exactly 1 minute late and watch as my connection soared off into the distance. It’s someone’s lucky day on that flight — they get a free open seat!
Me and the other poor soul from San Jose began looking for help. He was from Apple, and I from Google; two star-crossed Silicon Valley agents, a forbidden love. We make our way to the United kiosk. An agent tells us we must travel to B35, otherwise known as customer service.
And so we beat on, boats against a current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.
We arrive at B35, arms tired from hauling luggage, calves burning from half-assed sprints. I explain our situation to the agent, with a tinge of desperation in my voice, and inquire about a remedy. The agent apologizes, there’s nothing he can do. He asks if we would like to reschedule for 9pm, as if we had a choice. The agent prints my new ticket. I bid my Cupertino friend, adieu and began my northbound trek to B60.
About midway through my travels, a notification blips across my watch: “SEE AGENT.” Ah! No problem! I’m at B45 by now and there’s a United agent there! But alas, she is not a United agent who can help. No. Twas only a facade, and I must return to B35.
I return to B35 and they haven’t the slightest clue. It appears they forgot to assign me an actual seat on the plane. No bother I say, cheerily. I’ll graciously accept a seat upon the wing.
The agents were not amused with my cheeky remark. Alas, it appears my princess is in another castle. Castle B60. Reluctantly, I depart.
I arrive at B60, weary from my travels. I plead with the agent to assign me a seat. I’ll ride under the plane, among the luggage at this point. The agent looks at me, again without a clue as to what is going on. She assures me I will have a seat on the 9pm flight. I smile the sort of smile one gives an impish child who promises not to steal another cookie from the jar.
But I am a trusting soul, perhaps to a fault. I take my seat in B60, letting out a sigh of relief. The agent approaches me and says with remorse, “I regret to inform you that the gate for your 9pm flight to Saint Louis has been changed to B8.
I stare off into the distance. I’ve been here before. I look at her, clinging to the very last morsel of my will to live, and reply to the kind agent.
“thank you, I’ll be on my way.”
Related
Posted in Uncategorized.
2 thoughts on “Tales from DEN”
February 17, 2022 at 8:13 pm
I ran faster than you did, and made the flight at B53. Which was then diverted to Cedar Rapids, Iowa by a snowplow. Not kidding. I remember when all roads went through St. Louis. But not today
February 17, 2022 at 8:37 pm
Yes!! I saw your post on FB!! When I got the notification about my failed connected getting re-routed, I couldn’t help but feel like I dodged a bullet.
| 5,363 |
Spanish is offered on Tuesdays 11:30am-12:00pm for AM preschool and 12:00pm-12:30pm for PM preschool.
CSA’s mission is to provide an enriching lesson complete with songs, listening exercises and age-appropriate, interactive activities.
There is a maximum of 10 students per class and a minimum of 5.
The objective of the program is to immerse kids in the language as much as possible so that kids acquire the language similar to how they learned their first language.
The focus is on understanding the spoken language, first attempts at using the language, and reinforcement through exercises in grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure.
Spanish is offered Tuesdays 11:30am-12:00pm for AM preschool and12:00pm-12:30pm for PM preschool starting November 8th for 20 weeks.
Children will be grouped by age and experience, depending on enrollment.
Program observes school breaks/holidays (snow days/cancellations are made up at the end of the sessions).
The cost for the entire program is $150. This fee covers the cost of instruction and materials.
Registrations must be completed by October 31st. Space is limited and participants will be taken on a first come, first serve basis.
Spanish
$150
Includes all material
When: Tuesdays 11:30am-12:00pm for AM preschool or 12:00pm-12:30pm for PM preschool
Duration: 18 weeks Starting November 8th
Deadline to enroll: October 31st
By clicking ‘Register Now!’ you agree that you have read and understand the policies & procedures, including the refund policy.
| 1,600 |
Partners and family members of sex addicts often experience a significant amount of trauma themselves during and after finding out that a loved one is addicted to sexual behaviors. Shock, denial, anger, hopelessness, guilt, shame, confusion are all feelings that are reasonable to experience in this situation. Recognizing that you are not responsible or to blame for the crisis is an important first step. Working through your emotions and determining steps for you and your family’s well-being need to be addressed. If you believe that your partner or a family member has an addiction to pornography and/or sex, ask yourself the following questions. If you can answer yes to two or more of these questions, you may be in a relationship with a person who is addicted to sexual behaviors. .
Does your partner seem preoccupied with sexual thoughts or behaviors?
Does your partner hide his/her sexual behavior from you?
Do you feel your partner needs help for his/her sexual behavior?
Have you been hurt emotionally because of your partner’s sexual behavior?
Does your partner seem to be controlled by his/her sexual desire?
Has your partner accused you of being “crazy” or “jealous” when you question his/her sexual behavior?
If you answered yes to two or more of these questions know that you do not need to struggle alone. We invite you to call Alaska Counseling Excellence where we treat partners and family members of individuals struggling with porn and sex addiction and the individuals themselves find the healing and understanding that is needed to live life well.
| 1,571 |
ATLANTIC CITY - The embattled and forever-troubled Revel Casino Hotel will close by Sept. 10, nearly 2 1/2 years after it opened, its ownership said Tuesday.
Revel is in bankruptcy court for the second time in little more than a year. Executives say the $2.4 billion casino will close and fire its 3,200 employees.Read moreCLEM MURRAY / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
by Suzette Parmley, Inquirer Staff Writer
Published
Aug 12, 2014
ATLANTIC CITY - The embattled and forever-troubled Revel Casino Hotel will close by Sept. 10, nearly 2 1/2 years after it opened, its ownership said Tuesday.
Some 3,200 employees will be out of work as a result of the closing, adding to the thousands more who are also slated to lose their jobs at two other Atlantic City casinos by mid-September.
Revel had been aiming for a bankruptcy auction, scheduled for last week. Instead, that auction had been delayed until Thursday.
It was reported on Monday that Revel did not receive a qualifying bid, a factor that almost surely led to the decision to close. Assuring its demise is the struggling Atlantic City gaming market that has lost nearly half its gaming revenue to surrounding states since 2006.
"We regret the impact this decision has on our Revel employees who have worked so hard to maximize the potential of the property," the ownership group, Revel Entertainment Group L.L.C., said in a statement
"Despite the effort to improve the financial performance of Revel, it has not proven to be enough to put the property on a stable financial footing," the statement said.
It said the group still hoped to sell the Revel "in some form, through the pending bankruptcy process," but added it "cannot avoid an orderly wind-down of the business at this time."
The Revel, which cost $2.4 billion to build and had its construction halted during the worst of the recession, is the fourth Atlantic City casino to close or face closure this year.
Revel declared bankruptcy for a second time on June 19, after barely marking its second anniversary.
The casino was never able to generate enough income to maintain its massive operations. This trend continued, despite trimming nearly $1.5 billion from its debtload in a debt-for-equity swap among Revel investors after emerging from its first bankruptcy in early 2013.
Gaming analysts said Revel failed to increase the gambling market in Atlantic City and instead cannibalized the existing market - to the detriment of smaller, weaker performers. Of them, Trump Plaza is scheduled to close Sept. 16 and the Atlantic Club already closed, in January.
Although profitable, the Showboat also has announced its plans to close Aug. 31, if it does not find a buyer by then.
Revel was built with the aid of $265 million in financing from the state, and Gov. Christie declared the casino "a turning point for Atlantic City," shortly before it opened April 2, 2012.
But the casino never gained traction and never found a customer base.
Many said the expansive casino overreached and narrowly targeted an affluent clientele from New York that already belonged to the rival Borgata
Andrew Zarnett, a gaming analyst with Deutsche Bank AG, was one of the few industry experts who forewarned that Revel would feed off the existing Atlantic City gambling market, instead of grow it.
"It should have never been built," he said in a recent interview. "Revel grew (gaming) supply while gambling revenue has been cut nearly in half since 2006."
Some experts said Revel suffered from not having its casino on the ground floor, prohibiting smoking when it first opened, not having a buffet and offering only expensive restaurants.
The collapse of Revel, which stands at 57 floors and is made of steel and blue glass and shaped like a giant wave, has come to symbolize the faded fortunes of Atlantic City, which just two years ago was still the No. 2 gaming market in the country, second only to Las Vegas. That distinction now belongs to Pennsylvania, with its dozen casinos.
The big question now is what happens to all of that space? The casino resort occupies 6.3 million square feet of real estate on the northern end of the Boardwalk. Hospitality and tourism experts, as well as developers such as Carl Dranoff, had suggested the 1,400-room hotel could be converted into luxury condos or apartments, but the massive public spaces and cost to maintain Revel was probably a detriment to potential buyers, say some.
Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian said in an interview last month that he hoped Revel, because of its sheer size, would remain a casino. He said the city had substantially cut the casino's property taxes for the year to $30 million, in hopes of inducing buyers.
In a statement Tuesday, Guardian said:
"We are disappointed in the decision that the Board of Revel has made as there appeared to be several bidders for the property. While I am not privy to the current facts that lead to this decision, I do know this process is a complex one compounded by an extremely short timeframe and cash-flow challenges. This might be Revel's last chapter, but not the last one for this building. My administration remains committed to the workers, the businesses, and the visitors who are impacted by today's news."
"My heart goes out to the . . . employees of Revel," said first-term Assemblyman Vince Mazzeo (D., Atlantic). "We live in troubling economic times, but as a community, we will endure. Atlantic City is in a transition period. We know it won't happen overnight, but we will get there."
Other Atlantic County lawmakers held out hope that the three impending closures, including Revel's, could be diverted and that the city resort will get to finish out Christie's five-year revitalizaiton plan that was intended to increase tourism and help resuscitate it. The five-year plan expires in February 2016.
"The state needs to bring stability back to the Atlantic City market by re-affirming its commitment to giving Atlantic City the time it needs to transition into a destination resort and reassuring investors there is a profitable future in Atlantic City," said Republican Assemblyman Chris A. Brown. "...We owe it to the thousands of families to do do our best to encourage the sale of Revel, Showboat and Trump Plaza."
Published
Aug. 12, 2014
Suzette Parmley, Inquirer Staff Writer
| 6,451 |
Bernie and I left on Oct 3rd on a road trip to the West. The point was to see some land, meet some people, visit some relatives and get a sense of where we may go on our next long ramble with the horses and mules. It's been an interesting trip. Not all experiences need to be fun to be worthy. This trip seems to be proving that point. This trip is a teacher. The personal correspondence from me to several friends and the accompanying photos sum it up the best I can.
From an edited postcard written to the Pearsons:
Crater Lake was one of the high points of this long strange trip. As you know, things have gone a bit South since then. Moved from the hotel near the junked car to an RV park to be outside. The wagon was towed over by the garage that has our smashed car. So here we sit at our RV site, the smallest camper around by far and the only one with nothing to pull it. I think people think we are fascinating gypsies, fun to watch but not to be. Hope to see you all again soon after this wild ride comes to an end.
From an edited and embellished email to my friends P & S,
What a long strange trip it's been! Yesterday evening as the sun was setting and we were heading out across the first expanse of Nevada desert on our way to Reno from northeastern California, thinking of playing the slot machines, washing up in a warm shower after days camping, and eating a fine dinner in a joint with white table cloths, Bernie says to me. "I can't miss it!"
I look up in time to see the body of a big deer in the center of the windshield. There is an awful car-shaking thump and then white everywhere around us, airbags have deployed, and the hood of the car has flown up, covering the windshield. The car is still hurling along, and we are going for the ride of our lives. A terrible smoke surrounds us that smells like some chemical that might kill us on its own. We can't see anything past the whited-out windshield and the airbags. Our seatbelts hold us tight as the car rumbles on over rumble strips, then grass. For a moment, we feel airborne. Then I feel the impact of something slamming the back of the car. It's the wagon, but I don't know this and think we are being rear-ended. We are boosted forwards. Then again, the slam from behind. We are still moving. It's been a long time. I am thinking any moment, the impact will come from the front that might kill one or both of us or maim us for life. I try to be ready, but how? Then everything stops at once. There is a huge heaviness, and I know we must get out of the car quickly. I open my door in the dark, but it only opens a little way. I push hard with desperation and can open it enough to wiggle out some. That's when I get tangled in the upper strand of a barbwire fence which the car has come to rest in and on. I manage to rip myself the rest of the way out. I stumble to my feet in a cow pasture in the dark. Bernie is out the driver's door in a flash. A few people come running through the night to make sure we are ok.
The California highway patrol is called. A nice man from an auto body shop that has seen the crash from his truck stays with us until the highway patrol arrives. The man from the auto body shop thinks our car is likely totaled, and I agree with him as I can't imagine what I see is fixable.
The officer sent by the highway patrol is also a nice guy. He talks with us. Calls for a wrecker, locates the now dead seven-point mule deer we've killed with the front of our car and evaluates the 30-foot section of barbed and wire fence we've taken out as we came in for a landing with the hood up over the windshield.
The officer says it will be at least an hour before the wrecker can get there. So Bernie, forever pleased with his home-built wagon, gives the officer a quick tour of the inside of his wagon. I'm not sure if the officer is a visionary or just polite as to me, the inside of the wagon only looks like a well-shaken mess of shit, blankets, mugs, broken juice jars and firewood for the little wood stove altogether in a giant jumble.
The tow guys get there. Pull the car off the fence and up the ramp onto the tow truck. The red wagon is picked up and placed on a tow bar behind the tow truck. Bernie hops in the back seat, and I sit in the front next to the tow guy. There are flashing yellow lights, and everything looks shiny. He tells me that he loves his job; however, he sees a lot of dead people. Some swerve into oncoming traffic when they are trying to miss a deer, and others aren't as lucky as we were to walk away from a car in which the airbags have deployed. He, like us, thinks we are lucky. He tells us of stupid individuals that get stuck in the sand way out in the desert and have no idea how to tell the towing service how to locate them.
Fast forward, nice tow guys, nice Hotel 8 people; however, I think we are trapped here in the town of Susanville, California, for a likely chunk of time as we now try to deal with the remains of our very strange trip. An unharmed red wagon and ourselves to somehow get back across the country. We are only feeling lucky today as we are both alive and well.
Below is what I would have written you about, but which has become overshadowed by last night's crash.
The country we've seen is so sadly in awful shape. The West is truly burning up. We had no idea how bad it was. We've seen so many burned forests. We've been under mostly smokey skies. We have met so many afflicted and depressed people. We have seen so many transients here.
Nice views off the coast of Oregon and some big trees have been spirit risers, but mostly this has been a depressing trip, a real on-the-ground, experience yourself, eye-opener about the status of the environment in the West.
The land where my grandfather settled, where my dad grew up, in south-eastern Oregon, used to be a big pear farm that sold pears to Henry and David and the Fruit of the Month Club, but the pears that used to grow there without water can't even grow anymore with the limited irrigation water. The pears have been replaced with grapes for wine, which also are now having a very hard time making it. Jackson County, Oregon, where my grandfather's orchards were, is in a 22-year drought. It has not been this dry in this area of Oregon in over 1200 years. We visited the land where my father grew up and where my grandfather once had his pear orchards. There were charred hills and smoke all around my grandfather's old house. It made me wonder how long it could survive before it is taken out in a forest fire.
We went to meet my second cousin, who is trying to keep a century farm alive that was started by my grandfather and my great uncle, pears to grapes but is being supported by a restaurant and brewery now. It's not really farming anymore as the land under drought can't really support it, not to mention that the whole farm is now surrounded on all sides by the sprawl of the city of Medford.
This poor earth, with its current systems and species, is really being doomed by us. We are horribly messing our own beds. How are people who can't even clean up their own yards going to start caring enough to alter the course of the earth's destruction? The earth will survive in its next iteration, but we probably will not. The one great sadness for me is all the innocent species we are taking down with us, like the one beautiful mule deer taken out by us on the highway as the sun was setting.
Hopefully some happier thoughts in my next email.
P.S. Only the homeless in Susanville walk the sidewalks. Every one else just drives from place to place, so if for no other reason, B and I look a little homeless right now in our carless, wandering state. It only made things look worse when we bought the beer and box wine at the grocery store, but it made us smile. We can still toast the desert sunsets and enjoy a drink together even if we are far from home without a next plan yet.
J
From an email to our friends T&K
Dear T and K,
Thank you for the hug. I wrote you that email several days before it was sent. We have now been in Susanville, California for a week too long. We still have not heard back from our insurance company so can not quite yet abandon our car at the smash shop. It has four new tires on it as a week before we hit the deer in California we hit somebody's carburetor in Idaho. It was dark, and bump, and spzzzz all the air goes out of one of the tires almost all at once. We pull in the nearest road off the dark two lane highway and find ourselves in a mini Mexico. Three Mexicans, all sitting on their porches listening to mariachi music, come over in the dark to inspect the flat. They help Bernie and I jack up the car and take the stuff out of the trunk so we can get to the mini, temp wheel. One of the items that comes out of the car is a mouse nest. I think the Mexicans feel bad for us. We do sort of look like gypsies towing the mule wagon as our camper. We limp at low speed on the mini-wheel to a paved and over lighted RV park for the night and spend the next morning at Walmart, where we find out the bad news that you can't just change out one tire on this Subaru, because it will mess up the auto-traction, all the tires must be exactly the same diameter.
So we are junking a once nice and fairly efficient little car with four new tires. But we are so happy to be alive that our losses are not getting us too down. What is getting us down a bit more is the waste. The deer's life, the junked car, the fact that in our desperation we have now rented a mega diesel truck, the only vehicle we could find to get Bernie's little hand built wagon (that has somehow survived its third serious crash) back to NC. This truck is so big you could get seriously injured just falling out the door. It is almost on its own as long as the car and wagon together once were. Sad how quickly we will sacrifice the health of the planet to get home.
The irony of this whole trip and our role in it is not lost on us.
Sending lots of love as we are more sure than ever what is important to us.
Bernie sends his love.
Little red wagon under way.
A ride on a nice barrowed horse in the Sandhills of Nebraska.
Intact car and wagon in the West 6 days before impact.
Blue on blue. Bernie taking in Crater Lake.
Wagon under an alley of big trees.
Sad to see they are still logging these big trees.
But comforted to know that some of the biggest and best have been already preserved for hugging.
Picking grapes instead of pears at Dunbar Orchards.
My grandfather and great uncle plowing their land for pears circa 1910.
The still beautiful Oregon coast.
Burned over forest northern California.
Our car being pulled off the wire fence after hitting the mule deer buck.
Bernie talks new trucks with the highway patrol man.
The wreck all loaded up.
Our camp for now in Susanville, Ca.
The mega, earth and soul destroying truck that will get us and the wagon home.
Oh my friends....this story!! It is all so ironic. The best part is that you are both ok, and have incredible stories to share. Hopefully your trip home is uneventful, safe and boring. Much love to you both!!
Thank you friend for your warm thoughts. Times like these really make us know what is important to us.
| 11,401 |
Centrelink is a Government service which provides support to Australians who face financial hardship.
People who receive support from Centrelink come from many different backgrounds and the benefits people receive reflect this. There are payments for people with disabilities, for older people, people who live in rural or remote communities, indigenous Australians, those affected by a natural disaster such as bush fire, families, job seekers and students – to name just a few.
Here we will have a look at two benefits many young Australians are eligible for; Youth Allowance and the Disability Support Pension. We’ll go into a bit of detail about eligibility and the application process. The information on this page has been taken from Centrelink publications.
For full details about Youth Allowance and the Disability Support Pension as well as all the other types of benefits and pensions you may be eligible for, make sure you have a look at the Centrelink website.
What is it?
In a nutshell, Youth Allowance is a payment to support people aged 16-24 who are studying full-time, undertaking an Australian Apprenticeship, training, looking for work or those who are really unwell.
Am I Eligible?
You might be! Eligibility depends on a few different things, which include:
your age and whether you are doing an approved course or training
if you are dependent or independent
income and asset tests, and
residence requirements
Details explaining each of these requirements can be found here.
What is it?
This pension supports people who have a physical, intellectual, or mental health condition that stops them from working, or those who are permanently blind.
Am I Eligible?
The basics of eligibility include;
over 16 years of age
Permanently blind or have been assessed as having a physical, intellectual, or mental health condition. Centrelink will most likely require documentation from your doctor or specialist.
Unable to work, or be retrained for work, for 15 hours or more per week at or above the relevant minimum wage within the next two years due to disability
Having been assessed as having a severe disability or as having actively participated in a Program of Support.
Further details about eligibility requirements can be found here.
What other benefits can I get from Centrelink?
If you are eligible for Youth Allowance, or any other benefits from Centrelink, you may receive a Health Care Card too. This card allows you to purchase prescription medication at a cheaper rate and pay less or nothing at all when visiting your doctor. If you pay water or electricity bills you can be eligible for a concessional discount too. It also allows you to purchase concession tickets for public transport, the cinema and other events (just make sure you have it on you so you can prove your eligibility).
Centrelink is also the provider of Medicare Cards, if you are 15 or older you are able to get your own, have a look here for more information.
The easiest way to apply is online. First you have to register for an account, you can do that here. You can also call the Youth and Students number 132 490 or the Disability, Sickness and Carers number on 132 717, but be warned there is often a very long wait time. For more information on how to make a Youth Allowance claim have a look here.
You will need to answer a few questions about your circumstances, after this Centrelink will tell you if you need to book an appointment with them to show proof of identification. They have an online booking system with instructions.
| 3,622 |
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6 verses 25,27 and 33
Recent Posts
Stop! Look up, and stand in awe! November 8, 2022
How many miles have you travelled? October 24, 2022
Portencross, and Portencross Castle on the Firth of Clyde October 10, 2022
After the Perfect Storm! September 23, 2022
Colours Galore – Garden Joys and Surprises August 17, 2022
The Pass of Brander, St Conan’s Kirk and Kilchurn Castle July 23, 2022
Fingal’s Cave – Isle of Staffa July 5, 2022
Catch the Joy of Summer! June 3, 2022
Thanksgiving and Reflections during the Corona pandemic
My wife and I are self isolating like so many others during the Corona Virus pandemic. We are grateful to God for a home, and garden in which to rest and exercise and for family and friends who look after us. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who today are struggling with the virus, those who mourn for friends and loved ones, our NHS staff, for carers, for police and all on the front line. Also the poor and needy around the world with no medical help.
It’s also a good time to read and reflect. The book of psalms is one of my favourites and I invariably turn to it in times of crisis for quietness and reflection. It was written over a period of approximately 1000 years and was compiled around 530 BC. Psalm 90, is said to be the oldest psalm, and was written by Moses almost 3500 years ago! I find that I so often relate to the writers as they express their wonder at God’s creation, rejoice in the good things of life, and mourn and complain to God about the seeming injustices of life, and the sorrow and anguish that besets them.
Psalm 23 has been read and memorised by people down through the generations, and there are few adults who have not attended a special event or funeral where it was not read or sung. It is said to be ‘Scotland’s most loved psalm’, sung by small groups and large.
all we like sheep
have gone astray
each to his own way
still waters
the valley of the shadow
It’s obvious as we read it, that the main person in the Psalm is God, the Shepherd, and that we as humans are likened to the sheep. David, who wrote it was himself a shepherd, and speaks elsewhere about having saved his sheep from the lion and the bear, although they were probably unaware of it! I wonder, if God has done the same for me when I was in danger?
David realises his need for a shepherd in his own life. One who will give guidance, safety, protection, provision and hope, which he so beautifully expresses in this poem. In fact he describes all our deepest hopes and longings, not just for ourselves and those we love, but for the world at large. Which of us would not like to see a world where people lacked nothing, and lay down in peace?
All the things that our politicians and political systems of all persuasions have consistently failed to adequately provide. Today in the midst of the ‘Corona Virus’ pandemic, when people are scared and petrified, and our health services are struggling to cope with the numbers, and where stock markets and world economies are collapsing, we tend to forget the chaos in so many other departments of our world!
Just think of this for a moment:
Tonight 850 million people will go to bed hungry
2.1 billion people in the world have no access to clean water
According to WHO 400 million people have no access to adequate health care
Around 56 million babies are aborted worldwide every year
53,000 people died in armed conflicts in 2018
Total world military expenditure rose to $1,822 billion in 2018
Global government space budgets totalled $70.9 billion in 2018
The porn industry’s net worth in February 2017 was said to be $97 billion.
Alcohol and Drug abuse in 2018 cost the UK economy £36 billion, in the USA $274 billion (2016)
We could mention the refugee/displaced people crisis, the pandemic of violence against women, the mental health crisis, the suicide rates …. etc etc.
Do you get the feeling that something’s wrong with the world? In response to that question asked in a newspaper article some years ago, G. K. Chesterton the famous writer, scholar and philosopher responded by saying, ‘Dear Sir, I am’. And that is why I too need a shepherd. The prophet Isaiah wrote in chapter 53 of his prophecy these words, sung so magnificently in ‘Handels Messiah’, ‘All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way;’
I guess we all know that’s true, for on too many occasions in our lives we have ‘gone astray’, you know it, and I know it. No need really to think about wars in far flung places, what about the war in our minds, our homes, or in our supermarkets over toilet rolls and hand sanitiser? Enough to make you smile if it was not so serious. The Bible simply but profoundly says ‘for all have sinned’.
As we approach Easter, we are reminded that Psalm 23 points forward to Jesus. He is the one who said, ‘I am the Good Shepherd who gives His life for the sheep’ and at His birth his mother was told, ‘call His name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sin’.
The story is told of the Shakespearean actor who would on occasions finish his performance by reciting Psalms 23 to rapturous applause. One night he asked his young ‘stand-in’ to recite the psalm. He read it quietly and slowly. When he finished there was no applause, but some handkerchiefs could be seen as people wiped their eyes and the occasional sound of someone weeping. The actor was amazed at the effect the young ‘stand-in’ had had on the audience, and asked, how did you manage that? He replied, Sir, the thing is, you know the psalm, but I know the shepherd. You see, if you are to know all the blessings of which this psalm speaks, you have to know the shepherd. The story Jesus told in the book of Luke chapter 15 of the lost sheep, tells us that this shepherd Jesus, is looking for YOU and for me!
As the corona virus runs rampant in our world it’s so important to know the shepherd, as we, or someone we love could die! And don’t we want to know God’s presence in the valley, and don’t we all want to dwell in His presence? And of course we all expect to die one day. How do I get to know this Shepherd? This prayer can be prayed earnestly from the heart.
Dear Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that you are the Son of God, The Good Shepherd who came into the world to find sheep that were lost. I know that I have gone astray many times! I am truly sorry for my sin, please forgive me. Thank you for giving your life for me, and dying in my place, so that I may be forgiven. I want you to be my shepherd, I welcome you into my life and promise to follow you as my Lord for the rest of my days. Thank you – Amen
Prayed the prayer? Now read the psalm again, rest your head on the pillow tonight and sleep in peace, the shepherd, the Lord of Heaven and Earth is watching over you. He said, I give to my sheep eternal life and they shall never perish!
Happy Easter – Christ is Risen, He is risen indeed!
the tomb is empty
NB: If you prayed the prayer, and /or need further help please feel free to contact me. matthewmuriel@aol.com.
Pray with us for an end to the pandemic and for healing and peace for all whose lives have been affected.
Related
Published by
I'm am a married man, a father, grandfather and great grandfather who has been married to Muriel for 62 years. I have worked as an Engineer in the Sugar Business, and as a Manager in the Relief and Development sector. Firstly however, I'm a follower of Jesus Christ and this fact has shaped my life and work. View all posts by matthewmckinnonsblog
Posted on April 1, 2020 October 15, 2022 Author matthewmckinnonsblogCategories Garden(s) and Greenhouse, UncategorizedTags a Shepherd, peace in a pandemic
| 8,359 |
I recently shared a late afternoon messy meltdown with you, how I held my speechless husband hostage with my torrent of ranting and raving, a long litany of deep disappointments loudly acknowledged and proclaimed with no holds barred.
{And for those of you who were left wondering ... no, it had nothing to do with our marriage!}
In the process, I demonstrated exactly what can easily happen when our emotions build up over time, swirl around unexamined and untended deep inside, and end up spewing out all over whoever might be around at any given moment.
You can read that unfortunate out-of-control saga right here just in case you missed it.
Now, let's move ahead with that promised little series on emotional health. I thought I'd come up with an easy-to-follow handy dandy plan, but honestly I have no idea where we're going with this.
That's right. No 1-2-3's, no A-B-C's.
The ball's in your court, my friends.
I'm going out on a limb and am choosing to write this series based on your responses to the posts.
We're going to forge ahead, inviting the Holy Spirit to take the lead on this for He specializes in guiding us into all truth {John 16:13}, even as He whispers, 'this is the way, walk ye in it' {Isaiah 30:21}.
Let's see what He is going to teach us together as we dialogue back and forth about emotional health, an essential aspect of who He's shaped us to be.
Let's stop believing that emotions are a big bad word or an unpardonable sin.
Let's not ignore their reality or pretend that they don't exist.
Let's put an end to being afraid or shamed or daunted by their power.
Let's not keep shoving one after the other some place way down deep until they rise up unbidden and threaten to swallow us whole with out-of-control outbursts, terrifying anxiety, the heavy blanket of depression, or a wide range of life-altering addictive behaviors.
Let's not let our emotions call the shots, damage our relationships, or destroy our testimonies.
Let's pay attention as soon as our emotions come to call, and claim the time to look at these messengers that whisper the truth about what we're feeling. And then choose right then and there to understand what the churning's all about.
Let's learn to make pro-active choices to thoughtfully respond in ways that tap into God's awesome power, show respect to others, and give grace and peace to ourselves.
Let's ask God to somehow redeem our emotions.
Let's stop saying, 'I'm angry.' Because you are not your anger.
Instead let's give ourselves full permission to calmly say, 'Right now I feel ...' whatever the emotion is.
For we are not defined by our hurt, frustration, fear, sadness, disappointment, or whatever we happen to be feeling at that moment.
We are defined by our Savior.
Let's talk emotions - where you're at, what you're struggling with, how you've been convicted, and what God has taught you along the way.
You'll give hope to someone who'll read your words. Your willingness to be transparent lets another reader breathe a huge sigh of relief, even as they whisper, 'oh, you, too?'
Email readers, go right here to jump into the discussion.
If you're not comfortable leaving a comment, please email me at lindastoll@juno.com and I'll add your thoughts into the online conversation, just using your first initial to protect your privacy.
Please share this series with your social media tribe! I'm guessing you've got a few people around you who're feeling rather emotionally spent right about now.
you won't miss a single word
<< On Making Excuses, the Joy of Cozy
Emotional Health Series >>
sharing emotional health with
Posted by Linda Stoll at 3:18 PM
Gingi November 5, 2017 at 8:43 PM
As a parent, these are great points to impart to my children. Too often I have a tendency to paint emotions as "bad" instead of helping my children to learn how to handle them in a healthy way... this post made me think! - http://www.domesticgeekgirl.com
ReplyDelete
Replies
Linda Stoll November 6, 2017 at 8:44 AM
I love that we can take what we're learning and live it out in front of the kiddos in our lives. I wish I had known all this back in the day.
I think I would have been a better mama, for sure ...
Blessings to you as your raise your sweet littles.
Delete
Replies
Marilyn @ MountainTopSpice November 5, 2017 at 9:26 PM
Whenever I think of the desperations in the human heart that occurr at any and all sundry times of our lives, I am reminded of King David who suffered greatly at the hands of his enemies and felt great anxiety and fears even in the midst of great courage and boldness. I find that reading the Psalms where David's spills out his concerns to the Lord and then turns his attention to praise as he realizes that his only hope is in the Lord. David doesn't bury his emotions but he takes them to the Lord and then in turn the Lord is able to help him to look beyond his fears and to HIM as his only help and source of strength. If we can channel our emotions in the same way that King David did, how much better off we would be I think. I pray the Lord blesses this series you are doing!
ReplyDelete
Replies
Linda Stoll November 6, 2017 at 8:46 AM
Marilyn, yes. I love the Psalms. I've found myself there so often. David was a man before his time, being able {usually, not always!} to identify his emotions, his situations, his passions, his sins.
That God already knows all our stuff frees us to come to Him with complete honesty and abandon. He's waiting for us to turn to Him so that He can pour out His healing grace in our lives.
Delete
Replies
www.glowyshoes.com November 6, 2017 at 1:24 AM
I am glad you were able to walk through your emotions.. never bottle it up buh learn yo speak and thrash it out that instant there's an issue it helps alot.
It looks good on you and the fitting seems right... i will check them out.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Linda Stoll November 6, 2017 at 8:49 AM
Well, Glowy, it's good to have you here! I love how you put it, that ability to 'walk through' our emotions. Not deny them or wish they weren't there.
But walk straight on through to responding in a way that's healthy and Christ-honoring.
It looks good on all of us, doesn't it ...
Delete
Replies
Victor S E Moubarak November 6, 2017 at 2:03 AM
God created us with emotions - anger, fear, hate, love, patience, courage etc ... etc ... The alternative would have been to create a race of robots all pre-programmed to do His will. But then ... where's the love in that?
In His love for us, He created us with the freedom to choose how we live and to control our emotions. What a responsibility for us.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Linda Stoll November 6, 2017 at 8:51 AM
The Bible speaks often of God's anger against injustice and sin and evil. Sadly, most of our anger isn't at all righteous like His.
It's usually self-focused and self-sabotaging, isn't it.
We wanted freedom and yes, He's given that liberty to us. What we do with it is up to us.
I hope this series will help us live out our emotions in a way that's sane and wise and Christ-honoring.
Thanks for jumping in to the conversation, Victor. Bless you.
Delete
Replies
Lesley November 6, 2017 at 7:13 AM
I love Marilyn's comment about the Psalms and how David was able to express his emotions to God. It is so important. As a child I learned to hide my emotions and that they didn't matter, but it was through journaling and praying that I gradually got better at acknowledging them and dealing with them, and eventually being able to talk about them with others. It still doesn't exactly come naturally- I sometimes have to stop and think to be able to name the emotion- but I am more intentional about trying to do that. I liked your point about saying "I feel angry" rather than "I am angry"- I hadn't really thought about that distinction.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Linda Stoll November 6, 2017 at 8:54 AM
Lesley, you've hit on an important point. Most of us have learned how to do emotions as children ... either in healthy ways or not. As we look back and see what was wise teaching and modeling and what wasn't, we're able to choose anew how to live out our feelings instead of bottling them up inside where they end up exploding sooner or later.
I love the wholeness God has brought into your life. And yes, yes, stopping and naming the emotion as soon as it hits us ... I've found that to be incredibly helpful in my own life.
Naming it, owning it, and choosing what to do with it. Now THAT'S wisdom.
Thanks for sharing a bit of your story here, friend.
Delete
Replies
P November 6, 2017 at 8:42 AM
I am becoming passionate about emotional health! I think we talked about the book Emotionally Healthy Spirituality. Our small group is studying it now but I found it a few years ago and I believe I was looking for that book for 20 years! It's been so important for my own spiritual growth.
Although I didn't comment on your page, I can TOTALLY RELATE to your overflowing words and emotions (and your gentle husband's comfort -- I experience the same). It's that overflowing, hot emotion that drove me to counseling in the first place...where did all that anger come from? My counselor gently led me through all of that.
I continue to learn what to do with emotions, how to deal with them in a healthy fashion. Thank the Lord there are more resources today than decades ago, like Leslie Vernick (excellent stuff, right?) and Kim Fredrickson (Give Yourself a Break).
I look forward to reading any and all of what you write about this topic!
Thanks, Linda...for your honesty and vulnerability -- it's blessing me a lot.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Linda Stoll November 6, 2017 at 8:57 AM
Good point ... maybe we do become more passionate about emotional health as well as our spiritual health as we get older! I love that book, too, and will be including it in a resources post at the end of the series.
It was a game changer for me.
Thanks for the shout out for counseling, too, friend! Obviously, I couldn't agree with you more. I've lost count of how many angry women I've had the honor of working with.
There is healing by the strength of Jesus.
Thanks for all your support. Love that you've taken the time to write!
Delete
Replies
Lisa notes... November 6, 2017 at 9:16 AM
This will be a fantastic series, Linda! I'm excited to read what you will share. Dealing with emotions can be a difficult journey, but such an important one.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Linda Stoll November 6, 2017 at 9:23 AM
Thanks for cheering me on, friend. For some reason, this series was hard to jump into.
I'm guessing that the enemy doesn't want us freed.
He knows the power of Christ living in us ...
Delete
Replies
Alecia November 6, 2017 at 12:32 PM
Always a joy to jump in here and see what you're writing about. You never disappoint. Thankful for the wisdom of your words.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Linda Stoll November 6, 2017 at 2:48 PM
Hey, welcome back, Alecia! Hope all is well in your world ...
Delete
Replies
Andrew November 6, 2017 at 1:00 PM
Interesting coincidence, as over the weekend I was devastated by a chance to see myself 'as others saw me'...that although I'm far past the ability to hold down any job, I deserve to be abandoned to my fate, be it homelessness or death.
I may have done my best, but 'my best' doesn't fit in with the rest of the world...this from a source I did and do respect and was completely unexpected. Too many dogs, too much PTSD, too sick to really be worthwhile.
I can take a lot, and have taken a lot, but there's a limit. You can reach a point where you are not the same person; you can reach a point where you can't recover, not with the best will and strongest faith in the world.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Linda Stoll November 6, 2017 at 2:51 PM
I call guys like that, 'Job's comforters,' named after the companions that rallied 'round Job when his world caved in. These are people you wish far from you, that offer not a listening ear or kind consolation, but words that do nothing but tear down.
Instead, please consider the impact you're having on untold readers and fans, those that follow you, learn from your journey, cheer you on, and wish you well.
That's my prayer for you today, Andrew.
Delete
Replies
Ceil November 6, 2017 at 2:05 PM
Hi Linda! I've been starting to do the Examen of St. Ignatius, and he definitely wants attention given to emotions. They point to our problem places, and those are the growth potential places. When I review the day, I usually think about the events, but he asks to review the feelings that came from the events. A small change, but it makes all the difference in learning new ways to live health-fully.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Linda Stoll November 6, 2017 at 2:54 PM
I'm so with you, Ceil. Those daily, weekly, monthly examens let us keep clean slates with God, help us look deep in our souls, deal with anything disturbing that we find there, and rejoice in all the goodness God has brought into our lives.
Some people get a bit freaked out when asked to review their feelings, for they realize that they don't even know what they are, and are afraid of what they'll find if they go there.
But the Holy Spirit is faithful and kind and very much present in those scary places. His desire is to bring healing and wholeness and joy. And when we follow His lead, that's what we find.
I'm so grateful you've added this to the conversation today, my friend. I wish I could do one of those silent retreats with you.
Delete
Replies
Emotions, other than laughter and anger, weren't expressed much in my childhood home. Once again, I've learned so much through personal reading and from our particular ministry. As others have mentioned the Psalms, I've found a comforting connection to David's sanguine/melancholy personality. I'm looking forward to seeing where this leads too, Linda. I know you'll guide us well.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Linda Stoll November 6, 2017 at 2:58 PM
Amen, Debby. There's nothing like working with the broken, the wounded, the victorious to help us tap into the depth of our own hunkered down emotions, and also to be able to celebrate God's powerful redemption and healing touch.
My years leading Celebrate Recovery opened me up to the healthiest community I've ever been a part of. No masks, no petty and small stuff, only raw, real, vibrant, and exuberant. I miss them so ...
Delete
Replies
Unknown November 6, 2017 at 2:29 PM
You're saying it all exactly as we need to hear and remember. I think (know) it seems especially easy for believers to start setting aside what appear to be negative emotions as something akin to sin. You're right. It only gets us into trouble...not only emotionally and cognitively, but also spiritually because these things shoved into the basement can become resentment and bitterness. Our emotions don't knock God off His throne!
Love and hugs!
ReplyDelete
Replies
Linda Stoll November 6, 2017 at 3:02 PM
Yes, I've had people tell me that they believe emotions are sinful. The enemy knows how to drag us down into the pit of hopelessness and despair, doesn't he.
A bitter root yields bitter fruit. Unacknowledged, untended emotions end up with some kind of weird subterranean hold that latches onto the essence of who we are.
Praise God He is on the throne, His plans for us are not thwarted by our feelings or our challenges in walking through them.
It's for freedom we've been set free, yes?!
Delete
Replies
Kristi Woods November 6, 2017 at 3:06 PM
Oh goodness, how timely this is, Linda. Rejection reared its head just last week and into the weekend. It's a battle I've waged for years, but until the Holy Spirit identified it a few years ago, I had zero clue rejection proved an issue in my life. It used to drive me all over the place. Now, it attempts to take keys and sometimes we tussle outside the driver's door a bit, but it ain't driving me nowhere. :-) I'm so thankful for the truth offered from the Holy Spirit. I'm still working my way through things a bit, that much seems evident, but I'm miles from where I was just a handful of years ago.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Linda Stoll November 6, 2017 at 6:37 PM
Oh, I'm so sorry, Kristi. Any of us who've been there know the bruising of the soul that results.
After reading about your loss and abandonment, I began thinking of how Jesus was despised and rejected {Isaiah 53:3} ... even by those closest to Him right when He needed them most at the crucifixion.
All that to say, He gets it. He fully understands where you are, friend. I'm praying for you even as I type ...
Delete
Replies
Barbara H. November 6, 2017 at 3:53 PM
I don't know that I have any questions, but I look forward to reading your answers. :-) They will probably answer questions I didn't know I had. Those times when emotions run high, I've learned to examine them to see if I can figure out what the root problem is that triggered them, "take captive" my thoughts and try to counteract them with truth, and sometimes go on and ignore them and wait for them to catch up. By ignore, I don't mean stuff them or fail to acknowledge them, but I have realized that, after doing all the other things, sometimes the feelings still linger and I can't turn them off like a light switch, but they'll fade out eventually. An example: recently I had a morning when a number of little things went wrong and added up to my being particularly irritable. On top of that, my husband had to go out of town, leaving me with the care of his mom. I get into periods of frustration over his mom's situation and wonder why God leaves her here, why He doesn't release her from this contracted and uncooperative body and dimmed mind. I go back to the truth I know - I don't know why He leaves her here, but I know He has a purpose, and one purpose is to show me my selfishness and to teach me to serve others. But I still get frustrated and have to go back over that all again. So that morning everything just piled up, and I was near tears with frustration all morning. I couldn't do anything about any of it except commit it all to the Lord, and went on with my errands, and eventually everything was back on an even keel.
But that doesn't mean I have everything all together. Like I said, these emotions do keep coming up, and that frustrates me. It seems like once I work through them, they would STAY worked through! :-) But I guess that's part of our humanity and sinful nature.
I like the distinction you made between "I am..." and "I feel.." Something that I also tell myself often is "Don't feed the flame" - I have a tendency to keep going over and over whatever has me stirred up, especially if I feel wronged.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Linda Stoll November 6, 2017 at 6:43 PM
'Don't feed the flame.' Oh yes, that's a good one, Barbara. I'm so prone to go in that direction. It's so much easier to keep the wrong front and center than to release all the angst, to put the situation in its proper perspective, to forgive, to move ahead.
And you're right, feelings of hurt or disappointment or rejection or whatever do linger on, even when we've forgiven or moved ahead ourselves. It's a tender spot, sore to the touch.
Thanks for being so vulnerable around here. It's readers like you that make me love blogging like crazy!
Delete
Replies
Martha Jane Orlando November 6, 2017 at 5:26 PM
With Barbara, I love how you differentiated between "I am" and "I feel." So crucial when we are attempting to recognize our emotions, process them and deal with them. No, our emotions certainly don't define us - our loving God does.
Linda, this looks like a marvelous series you've started. This week, I'm on vacation without a computer, so if I don't chime in this week, you'll know why.
Blessings to you!
ReplyDelete
Replies
Linda Stoll November 6, 2017 at 6:45 PM
For sure, we are not defined by all our stuff, we are defined by all who God says we are in His Word.
Our emotions are so random and fleeting, but our Savior stands solid, strong, and unshakeable. That's who I want to lean in to!
Enjoy your vacation ... we'll be here when you return!
Delete
Replies
Marilyn November 6, 2017 at 5:40 PM
This will be a good, much needed series. Being an emotional person, everything was always super high or super low - until I learned that in my life it all had to do with control. Wanting to be the one to control what was happening in my life and everyone elses! Wanting to know the answers to life's issues and why things were happening, in my timing, not God's. I used to equate how I felt with where my faith was. I finally realized that faith and feelings are totally different. I might doubt, question, despair, but that doesn't make my faith in God any less real. Those are the times when He becomes more real to me and I just have to turn those situations over to Him to be in control of - but it isn't easy!
ReplyDelete
Replies
Linda Stoll November 6, 2017 at 6:51 PM
Yeah, for all us control freaks, your words resonate, Marilyn. We seem to lean into that mode thinking that if we can control every thing and every body that it will keep us from experiencing pain yet one more time.
But it doesn't work that way and leaves us frazzled, exhausted, and obnoxious to be around. Those closest to us feel disrespected, like they're never enough ... and everyone loses.
These are hard lessons for us to learn, but the more we find God to be faithful and ever present, the better likelihood we can give Him the reins in every area.
I'm glad you're here. Always.
Delete
Replies
Betsy de Cruz November 7, 2017 at 3:15 AM
What a powerful distinction: "I am angry." vs "Right now I feel angry." This is so good, Linda. I'm looking forward to your series.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Linda Stoll November 7, 2017 at 8:25 AM
Subtle distinctions can make a world of difference, can't they ...
Delete
Replies
lulu November 7, 2017 at 8:37 AM
My emotional safe guard is a wise and trusted friend to talk things over with. When we begin to roll thing around in our head without airing them, they become distorted and we are more likely to believe a distortion or outright lie. When I verbalize what I am feeling to a trusted friend, the truth is often reflected back to me by their expressions and comments. Emotional health is as important as physical and spiritual. It takes the entire ball of wax to make us who we are.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Linda Stoll November 7, 2017 at 9:07 AM
Oh how blessed you are, Lulu! Instead of throngs of companions, we all need a kindred spirit or two who knows all about us ... and loves us anyway. Even when truth needs to be spoken.
Iron sharpening iron. Yep, that's what we're yearning for. And when we find it, we know we've hit gold!
Delete
Replies
Anonymous November 7, 2017 at 11:44 AM
Linda, I love the "go-with-the-flow" approach you're taking to this series and can't wait to see where the Spirit leads!
The thing that comes to mind as I read your words was how helpful it was for me to realize (finally) that the way I often felt during certain tumultuous years was not because I was a bad Christian who was unable to "take every thought captive" but was, instead, directly tied to crazy hormones and even medications I was taking to help with those hormones. Understanding that there might be a biological or chemical cause wasn't an excuse to act badly (though I sometimes did), but it did help me deal with things a little better.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Linda Stoll November 7, 2017 at 1:22 PM
Oh, amen, Lois!! I want everyone to read your words, to understand that many of our emotional health issues have strong physical components to them that are medical issues that must be diagnosed and treated.
And yes, while they might have spiritual ramifications, they can not be prayed away nor does having someone lob Scripture verses at us help one bit.
This is a subject I am passionate about ... having been there in my own peri-menopausal years and now with clients that I see.
Sadly, Christian women are harsh on themselves in this area, rather than giving themselves grace ... and finding a good doctor to treat their symptoms.
Bless you, girl, for putting this topic on the table.
Delete
Replies
Trudy November 7, 2017 at 12:31 PM
I loved reading this post and the comments, Linda. I'm looking forward to more about this topic. May God give you wisdom! It's a difficult subject. Thank you for doing this. I love your advice in saying "I feel..." instead of "I am..." I have a hard time with feeling angry. My counselor once told me that instead of feeling anger towards the injustice of abuse, I take it out on myself. It's better than it used to be, but... I have also learned to not only allow myself to feel sadness, but to allow it in others. I can't always "fix" things. I love this powerful truth - "We are defined by our Savior." Amen! Love and hugs to you!
ReplyDelete
Replies
Linda Stoll November 7, 2017 at 1:27 PM
You're in good company, sweet lady ... so many women who love the Lord deal with anger and all the emotions that kick it off. Your counselor was spot on in encouraging you to aim your anger at the injustice, the sin, the ungodliness of abuse.
God often revealed His wrath against sin in all its forms. We should allow ourselves the strength to call abuse what it is. Abuse ... and not to take the blame or shame when it has been inflicted on us.
Good for you for allowing yourself those times of sadness ... and being strong enough to allow others to feel the same. It's all too easy to want to swoop in and fix everyone around us ... especially if we've gone through the pain that they are currently struggling with.
Thank you for expanding our conversation today. You continue to show yourself brave and courageous, friend ...
Delete
Replies
Jean Wise November 7, 2017 at 8:00 PM
wow look at all these comments. I would say you hit a nerve. I love this post. "Let's not let our emotions call the shots, damage our relationships, or destroy our testimonies." stirred me the most. I think I am slowly learning to know some of my feelings are part of me, may be part protecting my ego, arise from long ago hurts that are part of my story - BUT they are not in the driver seat and not the one and only way to go. like you said they don't call the shots. great. Thanks
ReplyDelete
Replies
Linda Stoll November 8, 2017 at 11:27 AM
Jean, I love the way you put this -->'some of my feelings are part of me, may be part protecting my ego, arise from long ago hurts that are part of my story - BUT they are not in the driver seat.'
You sound wise and healthy. How good to understand what's going on inside but choose not to let feelings control our lives and direct our path forward.
Delete
Replies
Sarah Geringer November 8, 2017 at 7:15 AM
Great series idea, Linda. I would say for me right now, working through unforgiveness and looking at the hidden toll grudges take on my emotional health. Blessings to you!
ReplyDelete
Replies
Linda Stoll November 8, 2017 at 11:28 AM
Oh Sarah, unforgiveness is a huge issue for so many of us and the toll it takes on our bodies, minds and souls can be immense. I hope you'll find something in this series that will help you take a few steps ahead toward release and freedom.
Bless you, girl, for your honesty here today.
Delete
Replies
Bev Rihtarchik - Walking Well With God November 8, 2017 at 7:18 AM
First of all, don't feel bad. I've had many a midlife temper-tantrum and they aren't pretty. It's usually when stress, lack of sleep, and circumstances come to a volcanic head. Thankful for my husband's forgiveness. To answer your query: I am a very emotional person, so for me the challenge has been to not be guided or driven by my emotions. Emotions and feelings lie. The enemy is great at twisting them to our demise. For me being in the Truth and holding my feelings and emotions up against the Truth and if they don't match up...then I need to try to throw out the false feelings. God, however, did give us emotions for a reason, so I don't believe that being stoic and never showing our emotions is what God intended. Look at Jesus...at the tomb of Lazarus, He wept. Emotions can be cathartic, but we want to be driven by God and not by our emotions. That, at least, is what this emotional girl has been learning. And yes, I have been known to tear up at Hallmark commercials lol.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Linda Stoll November 8, 2017 at 11:32 AM
'The enemy is great at twisting them to our demise.'
Amen, Bev. Amen. The most powerful weapon we have is the Word of God, using His wisdom as our guideline and measuring stick.
Our emotions may inform us, but His Word is truth. And that's where we stand.
Thanks for putting Him front and center in this dialogue. Without His grace and strength we'd be forever in the mire and the muck ...
Delete
Replies
Anonymous November 8, 2017 at 7:19 AM
Overwhelmed is how I feel. There is a lot going on in my life as well as in the world. It is enough to make me want to curl up with a book and not deal with any of it sometimes.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Linda Stoll November 8, 2017 at 11:34 AM
I hear you, Sarah.
And the holidays only make it worse, don't they. What a cryin' shame.
I encourage you to figure out what's essential for you and your family right about now and then say 'no thanks' to the rest.
Maybe this will help?
Praying even as I type away ...
Delete
Replies
Beth November 8, 2017 at 8:37 AM
I love this post, Linda, for a variety of reasons. And one thought in particular is your admonition to say "I am feeling angry" instead of "I am angry." I need to do more of this and the message it sends to me and those I'm interacting with will be so much better and healthier. Great thoughts, my friend!
ReplyDelete
Replies
Linda Stoll November 8, 2017 at 11:35 AM
Yeah, it DOES send a message, doesn't it! Maybe more to ourselves than others and it may be subtle, but I think it can help us turn a healthy corner.
We are not our emotions. It's for freedom Christ's set us free!
I'm glad you're here.
Delete
Replies
Valerie November 8, 2017 at 2:59 PM
My friend just texted and answer to my post and said "you need to be kinder and gentler on yourself and stop beating yourself up" which brought me back to your blog post. I'm thinking I know what I need to pay more attention to now. And thank goodness for great lifelong friends who tell it like it is!!!
ReplyDelete
Replies
Linda Stoll November 8, 2017 at 10:12 PM
Hi Valerie! Yes and amen to those lifelong friends who've got our number, who speak truth laden with grace, who give us a kick in the pants when we've gone a bit off kilter.
They're rare, aren't they ... and worth their weight in gold!
Delete
Replies
Carol November 8, 2017 at 8:31 PM
Lots to think about. I realized while reading this blog, I have never had the “luxury” of a good, rantful tirade. Do not have anyone who can handle it. So frustration builds up as I overthink and muse on the details that frustrate. My life has been framed by unresolved conflict so I guess I default to inner conflict which goes into problems unresolved.
Right now I can get myself into a frenzy of thinking while I try to figure out why I have been accused of offending another. Those offended never get specific so I am left with my own assumptions ... thus great frustration. Is frustration an emotion?
ReplyDelete
Replies
Linda Stoll November 8, 2017 at 10:18 PM
Well, it's been quite a while since you and I shared a good, 'rantful' tirade, my friend! Few people know me as well as you, yet you've always been safe and kind and terribly wise.
I miss you.
And as far as that one who says you've offended her but refuses to tell you why? Chances are it's more about her than you. As Tim always used to say, 'consider the source.'
'Nuff said.
And yes, frustration is what I call a primary emotion. We'll be talking about it in the next post.
Delete
Replies
Mary Geisen November 8, 2017 at 8:57 PM
This is going to be a wonderful series. I am someone who tends to keep the deepest parts of me just that - deep and hidden. I am learning to be more vulnerable and to open up. For so many years I needed to be "strong" or at least I thought I did. There is so much I can say about all of this but your series comes at the perfect time for me.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Linda Stoll November 8, 2017 at 10:20 PM
I'm glad that this series is meeting you right at the perfect time, Mary. Interesting about thinking we need to be strong ... and then wondering later if that really was the case.
Would love to hear your wisdom on that ...
Delete
Replies
Jeanne Takenaka November 8, 2017 at 9:44 PM
Wow, Linda, it looks like you've struck on a sticking point in the human experience (no surprise there!). I hadn't really thought, before, about how saying, "I'm angry...." can be a way we define ourselves. Adding that one word, "I FEEL angry . . . " I'm thinking on this. And, I am definitely looking forward to this series!
ReplyDelete
Replies
Linda Stoll November 8, 2017 at 10:23 PM
I'm glad you're here, Jeanne. Would love to hear your take on how this whole subject impacts teenagers, who certainly are bombarded with all kinds of social media that is altering who they are, wrecking havoc with their emotions, and leaving their parents feeling increasingly powerless and scared.
Delete
Replies
Jeanne Takenaka November 13, 2017 at 2:37 PM
I don't know how most parents are walking out the teen years with their kids. We are trying to help our boys understand that they are not defined by what their "friends" say to or about them. But, that's a tough concept to grasp in a season of life where friends mean almost everything.
But, we also try to encourage the boys to feel and talk about what they're feeling. Sometimes, it gets ugly, but there's something that happens when we take the time to listen without commenting. To let our boys say the ugly things in their minds and hearts, to say the things that are hard for us as parents to hear, and not respond. At least not right away. There seems to be something about being heard that helps them feel safe in sharing their emotions. And then, when the tirade simmers down, we have the opportunity to talk about things, to address emotions and thoughts, and to shine the light of truth on their thoughts. Not sure if this makes sense or not. ;)
Delete
Replies
Lux G. November 12, 2017 at 4:20 AM
Nothing defines us best than the love of God. Our identity is with Him. Thank you for this beautiful sharing!
ReplyDelete
Replies
Linda Stoll November 13, 2017 at 1:07 PM
Ah, yes. We are safe and whole in His gracious care, aren't we ...
Delete
Replies
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)
c. 2015 - 2022. Powered by Blogger.
DISCLAIMER: This website and accompanying content {links, resources, etc.} are for informational and discussion purposes only and should not be construed as psychotherapeutic advice of any kind. Linda Stoll assumes no liability for use or interpretation of any information contained on this website. The information contained on this website should not be an alternative to obtaining consult from a licensed mental health professional in your state based on specific facts of your clinical matter. Linda Stoll is a pastoral counselor and not a licensed mental health professional.
All rights reserved.
Feel free to link posts and pictures to your social media sites with full attribution to LindaStoll.net
Any other use of this material without written permission is not permitted.
As an Amazon Affiliate, I may receive a very small financial benefit if you make an Amazon.com purchase through a link on this site.
| 36,385 |
Finance companies are active on financial inclusion efforts during humanitarian crises, by delivering aid in the form of currency.
An international coalition of aid agencies, nonprofits and companies argues that the delivery of aid to recipients through stored value cards should be an entry point into the formal financial system.
Suman Bhattacharyya | May 25, 2017
From
This iframe contains the logic required to handle Ajax powered Gravity Forms.
For many of the 65 million people around the world who have been forcibly displaced from their homes, the flight from a war or natural disaster means leaving behind one’s possessions — including a financial identity. Finance companies, such as Visa and Mastercard, are active in financial inclusion efforts, providing affected individuals with the tools to buy necessities, in collaboration with aid agencies. Mastercard, through Mastercard Aid, has been working with nonprofits including World Vision and Save the Children to deliver aid to displaced populations impacted by humanitarian crises.
“Financial inclusion is critical to making people achieve full economic potential,” said Nina Nieuwoudt, vice president of new consumers at Mastercard.
The company said the shift from in-kind (delivery of tangible aid items like food and clothing) to currency solutions (for example, cards or vouchers) is big win for both aid agencies and the recipients, who now have more freedom to use the stored value cards as they see fit. And of course, it makes the companies money: Mastercard said its revenue stream from the cards is based on agreements with aid agencies and other partners. And it also lays the groundwork for future customers.
“It’s a lot cheaper and a lot more transparent [for the aid agencies], and a big part of it is the dignity of the person receiving the aid,” said Nina Nieuwoudt, vice president of new consumers at Mastercard.
Access to financial services is now deemed such an important path to self-sufficiency that a major global international development body is saying it should be part and parcel of all humanitarian aid efforts.
Last month, Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) released a report arguing that “embedding” financial inclusion in humanitarian aid efforts will more quickly propel disadvantaged populations out of poverty. Housed at the World Bank, CGAP is made up of 34 organizations that include government aid agencies, nonprofit foundations (for example, the Ford Foundation) and the philanthropic arms of finance companies like Citi and MasterCard.
“Financial inclusion allows low-income households to build assets; mitigate shocks related to emergencies, illness, or injury; and make productive investments,” read the report. “Increased use of emergency cash transfers and digital mechanisms to address immediate vulnerability may offer an opportunity to enable financial inclusion.”
Matthew Soursourian, a financial sector analyst at CGAP and one of the authors of the report, said that in the international development field, financial inclusion has moved from being seen as an objective to a cross-cutting tool that impacts other areas. He said providing aid through cash or vouchers is still very new — just six percent of international aid is not delivered through in-kind methods — but the delivery of aid through this method often stops short of helping displaced people acquire bank accounts and enter the formal financial system.
“They will create their own kind of debit card that’s closed loop and can only be used at certain stores,” Soursourian said. “We’re encouraging humanitarian actors to provide a bank account or some sort of transaction account, and there may be ways to create a no-frills account or an account with mobile money providers.” And with the success of mobile money transfer services like M-Pesa, with over 20 million registered users in 2015, technological innovations offer potential to help the unbanked and underbanked access the financial system.
Mastercard, which has this service active in nine countries, mostly in the Middle East and Africa, said closed-loop cards offer the means to purchase goods where no financial services exist.
“There are parts of the world where there is no connectivity, such as rural outlying areas,” she said. “There are areas where there are no ATMs or point-of-sale devices,” noting that a points card makes sense when no other financial services are available. She added that in communities with greater access to traditional financial services, such as Lebanon, an ecosystem with debit cards and bank accounts was possible.
0 comments on “How Mastercard is bringing financial inclusion to crisis-affected areas”
You must be logged in the post a comment.
Sort by Newest
Sponsored, The Customer Effect
Mobile banking outlook for 2023: Why push notifications are more important than ever
Mobile banking usage is quickly growing in popularity as account holders are afforded 24/7 access to their finances and enhanced ease of use.
Push notifications enable financial providers to take advantage of this surge by driving account holders to their mobile banking apps and increasing customer engagement.
Larky | December 02, 2022
Sponsored by Visa, The Customer Effect
Holiday travel is around the corner — is it time for a customer experience refresh?
New research finds 41% of U.S. adults are planning to travel this holiday season.
Nearly three years since the onset of the pandemic, 40% of surveyed travelers reported changing their travel behaviors.
Visa | November 14, 2022
Sponsored, The Customer Effect
Widening access to financial advice in the face of uncertainty
Consumers across generations are concerned about their current financial situations, highlighting the need for wider access to wealth management and financial advisory tools.
Advisors have a significant opportunity to help more people and grow, but they must first turn to modern technology and embrace a hybrid approach.
intelliflo | October 25, 2022
It’s 2022 and FIs are still struggling to make their products accessible. Procure Access wants to change that.
Americans with disabilities have a total of $490 billion in disposable income. Yet financial services are struggling to meet accessibility requirements, even with basic tools like PDFs.
With Procure Access, everyone from Google to Fidelity Investments is getting involved to ensure accessibility is considered at the start of the procurement process.
Rabab Ahsan | September 14, 2022
Sponsored, The Customer Effect
Creating a hyper-personalized banking experience
To this day, a lot of financial institutions are using legacy systems that were written back in the '80s and remain the same.
Today's digital banking platforms and card services can offer hyper-personalized experiences to create a unique experience for each cardholder.
Zeta | August 25, 2022
Tearsheet is the only media company obsessively focused on technology’s impact on the financial services and fintech industry. Read by decision makers across product, marketing, and digital, Tearsheet connects with its audience across web, email, podcasts, the Outlier membership program and in-person events.
| 7,273 |
Florence Nightingale is famous for being the 'Lady with the Lamp' who nursed soldiers during the Crimean War (1853 - 56).
After the Crimean War she demanded a Royal Commission into the Military Hospitals and the health of the Army, she began investigating the health and sanitation in the British Army in India, and the local population.
She established the first organised, training school for nurses, the Nightingale Training School at St Thomas’ Hospital.
Her greatest achievement was to make nursing a respectable profession for women. Florence's writings on hospital planning and organization had a profound effect in England and across the world, publishing over 200 books, reports and pamphlets.
At the time and after, 'Florence' became a popular choice of name for a girl. Miss Nightingale was born in Florence Italy, 1820, hence her Christian name, which before her adulation, was never a name for a girl.
Other Apps
Other Apps
Comments
Popular posts from this blog
February 28, 2015
There is only one spelling for panic ; the verb is inflected 'panic, panics, panicked, and panicking’. The form panick is used for progressive tense, past tense and past participle. We don't write panick today, though English speakers from a few hundred years ago might have (in the same way they might have written musick). When the alternate spelling “panick” is used for the past participle: "I panicked last night at the disco." When it’s use for progressive tense: “Invariably, when markets are panicking, they sell the stocks quickly.” It's the rule for root words ending in "c" is that you have to add “k”, so the spelling is related with the pronunciation. If we don't add the <k>, it looks as if the <c> has to be pronounced /s/. If the "k" was not there, “panicing” would look like the word which is supposed to be pronounced as if it is ended in "sing," while “paniced” would be pronounced like “panised”. The same
Other Apps
Read more
Does pearls reproduce by itself through time
March 23, 2016
At the request of several families he and Mrs Legge gave a home for some months to a young Dutch girl, a granddaughter of the first Dutch governor of the Straits Settlements. She had several pearls of which the Dutch residents were great collectors, got from oysters found in a river of the Malay Peninsula, when she left them she gave Mrs Legge a small box containing a large pearl the size of a pea, with a blue spot on it, and two others not so large. This box was then put away and locked up. Several weeks later he took it out and on opening it discovered more than a dozen pearls, most of them very small. Astonished at the phenomenon he called his chief servant, a Portuguese, who happened to enter the room and who expressed no surprise but declared it to be a common occurrence. On enquiry he found that many of the Dutch people had jars of pearls, large and small, which had accumulated in this way. Some years later he related the incident at dinner on board ship. The captain was a cautio
Other Apps
Read more
"Why" used as exclamation, an example from "An Inspector Calls"
July 08, 2020
When "Why" is used as an exclamation, it would normally be followed by a comma instead of an exclamation mark, it's an interjection used to express surprise, disagreement, indignation, hesitation, impatience etc: //Why, don't be silly! (Collins) //Why, here's what I was looking for! (Merriam Webster) In J. B Priestley's An Inspector Calls, when Arthur Birling talked about the greatest technological progress of the time such as airplanes, automobiles, and ships, he said: And then ships. Why , a friend of mine went over this new liner last week – the titanic – she sails next week – forty-six thousand eight hundred tons – new york in five days – and every luxury – and unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable. He use "Why" to express surprise. Arthur was born into a humble background and became a prosperous manufacturer, he was pompous but rather " provincial " in his speech.
| 4,272 |
Chelsea Table + Stage, New York’s newest hotspot for intimate dining and music, will present the New York premiere of IT: A Musical Parody for 13 performances starting Oct. 20. The run will end with a special Halloween show.
Based on Stephen King’s hit horror novel, the John Flynn-written jukebox musical takes place in Derry, Maine and follows seven young outcasts confronting their worst nightmare – an evil shapeshifting clown known as Pennywise. The group must band together to overcome their fears and battle the infamous, monstrous demon.
This rendition takes inspiration from the original 1990 cult classic film starring Tim Curry as the titular antagonist, as well as the 2017 and 2019 remakes and the novel that started it all. When the piece made its LA debut in 2019, it won six Los Angeles Ovation Awards including “Best Production of a Musical.”
Garrett Clayton, known for his screen roles in Teen Beach Movie, King Cobra, and Hairspray: Live, played the villainous clown in LA, and he will reprise the character in New York. Other featured cast members include Vanjah Boikai, E.K. Dagenfield, Trevin Goin, Gwen Hollander, Janaya Mahealani Jones, and Sterling Sulieman.
Instinct caught up with Clayton to talk more about IT: A Musical Parody, his love of horror, and other projects.
Hi, Garrett! Thank you for taking some time to chat with me about the New York premiere of IT: A Musical Parody. What can audiences expect?
It just feels like a party. Every time we did the show, it was always such a blast. It felt like everybody really got into the spirit of what we were trying to produce, and I think people love that we try and touch on the different iterations of it. Whether it’s the book, the mini-series, or the movies, there’s a little bit of something for everyone, but the through line really is the books, which is nice because we really kind of lay into the Pennywise is an alien aspect. That’s fun to see onstage. It’s also a jukebox musical and we end Act I with “Bohemian Rhapsody” while the kids are trying to kill me in the sewer system. So, it’s a good time.
What are you enjoying the most about playing the infamous Pennywise?
For me, it’s the freedom of the role. I don’t know why, but doing this character feels so powerful and wild. They really allowed me to show a lot of different facets of different things. I can do different styles of music, different styles of dance, there’s a little bit of comedy, there’s people who are scared of clowns that are always screaming in the audience, even if I just walk by, so there’s a little bit for everyone. Also, we’re going to be playing with a different type of set that I don’t think people have really experienced before, so being immersed in a different way is exciting.
Is this the first time you’ve played a horror monster/villain?
I did the show before the pandemic in Los Angeles and that run ended up getting extended, and we won a couple awards for it. That’s why it’s coming back now, but this is my first time in this genre in this way. But to come back to something like this, it kind of feels like we’re celebrating that. A lot of these things, you do it and you’re done. So, anything in life that’s brought back for a second time feels like a gift. We were together before the pandemic and now we get to be together again.
When you did the LA debut in 2019, did you originally audition for the role, or were you sought out?
I’ve worked with the people on the team before and they had offered me parts in the past, but I knew that this one was going to be a bit of a hard pick because everyone would bring something different to the role. After I talked to the producers, we all agreed that I should go in and read. That made the most sense. If they just offered it to me, who knew if I was going to be really right for the part? I hadn’t done anything like that before. It wasn’t like playing a boyish lead or supporting character. It’s not a prince in a fairy tale, this is a massive villain in a very well-known franchise.
So, it was definitely important to me and them that the right person got the part. God forbid I demand to be offered this role and it turns out I’m not the right guy for the job. It could have been anybody. They literally auditioned anyone who wanted a shot at it, regardless of gender, height, weight, or shape. Everyone could come in and read for this, and I know that they considered some other ridiculously talented people who are in the same circles. Whoever they picked would have been in good hands, but I am obviously very grateful to be the one that got the job.
What were your initial thoughts when you found out It was being turned into a musical parody?
I thought it was exciting! Tim Curry’s version of Pennywise the Clown and Freddy from A Nightmare on Elm Street, they were both my horror intros when I was a little kid. I remember seeing the It TV special when I was super young, and even though I was hiding behind a fort wall of pillows with my brother, I fell in love with horror because of it.
Then after that, I watched all the Nightmare on Elm Street films. Dream Warriors is my favorite because I also played Dungeons and Dragons, so I’m like, this one’s for the nerds (laughs). So, when this came across and I knew that it was happening, I was excited, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up because I figured a lot of people were going to want this part.
What are some of your other favorite Stephen King works?
Oh, man. I always thought In the Tall Grass was scary. They just made it into a movie a couple years ago, but the thought of getting trapped in some weird wheat field, Children of the Corn type stuff, that’s always been terrifying to me. There’s something so claustrophobic about the idea of being lost and not knowing where to go. Humans don’t innately have a compass, so you can legitimately get lost in a forest and walk around in circles because you can’t see the sun or know which way is north, south, east, west. Also, The Dark Tower, which I always thought was cool and a different level of horror.
In your opinion, why do you think LGBTQ people resonate so well with the horror genre?
I think there’s a lot of room in the horror genre that has been written for the outcast being the underdog, and I think a lot of queer people innately feel like they’re outside of the norm in a general sense. They feel othered a lot. There are a lot of heroes that we root for in horror, and they usually feel like the underdog.
As queer people, I think for a very long time, whether it’s fighting for our rights or our right to just be happy and exist in this world, many of us have felt othered. So, there’s a lot to resonate with the queer community. However, we’re always the ones to die quickly. They need to rework that a little bit (laughs).
Even though there is a special Halloween performance of IT: A Musical Parody, do you have any other plans this year? Do you and Blake have any special Halloween traditions?
We typically throw a Halloween party every year, but this is the first time we can’t since I’ll be in New York. I’ll be ending the show every night as a clown, so if I want to go out, I’m already dressed for it!
Do you have a Halloween that is most memorable to you?
Probably the year we threw one of our first big parties at the house we used to live at. Blake was Tippi Hedren from The Birds, and he had a big refrigerator box as the telephone booth with birds glued all over it. Anytime people would take a picture, he would scream. Then I was dressed up with our other friend, Miata. I was Mugatu and she was Katinka Ingabogovinanana from Zoolander. That was a fun year.
One of your more recent projects was starring in the short film The Letter Men. Is there anything you would like to say about that?
That is such a powerful piece because it’s a piece of our history that we typically don’t get to see a lot, and it is the largest archive of any love story from that time, from any queer couple. Hundreds of love letters, and their story is beautiful. Just seeing how a lot of the things they went through still resonates today in a lot of different places in the world. It’s an important piece of history because we don’t really have very many records in this size or capacity from people in this community.
We need to highlight these stories and use whatever voices we have in the community to bring these stories out because it’s not like it’s a made-up thing we’re making just for fun. It’s not like, here, get lost in this story for an hour and a half. This is a short that’s very important to Andy Vallentine, the director, and he respectfully went out, got the rights, and met the person who’s in charge of it. He was very thoughtful in his process of creating the short.
Honestly, I didn’t expect everything that’s coming from it, but I’m so grateful that people care that it’s happening. Also, going through this path with my husband and seeing the similarities between Gilbert and Gordon not being able to be open with their relationship and us having the similar issues until recently, I think a lot of people in our community could benefit from this piece, as well as people who aren’t in the community.
Is there a type of role you would love to play at some point?
I want to be a wizard or a superhero just because they’re fun. I’m having so much fun with all the work I’m doing right now, so that’s really what I’m focused on. I feel very blessed at this moment. I’m not particularly religious, but that’s the first word that came to mind.
Before we wrap up, are there any other upcoming projects or anything else you would like to mention or plug?
Right now, I’m working on an album in Nashville with some people. I’ve been working on this for the last year, and I’m just starting to talk about it. We’re going to meet with some people to talk about the ways in which we want to release it in January, so that’s coming down the pipeline. Fairly OddParents is airing on Nickelodeon this month, so look out for that because it’s a really fun show, and then there’s Spotify Live that we have every week, A Gay in the Life. New episodes air on Mondays from 5:00-6:00 p.m. PST, and then just doing IT: A Musical Parody. Kind of job hopping a lot right now.
Stay up-to-date with Clayton by following him on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. Click HERE for more information and to purchase tickets for IT: A Musical Parody.
Reddit
Related
October 22, 2022 at 8:03 pm
This time in history is really devoid of original ideas and thoughts…when something like this becomes a musical?!?!?!
Not having critical thinking classes in school anymore is really showing it’s results.
October 20, 2022 at 10:15 pm
It getting a musical seems super weird, but might be camp enough. He’s been on my radar since playing gay porn star Brent Corrigan.
Δ
Denny Patterson is a LGBTQ entertainment and lifestyle journalist based in St. Louis, Missouri. Outside of writing, he enjoys traveling, binge watching TV shows and movies, reading (books and people!), and spending time with his husband and pets. Denny is also the Celebrity Corre...
| 11,508 |
In case you somehow hadn’t heard, Billy Corgan, prospective savior of TNA, is now suing the company over accusations that they are trying to screw him out of an agreement that would have given him near-total control over the company if they failed to pay back several loans he gave to the struggling wrestling organization. On Wednesday evening, Corgan and TNA were in court in Tennessee for an official hearing. Compiled from a series of Tweets by Tennessee reporter Nate Rau, here is a brief summary of the arguments from both sides.
– Corgan saved the company on 3 occasions. But TNA didn’t hold up its end of bargain. Sims says Corgan and Carter entered pledge agreement that included insolvency cause. Sims said TNA misled BC about company debts. He says Corgan was named pres but excluded from mgmt decisions. Sims says proving the pledge is crucial part of lawsuit. The second question is if TNA really is insolvent. Sims says there is no doubt about that.
– On three occasions, Corgan provided money to ensure TNA could continue to operate, at which point Corgan and Dixie Carter entered an agreement that would allow Corgan control of the company if it ever became insolvent again. Instead, TNA lied to Corgan about the company’s debts, and he was excluded from management decisions despite being named President.
– When he loaned TNA money and made the agreement, Corgan was not made aware of the company’s true financial situation.
– TNA is not paying any talent, which they blame on Corgan’s lawsuit, but Sims stated it is because they do not have the money to do so, regardless of any lawsuits.
– TNA has 52% more liabilities than they did in June, when Corgan last provided them with money. They have failed to produce a schedule of liabilities, and are hiding their true debts.
– WWE did make an offer to buy the tape library, which has now been significantly lowered, and includes a non-compete clause for both Carter and Corgan that would not allow them to start a new wrestling promotion for at least a year. The offer is also lower than the amount of TNA’s known liabilities, and Dixie Carter allegedly told WWE that she won’t sell to them as long as Corgan is still around.
– Dixie Carter has made an offer to allow Corgan to buy her stake in the company in the past.
Travis Parham, attorney for Dixie Carter and TNA
– Corgan’s lawsuit has hurt TNA’s financial standing and ability to find investors
– The current ownership situation is that Carter owns 92.5 %, Aroluxe owns 5%, and Anthem Media owns 2%. Anthem has offered to pay off Corgan’s loan to TNA and install Aroluxe’s Jason Brown as CEO.
– Allegedly, Corgan would only loan money in exchange for the potential for it to become a stake in the company. After the third loan, he insisted on a pledge agreement that would give him controlling interest in the company if TNA defaulted. Parham said the deal is consistent with predatory lending, and repeated that TNA (through Anthem) was willing to pay off Corgan’s loan, but not give him a stake in the company.
– Corgan offered to buy TNA when his loan agreement expired, which would have given him 52% of the company. Corgan had refused to let TNA refinance his loan and pay him back, because he wants this opportunity to own Dixie Carter’s entire stake in the company. Corgan’s lawsuit is the result of a failed attempt to purchase the company, and is the only reason why the company is in financial distress at the moment.
– Apparently the contract between Corgan and Carter is illegal under Tennessee law, which means even if TNA is insolvent (which they claim it is not), Carter still can’t transfer her stake to Corgan.
A ruling on this lawsuit is expected to be made on Monday.
Stephen Randle is an avid wrestling and film fan. He's been writing about WWE, movies, and video games for Goliath since 2015.
| 3,891 |
Some kids will be natural builders. They will gravitate toward toys such as blocks, Legos, Zoob pieces, Tinker toys or many others that are available. They can also do wonders with cardboard and lots of tape. They like building, making, and creating. Let them do this to their heart’s content. There are other kids who may not like building, or they just do it a little. That’s okay too. Let kids do what they want when they have free, unstructured time.
Supporting the little makers is perfect project-based homeschooling territory, and over time, it may help you see how these techniques work.
Every parent wants their child to be independent and do things on their own, but that’s not going to happen until well into adulthood. So don’t think that when I say “fostering independent learners” or something similar, it means that you need to let your kids struggle or always play alone. On the contrary, when you follow project-based homeschooling techniques, you’re going to be available to your child and offer them the support they need.
During the time you set aside for your child’s projects, you can consider your child the boss, and you’re the employee. Your child gets to tell you what they want to happen, and you can do it for them. This is especially helpful when your child is little, and they may not have the manual dexterity to create what they envision. The important thing is not to take over your child’s project. Just ask them what they need you to do and don’t do anything else.
Don’t wander off or look at your phone during this time unless it becomes clear that your child doesn’t want you there. Sit there and let them know you’re available to help. Be interested in what they are doing. You can show interest by asking them questions about what they are building, but sometimes they’ll be happy if you just watch. Be enthusiastic. Just taking 30 minutes to an hour to sit by your child’s side even if they don’t need you to do anything will show your child you love and support them!
You can sometimes make suggestions, but I recommend waiting until they’re a little stuck or having a hard time accomplishing something. Always hesitate and ask questions. Wait and watch to see if they can figure it out on their own. Project-based homeschooling is about letting your child do the work when they can. You may think your child could not possibly figure out a way to fix a problem, but they might surprise you. I know there were a few times when I was working with my son, and I could see an easy way to make whatever it was he wanted, but I didn’t say anything. I saw him start doing something that I didn’t think would work, but then guess what? He made it work! His mind was working differently from mine, but his way worked just as well.
Of course, there were also times he got frustrated, cried, and I wondered what the heck I was doing. This is definitely a long road and takes practice for the parent. You are getting to know your child, learning when to step in and when to back off.
Do you have a little maker? I’d love to hear about them!
Also, please join me in one of my video chats as I discuss more project-based homeschooling techniques and answer all your questions. I’m going to schedule one for January, so please contact me, if you’d like to know when I do that. Alternatively, patrons can unlock access to all my classes, PDF resources, and much more, so please check out my Patreon page!
Reddit
Private Homeschool Support Group for Project-based Homeschoolers, a.k.a. any Homeschool Family :)
November 1, 2022 November 15, 2022 ~ shelli ~ Leave a comment
I’m excited to share some news. I have created a Patreon account so that I can form a small, nurturing community of like-minded parents. Space will be limited, so we can get to know each other.
It will be a homeschool support group for project-based homeschoolers, but you don’t have to consider yourself a project-based homeschooler (PBH) to join. You just need to be interested in becoming a better mentor and guide for your child, which is what PBH is all about! Seasoned project-based homeschoolers are more than welcome too!
Project-based homeschooling might seem like unschooling or common sense parenting, but there are actually a lot of tips and tricks that I learned that helped me find a balance between stepping in to help my kids and stepping away when appropriate. That’s harder than it seems! I will be sure to share everything I’ve learned in this support group and help you with whatever comes up in your daily homeschooling life. I hope everyone in the group will support each other.
We will not be restricted to talking about project-based homeschooling! As a support group, we can discuss all aspects of homeschooling, parenting and daily life as homeschool parents. Also, you can use PBH techniques whether you unschool, use a strict curriculum or are somewhere in between.
So, if you’d like a small, nurturing group that you can check in with daily, weekly, monthly (whenever it’s good for you), please join. If you’d like to share your child’s projects and successes, but you don’t want to put it out for everyone on the Internet to see, please consider joining. If you’d like some camaraderie with like-minded parents, please join.
I want to make it accessible, affordable and easy to join, but I can’t do this for free because I need to pay fees to keep up the infrastructure. I have created two tiers that I hope you find very reasonable:
$3.00/month subscription — Join the group I’m calling the “Wrens,” and you will receive the following benefits:
You will unlock posts on Patreon that are not on my public blog. I can be a little more candid there. Some of what I’ll share:
Resources I’m using right now and my candid feelings about it.
Ups and downs of daily life.
Our research into colleges and universities and what I need to do to help my kids reach their goals.
The pitfalls of homeschooling.
Ask me any question in a comment, and I will respond ASAP. Or you can access a private Discord server for this group that I will monitor daily. Share your child’s projects, ask advice, or just chat with the group!
As a sign on bonus, I will give you access to all my PDF resources.
You will also be supporting this ad-free blog (which will remain unchanged), and you will have my deepest thanks!
$6.00/month subscription — Join the group I’m calling the “Ravens,” and you will receive the following benefits:
You will have everything from the Wrens tier plus:
I will offer a monthly, live online support group meeting. Day and time will be determined by the first few members, so please don’t hesitate to sign up!
As a sign on bonus, you will have access to the classes in my store. That is, you do not have to pay extra for these classes. You can even take them more than once. (Each class is worth between $10-$25 each, and I will be adding more classes in the coming months.)
I will also create classes/presentations by request from my patrons on specific topics.
NOTE: I also have a $1 tier for anyone who would like to support my blog and read my posts on Patreon, but you don’t need a support group.
Click here to access My Patreon. Also, please share this post with your social networks. Thank you!
If you aren’t sure what project-based homeschooling is all about, start here: https://mamaofletters.com/project-based-homeschooling/
To learn more about me, see https://mamaofletters.com/bio/
Please join. Will you? Please comment or ask questions below.
Reddit
Project-based Homeschooling in the Later Years
October 18, 2022 October 18, 2022 ~ shelli ~ Leave a comment
Recently I gave a Zoom presentation on project-based homeschooling (you can sign up here for the next one), and a question I received made me think about how I have never stopped using project-based homeschooling (PBH) techniques, but PBH looks very different in our home than it did ten years ago. I don’t think about the techniques anymore. My sons each have a project that has become more of a life goal, and my role is to support them on a higher level. In other words, our lives revolve around these activities. My own projects have evolved over the years, overlapping with the boys’ activities, so we learn and grow alongside each other.
Here are the current state of our projects:
My eldest son is a classical pianist, and at 16, it’s clear that he has his heart set on a career in music. I’m not sure what that will look like yet, but we’re sacrificing a lot to help him. As we do more research, we know what we can offer him may not be enough to catapult him to the place he dreams of, but he works hard, and I have no doubt he’ll carve out a life full of music making. Besides taking the time he needs to practice and work on his technique, he has started a Patreon account where he will share short, weekly practice videos, and I’ll help him chronicle our research into his next steps, including college applications, scholarship applications, auditions and more. I hope someone will show their support for him there.
He got to hold his favorite bird!
My younger son has been interested in birds since he was four-years-old, and it’s interesting for me to look back at how this interest has always been there, though there have been long periods when he hasn’t done much with it. Now that he’s 13, this is changing, and that’s largely because he’s old enough to join certain classes related to birds on Outschool and get something out of them. He also has an active YouTube channel where he shares his videos of birds. Recently he also got to visit a bird banding station in a program run by Georgia Audubon for teens. Now that he’s getting a chance to meet people with similar interests, I hope it’ll introduce him to many possible paths that will most likely include birds.
As for me, I’m thinking about what I can do to support the boys in these later years, yet I also know they are going to go by fast. So I’m wondering what life has in store for me when they don’t need me as a teacher/facilitator/coordinator anymore. With that in mind, I’m slowly building a store and some other opportunities for families to connect with me in video chats so that I can share more of what I’ve learned. (Watch this space for updates on that.) I don’t know how much interest I can stir up, but if nothing happens, I’ll lose nothing….except a little pride, maybe.
If there is one thing about project-based homeschooling, it’s that the learning never stops, the creating never stops, and the striving never stops. It’s a life-long endeavor. You have to find joy in the journey. Ultimately, the big project is creating a life that is worth living that also puts some good into the world. With the proper support, you can’t go wrong with that.
Reddit
October 5, 2022 October 5, 2022 ~ shelli ~ Leave a comment
Here it is October, and I’m relieved by the cooler, beautiful weather. Yet the boys are full swing into their new homeschool year, and I’m already feeling the crunch of time. Sometimes I sit and breathe and remember that all will be well. No matter what we get done or don’t get done, the boys are growing into intelligent, caring people, and what more can I ask for?
Whether I like it or not, life is always changing. By that I mean people change and circumstances change, and I can’t control it. I’m getting older, and my body doesn’t agree with what my mind wants it to do. I can’t get society to act in ways that I wish it would, so instead I accept what is, and I do what little I can to help my family and make the world a better place.
One thing I have always loved to do is offer encouragement to other homeschooling parents. I don’t do this because I’m an expert at it. I’m carefully considering my every move on this unsure journey. However, I feel confident I have found some things that work well for the boys and me, and as they get older, I find it’s the boys themselves who are validating the overall choice to homeschool, go at their pace, and focus on their interests. Because like I said, they are growing into intelligent and caring people, and they have such interesting pursuits. (This doesn’t mean I think everything is perfect or that I don’t wish I had more resources at my fingertips!)
I hope we can help them in this later stage of homeschooling as they take what they’ve gained here and make their way into more independent lives and, most likely, higher education. I can’t wait to see what happens, but I’m humbled by knowing anything could happen, and nothing is certain.
I also think about myself and what I will do when I finish homeschooling. There are things I’d like to try, but I have less interest in the things I used to do. Will that interest come back when I’m less exhausted and have more time? Maybe. For now, I hope I can continue to be a source for homeschooling parents.
I have always been available by email, but I need to change that. I’m getting busier, and I have less energy for typing long emails. So I’m going to try out Zoom so that I can talk to parents. Unfortunately, I can’t do this for free, but I don’t need much to sustain it.
This Saturday, I’m giving a presentation on project-based homeschooling with plenty of time for a Q&A. (I can also make it available at a time that’s good for you.) These simple but powerful techniques helped me shift from thinking of myself as a parent-teacher to more of a mentor. It helped me identify my kids’ interests and not just the ones I thought were education-worthy.
I think it’s important to say that this is not about helping kids get into the best schools or putting them on a certain career path (unless that helps them with their goals). It’s more about supporting kids where they are at and creating a relationship of trust so that they know you are their advocate. Every kid should have an advocate that truly cares about what they care about! I think it’s these relationships that create a path of success for kids, and by success, I don’t mean just financial success. I mean a path that will be meaningful to them and the community they live in. When you respect kids and their interests, they will turn around and respect others. And that makes the world a little bit better.
Okay, I’ll get off my soap box now. I hope you’ll sign up for my presentation. Click here to do that.
If there’s an interest, I may create an on-going homeschooling support group for a nominal fee. So let me know, if you would be interested in that.
Reddit
Join me for my presentation on Project-based Homeschooling
September 22, 2022 September 27, 2022 ~ shelli ~ Leave a comment
I’m very excited to offer this live video chat to anyone who would like to learn more about project-based homeschooling techniques and how I have used them in my homeschool. We’ll meet for 1~1.5 hours so that there’s plenty of time to answer your questions.
If this day/time doesn’t work for you, there’s an option to purchase the class and arrange another time with me.
Please share this with anyone you think would be interested. You can download a PDF of this flyer by clicking on the word “Download” above this image. Contact me, if you have any questions!
Reddit
Our 6th Grade Homeschool Curriculum
September 6, 2022 September 6, 2022 ~ shelli ~ Leave a comment
If you look closely, you can see the Great Blue Heron on the other side of the lake.
This is bittersweet for me because this will be the last post I write about our curriculum on my Mama of Letters blog, though I will keep writing here in other ways. For middle and high school, you can find my curriculum resources here. As the boys get older, I want to protect their privacy a little more and give myself new ways to connect with parents who value my work.
My younger son has completed 6th grade. In some subjects he’s a little ahead where his brother was because after developing these plans for his brother, I had them on hand, so I used them earlier with him. He’s also a different kid. He isn’t practicing an instrument several hours a day like his brother, so he has more time for other things. He loves to read, and I gave up trying to keep track of the books he’s reading. I think he was averaging a new book every 2~3 days at one point.
Here’s a run down of his course of study and the resources I used:
Besides all the books he reads on his own (and I have to thank my husband for making many trips to the library to keep him supplied with books), I assigned him some books for a literature unit. The theme was survival. After reading the books, we talked about them, and I prepared a series of worksheets for him to fill out. The worksheets included information about the author, vocabulary, discussion questions, short answer, short essay, and a review of literary terms. I cobbled these together from stuff I found on the Internet, so I can’t share it here, but the last few books, I kept it simple. We discussed them, and I asked him to write about how survival was a theme in each book. This is what I assigned:
Island of the Blue Dophins by Scott O’Dell
Woodsong by Gary Paulsen
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
The Cay by Theodore Taylor
A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
Short Story: A Worn Path by Eudora Welty
In addition to this literature unit, he worked through Michael Clay Thompson’s Paragraph Town with me, and he did all the paragraph labs, four-level sentence analysis and punctuation lessons and worksheets.
If that’s not enough, on a whim I decided he could join his brother and me as we read the play Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. Some of what I did to explore this play was listen to a professional reading of the original text followed by reading the modern text out loud together (from No Fear Shakespeare). We discussed the play, and we watched a BBC movie version of the play too. I’m really excited to start exploring Shakespeare with both my boys!
For math I finally switched curriculums for the middle school level, and I have to tell you that if I had to start homeschooling over again, I would use this curriculum from the get-go. (But who knows? It might not have been a good fit when they were six-years-old.) Anyway, he’s working in Math Mammoth now, and if you use this curriculum, you should know that it’s more advanced than most math curriculums. For example, Math Mammoth “Grade 7” is pre-algebra. Most kids take pre-algebra in 8th grade, so if you use Math Mammoth, your kid will be slightly ahead of their public school peers. My son is on track to do pre-algebra in the 8th grade.
This year I outsourced science because this kid is still into birds. If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, you’ll know this is the one and only project he has stuck with over the course of his short life, and he even has a YouTube channel that’s all about birds. If he continues to find this a major interest, there’s a good possibility he may go into one of the sciences. That’s still to be determined, but just in case, I didn’t feel like I could make science very exciting by teaching it myself. For this reason, I’m very grateful for Outschool.com. He’s taken many classes on this site, including some excellent classes specifically about birds and zoology, and he’s also been part of an ongoing, weekly ornithology club and more. But to meet a more typical course of study for 6th grade, I enrolled him in a year-long middle school Life Science class.
To be honest, I wasn’t crazy about how this Life Science class was taught even though it ticked the boxes for what I needed, and my son liked it. I’m not going to promote this particular class, and instead I will tell you that if you are looking for classes on Outschool, I find the best teachers are usually those who were not public school teachers. Of course, this isn’t always the case, but if you can find someone who has a degree in the subject, they will be excited about it, and they’ll have interesting ways of teaching it and a depth of knowledge that can’t be matched. Again, not always the case, but that’s been my experience so far. If anyone else has other experiences with finding good classes on Outschool, I welcome your comments. I do highly recommend Outschool. It’s been a game changer for us, and I appreciate how affordable most of the classes are.
artwork by the 6th grader
I had such ambitious goals for learning history and recording it on this blog, but Life taught me to keep it simple. I began reading Everything You Need to Ace American History In One Big Fat Notebook out loud to my youngest son last year, and we continued it this past year. We stopped reading sometimes so that we could read history-related middle grade books that I had picked up at library book sales. One of those that I would like to highlight is Frederick Douglass for Kids: His Life and Times with 21 Activities by Nancy I. Sanders. We loved this book, so we read it slowly over a long period. I highly recommend it.
If it had not been for the pandemic, I probably would have ordered more history books from the library, but we’ve really enjoyed this simple approached and the few books we had on our shelf. It won’t be long before he does U.S. History with his father (a history professor) in high school, so I think he’s getting a good introduction.
Both my boys have been taking weekly Mandarin Chinese lessons with an online tutor for almost three years now. As time went on, I felt that they needed more practice speaking Chinese, but I couldn’t figure out how to do this without spending more money. Suddenly this year we got what feels like a huge gift dropped on us. They are going to start getting twice weekly lessons with a new, fantastic tutor for free! I am over the moon excited. I wish I could share this resource with everyone, but unfortunately, it’s not mine to share. But I would urge anyone to just keep looking for opportunities in your community because you never know what you might find.
Physical Education
I always include physical education on my end-of-year progress reports, though I’m not sure how much I’ve written about it on my blog. We’re not an athletic family, but we are active in that we take many walks and hikes. This year I made more effort to take this kid out for more walks, and I succeeded.
And now we just passed my son’s 5th anniversary for taking cello lessons! I say this every year, but I can’t believe how fast the time is going. He enjoys playing the cello and considers it a hobby, so he spends about 45~60 minutes on daily practice, six days a week. His cello teacher is awesome, and he started back to in-person lessons this past winter.
I hope this is helpful for you. If you’d like to chat with me on Zoom about homeschooling, you can sign up here.
Reddit
January 2022
January 31, 2022 May 1, 2022 ~ shelli ~ 2 Comments
My daffodils are blooming early, and they will always remind me of my dad who died in January 2021. He had given me these bulbs. They were growing on a back corner of his property, and they may have originally been planted by my great-grandmother! I have many more around the front of my yard.
It’s the last day of January, and whew — I’m glad it’s over. This has been a very busy month, and it has been cold outside with a few days of almost warm. It also has been a month of remembering….remembering loss from last year and remembering pre-covid times when everything was so much easier. I have been doing lots of random things like going to physical therapy, and I have been ordering specimens for my son’s biology labs. I also baked a loaf of bread for one of his science experiments. I haven’t baked in a long time, but I was pleased to have the skill when it was needed. I finished another James Herriot book, and I discovered that I absolutely love Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique. I’m so lucky to have musicians in my house!
The project that has taken the most time, however, is my 12-year-old’s new YouTube channel! Yes, we have taken the bird project to new heights! This year my 12-year-old is in an online ornithology club, which has really inspired him to dig deeper into the world of birds, and then I wondered if he might enjoy recording the birds in our yard and starting a YouTube channel. I was right, and he’s so excited about this. Every few days he’ll put the camera outside, picking a new place or a different angle, and we’ll put the seeds out there. Then we go inside and hope the birds will show up. They usually do. (And we’re at the window with our binoculars.)
This project is teaching my son more than just how to record birds. We have sat together to edit the film, and I’m surprised that he has so much patience to go through the recordings! He picks out the best parts, and I’ve shown him how to trim them. We are also going to learn more about video editing together, and I can see that it won’t be long before I won’t need to help. You never know where this could lead.
Naturally, he is most excited about getting new subscribers on his YouTube channel. So if you feel inclined, I hope you’ll subscribe. You never know, I might be fostering a YouTube star. LOL. Or, maybe Mr. Cardinal will become the star. We’ll see. 🤣
Here’s one of my favorite videos. Please go to his channel and click on “videos” at the top to see them all. And then you’ll understand why I’ve been so busy. This kid likes recording!
How has 2022 begun for you? I hope it’s starting out well.
Reddit
Pandemic Homeschooling
July 16, 2020 August 1, 2020 ~ shelli ~ Leave a comment
Below are links to posts I’ve written specifically for parents who find themselves needing to homeschool during the pandemic. If you have any specific questions, don’t hesitate to email me. I would like to try to help.
Crash Course in Homeschooling
Scheduling Your Homeschool Day
School Closures vs. Homeschooling
Stuck at Home? Need to Teach Your Kids? Try these ideas.
If you are seriously considering switching to homeschool long-term, and you have elementary level students, I recommend my 48-page PDF resource The Everyday Homeschooler’s Guide to Teaching the Early Years. You can find it in my store.
Reddit
Scheduling Your Homeschool Day
April 15, 2020 August 1, 2020 ~ shelli ~ 2 Comments
My son’s pitcher plant is blooming beautifully right now. The Carnivorous Plant Project was a lot of fun.
This post talks about how I block big chunks of our day for our homeschool lessons. If you’d like to know how I schedule the individual, academic lessons within those larger chunks of time, please refer to my blog posts on each grade, which you can find in my menu. For 7th grade, I have a PDF resource in my store.
Looking back over the years that we’ve homeschooled, we have kept a very similar schedule each year, though, of course, it gets tweaked here and there. For me, the best time for formal, academic lessons has been in the mornings right after breakfast, though for my younger son, he isn’t a morning person, so I usually spend an hour one-on-one with him after lunch. But he usually joins his brother for some lighter lessons in the mid-morning, or he does some work on his own at this time. (Currently, he’s working on his own in the mornings and with me after lunch.)
My eldest son has always worked in the mornings, and in the last few years, he’s gotten up slightly earlier each day so that he has more time. As he gets older, he has more work to do. Right now, in 7th grade, he spends three to four hours each morning on his lessons. He’s very motivated to finish by lunchtime because the afternoons and evenings are reserved for his piano practice. We usually have outside lessons and activities in the afternoons too.
When he was younger, he had many varied projects because I use project-based homeschooling techniques. He used to like to build and make things, or we did science experiments, so our “project” time was either right before lunch, and then it moved to after lunch. This is where it’s stayed because this is when he practices piano, but he also practices right after dinner too. The piano is his only project now, but it has morphed into a serious vocation.
My younger son has never been as much of a maker and builder as his older brother, and curiously, the only long-term project he’s got going on is his love of birds. We’ve done many activities and field trips to help him with this interest, and we continue to do so. But he’s never needed a specific “project time” for this, so he just works at his lessons at his preferred times — before and after lunch — and he also practices cello (a hobby for him) after dinner.
If you’re trying to work out a homeschool schedule for your family, I would try to follow the natural schedule that your family is already inclined towards following. You can ask yourself these questions:
–What is my family’s preferred schedule on the weekends?
–Are there times during your weekends when your kids want more time with you, i.e., when you have their attention?
–Are there times when they want to retreat and be by themselves?
–Do they need a nap or downtime in front of the T.V.?
You can use this information to help form a schedule during the week, leaving the quiet time alone (keep that!), and using the other times when you have their attention to do work. But don’t forget to also use some of that time to have fun with your kids or just talk to them about anything. You don’t want all your time together to be prescribed work. Those fun/quiet moments can be much more important and valuable for your child than academic lessons.
How much time to spend on academic lessons?
I mentioned that my eldest son, who is thirteen, is working 3~4 hours in the mornings on his academic lessons, but this is because he now has specific goals for his future, so he’s very motivated to do the hard work.
When my kids were in the first grade, I found we didn’t need more than an hour to work on reading and math. That was all the “academic lessons” I did with them, but once you consider everything else we did — reading aloud as we snuggled on the sofa, building/craft projects, watching documentaries, visiting museums, exploring nature trails, I could tick off all the boxes of a typical 1st grade course of study. The boys had no idea that all that “other stuff” was educational. For them, it was just fun! It was our DAILY LIFE. I did not plan much. I followed the boys interests and my interests. If anything, I was strategic about picking out what library books I wanted to read to the boys, but I always let them pick their own books too, and we alternated the books.
Every year after that, our “academic lesson” time got a little bit longer. Some years, it may have only been stretched by 30 minutes. Other years, it got about an hour longer. Overall, I would say we didn’t need more than three hours to complete formal elementary curriculum in the 5th and 6th grade, and I don’t think we’ll ever need more than four.
I think as homeschooling parents, it’s our job to look at our child’s overall day and find the moments when our kids are learning despite it being part of our planned agenda. Kids teach themselves far more than we can teach them. If you compare their child-led work to a typical course of study, you will find they are doing far more than is expected. (Even if they are playing video games — look for what they are learning from that!) Over time, all of this learning can make some exceptional kids…as long as the adults don’t get in the way.
Unfortunately, kids who go to school are so used to adults planning every minute of their day and having information forced upon them that they are incapable of getting excited about the natural world, or books, or documentaries, etc. It all smacks of “school” to them. Anything associated with “school” isn’t fun to them. These kids need a long time to adjust and get used to more freedom. They especially need to be given freedom in exploring things that interest them so that eventually, they will begin turning down metaphorical “rabbit trails,” i.e. learning about other things that branch off their main interests, which can lead to many various and highly educational places.
If you find my blog helpful, I ask for only one thing — please share it! Share it with your friends and on social media. And please leave me comments about how you schedule your day. You may help others that way. If you have any questions, you can also leave a comment or email me through my contact page.
Reddit
Project-based homeschooling: American Elm
April 26, 2019 April 23, 2019 ~ shelli ~ 3 Comments
In my last post, I told you a bit about my boys’ interest in plants and how we began identifying all the plants and trees in our yard. Even more so than plants, I think my eldest son is interested in trees, and he loves to try to identify them and propagate some of them, which I also mentioned in my last post. Today is Arbor Day, so I thought it would be the perfect day to write about my son’s special interest in American elm trees.
Sometime during this past year he read about the American elm tree. This is a beautiful tree that can grow to over 100 feet tall and live for a thousand years. You may already know how this beautiful tree used to line many urban streets in the central and eastern United States, but around the 1930s almost all of them died from Dutch elm disease. (Millions of elms were killed by this disease.) There were a few American elms that didn’t die, however, including one cultivar named ‘Princeton’ American elm. (Named so because it was developed by Princeton Nurseries in 1922.) Today these trees are under conservation, and many ‘Princeton’ elms are being replanted in urban settings. We have even found a few of these young elms in a town square of a small Georgia town we’ve traveled to.
For the first time, we’ve been able to see new leaves emerge on our American elm tree.
After learning about the American elm and the conservation efforts to save it, my son wanted to get one to plant in our yard. We certainly don’t need more trees, but how could we say no to our little conservationist? Last October, we got one from Thomas Orchards, and we planted it in a grassy area in our front yard, which is near the street. It’s been exciting for us to see its first leaves appearing this spring and to think that someday it may tower over our street just like American elms did long ago.
Planting our new tree last October.
By coincidence, several years ago I got the opportunity to photograph an estate in Twin City, which is a tiny town located in central Georgia. On that property, there was a huge American elm, which was a rarity. The owner of the house said that researchers from the university had come to see her tree and study it. Here’s a photo I took of that tree:
Quite impressive, isn’t it?
What is your favorite tree and why?
Reddit
Previous
Follow me for $1 on Patreon and get a more behind-the-scenes look into my homeschool + more benefits available. Click here.
I have a 10th and 7th grader who have never attended a traditional school.
On this blog you’ll find years worth of elementary homeschooling posts with a good dose of encouragement, curriculum resources and project-based homeschooling how to.
For middle school & high school: See my store for Zoom classes, curriculum recommendations and homeschooling how to.
Support me on Patreon for more nitty gritty advice and a more intimate look into my homeschool. There you can also chat with me daily and receive support from other parents who have joined. You can also have access to all my Zoom classes for no additional charge.
On this blog I’ll continue to post monthly updates and general homeschooling advice.
Search this blog. There are lots of old posts that are not listed in the TOC, so search here.
Subscribe to this blog by e-mail!
Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts by email.
Email Address:
What is Project-based Homeschooling?
Click here to see all my blog posts at…
home / school / life magazine
Resources for Georgia Homeschoolers
Mama’s Main Matters Select Category 10th Grade (1) 1st Grade (62) 2nd Grade (34) 3rd Grade (19) 4th Grade (14) 5th grade (9) 6th Grade (15) 7th Grade (5) 8th Grade (2) 9th Grade (1) A Bit o’ Me Philosophy (18) Being a role model (5) birds (6) Blog Business (32) Books (20) cello (1) curriculum (11) E-books (4) Field trips (61) Georgia Homeschool Groups (2) History (9) home / school / life (20) home education (10) Homeschool Activities (33) homeschool high school (2) Homeschooling (432) Homeschooling in the Media (23) Inspire Kids (16) Interviews with Homeschoolers (5) Junior High School (2) Kindergarten (57) Life (82) Mama as a Role Model (1) middle school (3) Monthly Update (35) Motherhood (46) My Newspaper Columns (206) Nature (91) Nature Watch (30) Patreon (1) Photography (24) piano (5) Pre-K (10) Preschool (21) Project-based Homeschooling (87) Reflections (22) Resources for Georgia Homeschoolers (38) Socialization (13) Storytelling as a Teaching Tool (16) Traditions / Rituals / Holidays (41) Unschooling (13) Worthy Reads (31) Zoom sessions (2)
| 38,539 |
Louisianans know that great cocktails are at the heart of any get-together with friends. Whether it’s firing up the crawfish pot to getting the grill going for a tailgate party – great friends and good times are a bayou tradition.
Please Drink Responsibly
Please Drink Responsibly
Proudly Crafted in LA Created with Sketch.
© 2022 BAYOU RUM® is a registered trademark of Louisiana Spirits, LLC. Spirit of Louisiana®, America’s Rum®, the Gator and Pirogue devices are trademarks of Louisiana Spirits, LLC.
This policy (together with our terms of use and any other documents referred to on it) sets out the basis on which any personal data we collect from you, or that you provide to us, will be processed by us. Please read the following carefully to understand our views and practices regarding your personal data and how we will treat it.
LEGAL DRINKING AGE: Before you enter our site you will be required to verify that you are of legal age to consume alcoholic beverages in the country from which you are accessing the site. We use this information to prevent minors from accessing Our Site and will not knowingly collect any personal information from individuals under the legal purchase age. Should we be notified that, someone under the legal purchase age has provided us with information, we will make all reasonable efforts to delete such information from our records and will retain it solely for the purposes of ensuring that it is not used again.
Information we may collect from you
We may collect and process the following data about you:
Details of your visits to our site including, but not limited to, traffic data, location data, web logs and other communication data, whether this is required for our own purposes or otherwise and the resources that you access.
Information that you provide by filling in forms on our site www.bayourum.com. This includes information provided at the time of registering to use our site, subscribing to our service, posting material or requesting further services. We may also ask you for information when you enter a competition or promotion sponsored by SGUSA/SPI Group and when you report a problem with our site.
If you contact us, we may keep a record of that correspondence
You can also choose to have further information sent to you about products we think may interest you by opting-in on the page where you submit your personal information.
IP addresses and cookies
We may collect information about your computer, including where available your IP address, operating system and browser type, for system administration. This is statistical data about our users’ browsing actions and patterns, and does not identify any individual.
For the same reason, we may obtain information about your general internet usage by using a cookie file which is stored on the hard drive of your computer. Cookies contain information that is transferred to your computer’s hard drive. They help us to improve our site and to deliver a better and more personalized service. They enable us:
To store information about your preferences, and so allow us to customize our site according to your individual interests (e.g. by emailing you to inform you about areas of the Site that you have not accessed on prior visits).
To speed up your searches.
To recognize you when you return to our site for statistical/analytical purposes.
You may refuse to accept cookies by activating the setting on your browser which allows you to refuse the setting of cookies. However, if you select this setting you may be unable to access certain parts of our site. Unless you have adjusted your browser setting so that it will refuse cookies, our system will issue cookies when you log on to our site.
You can obtain information about how to manage cookies at www.allaboutcookies.org
The data that we collect from you may be transferred to, and stored at, a destination outside the European Economic Area (“EEA”). It may also be processed by staff operating outside the EEA who work for us or for one of our suppliers. Such staff maybe engaged in, among other things, the provision of support services, the development of content of our Site, or the processing of applications in a competition or promotion. By submitting your personal data, you agree to this transfer, storing or processing. SGUSA will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with this privacy policy.
We take security of information seriously. We provide for the secure transmission of your information from your PC to our servers by using encryption software. However due to the open communication of the internet, we cannot guarantee that communications between you and us and us and you will be free from unauthorized access by third parties.
Uses made of the information
We use information held about you in the following ways:
Use of site: To ensure that content from our site is presented in the most effective manner for you and for your computer. We may also use information for internal marketing analysis (such as to measure traffic to particular areas of the Site).
Marketing information: To provide you with information, products or services about our products and services and those of our subsidiaries, affiliates and parent companies and any of their related businesses that you request from us or which we feel may interest you, where you have consented to be contacted for such purposes. You will be able to confirm whether you want to receive such information the first time you provide us with personal information, and you will be able to unsubscribe from such communications at any time (see Unsubscribe information below)
Transactional purposes: To carry out our obligations arising from any contracts entered into between you and us.
Interactive features: To allow you to participate in interactive features of our service, when you choose to do so.
Changes to service: To notify you about changes to our service.
We may also use your data, or permit selected third parties to use your data, to provide you with information about goods and services which we believe may be of interest to you (but you will be able to confirm whether you want to receive such information when you first register with us and can unsubscribe at any time, please see Unsubscribe information below).
If you do not want us to use your data in this way, or to pass your details on to third parties for marketing purposes, please tick the relevant box situated on the form on which we collect your data.
Disclosure of your information
We may disclose your personal information to any member of our group, which means our subsidiaries, our ultimate holding company and its subsidiaries.
Please note the processing of your information and data will be done in accordance with the EU regulation and any other applicable regulations, as amended or replaced from time to time (collectively, the “Regulations”). Subject to the restrictions/special terms specified in the Regulations we may disclose your personal information to any member of our group, which means our subsidiaries, our ultimate holding company and its subsidiaries and we may disclose your personal information to third parties:
In the event that we sell or buy any business or assets, in which case we may disclose your personal data to the prospective seller or buyer of such business or assets.
If SPI Group or substantially all of its assets are acquired by a third party, in which case personal data held by it about its customers will be one of the transferred assets.
If we are under a duty to disclose or share your personal data in order to comply with any legal obligation, or in order to enforce or apply our terms of use and other agreements; or to protect the rights, property, or safety of SPI Group, our customers, or others. This includes exchanging information with other companies and organizations for the purposes of improving internet security by the prosecution of hackers or others attempting to use websites that do not belong to them for illegal or improper purposes, for fraud protection and credit risk reduction
If we are under a duty to disclose or share your personal data in order to comply with any legal obligation, or in order to enforce or apply our terms and conditions and other agreements; or to protect the rights, property, or safety of SGUSA or SPI Group, our customers, or others. This includes exchanging information with other companies and organizations for the purposes of improving internet security by the prosecution of hackers or others attempting to use websites that do not belong to them for illegal or improper purposes, for fraud protection and credit risk reduction.
You have the right to ask us not to process your personal data for marketing purposes. We will usually inform you (before collecting your data) if we intend to use your data for such purposes or if we intend to disclose your information to any third party for such purposes. You can exercise your right to prevent such processing by checking certain boxes on the forms we use to collect your data. You can also exercise the right to change your preferences about how we use your personal information at any time by contacting us at customercare@stoli.com
Our site may, from time to time, contain links to and from the websites of our partner networks, advertisers and affiliates. If you follow a link to any of these websites, please note that these websites have their own privacy policies and that we do not accept any responsibility or liability for these policies. Please check these policies before you submit any personal data to these websites.
Changes to our privacy policy
Any changes we may make to our privacy policy in the future will be posted on this page. We recommend that you regularly check the privacy policy and the Terms and Conditions of the Site to ensure compliance with their terms.
This Privacy Policy will be governed by the laws of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg but supplemented as appropriate by additional legal requirements in jurisdictions where we conduct business. Nothing in this Policy should be regarded as extending any rights of any party using the Site or imposing any additional obligations on SGUSA and SPI Group, their parent, subsidiaries and affiliates which are not already imposed upon them by applicable law.
© 2018 – All rights reserved. SPI Group S.a.r.l,
By entering this web site www.bayourum.com (the “Web Site”) owned by SPI Group, you agree to accept and be bound by the Terms and Conditions below. You are not allowed to use the Web Site if you do not wish or may not accept for any reason the Terms and Conditions. Please read this document carefully, and click “accept” and confirm your age before accessing or using the Web Site. If you are not satisfied with the Web Site for any reason, your only remedy is to leave it.
Use of the Web Site is designated for the personal, non-commercial use, only in those countries and territories where the consumption of alcohol beverages is lawful, for persons who are lawfully permitted to consume drinks containing alcohol.
This Site is based and hosted by SPI Group in the U.S.A. for all those users who are of the legal drinking and purchasing age to enjoy our products and services. SPI Group makes no claims that the content of this Site is appropriate or may be downloaded outside of the U.S.A. If you access this Site from any territory or country outside of the U.S.A., you do so at your own risk and are responsible for compliance with the laws and regulations of the country or other territory in which you reside, are located at or from which you are reaching this Site. A reference to a particular product or service of SPI Group does not imply that SPI Group intends to make such products or services available in all countries.
Bayou® Rum is a premium handcrafted rum. As a socially responsible alcoholic beverage producer, and as a global player in the spirits industry, SPI Group encourages responsible drinking for all of our current and future consumers. As you share in our pride and history, please ensure that you enjoy Bayou® Rum responsibly, avoid excessive drinking, and use our product strictly in moderation. Our concern is for you and for your thoughtful use of our brand. Moreover, we are certainly making every effort to ensure that Bayou® Rum is not offered or marketed to consumers under the legal age for purchasing alcohol in each respective country. Please enjoy your moments with Bayou® Rum wisely.
Please exit the Web Site immediately if you do not accept these Terms and Conditions, are in a territory where the consumption of alcohol is not lawful, not of a legal age for consumption of alcoholic beverages in the country or a territory in which you are situated, or are visiting the Web Site in a country or a territory where use of the Web Site is prohibited.
Amendments
SPI Group may modify these Terms and Conditions at any time in case of legislative changes, implementation of new marketing or trading policies or any other significant changes in SPI Group and such modifications shall be effective immediately upon posting of the modified Terms and Conditions on the Web Site. If you do not agree to (or cannot comply with) the Terms and Conditions as amended, your only remedy is to stop visiting the Web Site. You will be deemed to have accepted the Terms and Conditions as amended if you continue to visit the Web Site after any amendments are posted.
The contracting party to this agreement, together with you, will be SPI Group S.ar.l., a company existing and organized under Luxembourg laws, having its registered office at 44, rue de la Vallée, L-2661 Luxembourg, Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, registration number B123116, herein together with its affiliated parties as “SPI Group”.
Access to the Web Site is allowed on a temporary basis, free of charge, and SPI Group reserves the right (but is not obliged) to exclude or amend its contents, suspend or terminate unilaterally the service on the Web Site without any advance notice. SPI Group shall not be liable for any unavailability of the Web Site at any time and reserves the right to stop, suspend or interrupt all or partial supply of information or availability of the Web Site at its own discretion.
SPI Group is the owner of any and all intellectual property rights and data base rights on the Web Site, and of the materials published hereon including but not limited to software, images and photographs, trademarks, service marks, designs, logos, texts, images, taglines, shapes, association of colors, artworks, audio, digital and video materials, visual properties, and so on (the “Materials”). The Materials are protected by the appropriate legislation and may have been registered in a particular country or a territory. You may view the Web Site and print hard copies of the Materials on it solely for your lawful, personal, non-commercial use. All other copying or use in any format it maybe is prohibited and may breach the applicable laws and regulations. You are not entitled to adapt, distribute, make available to a third party, modify, perform publicly, reproduce, share, translate, transmit the Materials or use them for any commercial purposes or gain without a prior written consent of SPI Group which may be withheld. You are not allowed to change or withdraw any copyright, proprietary notices of any kind or other similar notices from the Materials on the Web Site. Nothing contained on the Web Site should be construed as granting, by implication or otherwise, any license or right to use any trademark and other intellectual property rights displayed on this Website without the written permission of SPI Group.
The status of the relevant owner as the holder of the rights in the Materials on our Web Site must always be acknowledged. SPI Group will enforce its intellectual property rights to the fullest extent of laws, including civil and/or criminal actions against any non-authorized usage. All rights are reserved.
Our Liability
The Web Site is designed to appeal to adults. SPI Group does not knowingly solicit any information from underage persons nor does it knowingly market or otherwise target the Web Site or its products or services to underage persons.
The Web Site is made available on an “as is” and “as available” basis and therefore your use is at your own risk and full responsibility in all respects without any guarantees, conditions or warranties as to its accuracy and reliability, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement. SPI Group makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, as to the operation of the Web Site or the information, contents or products included on the Web Site.
The Materials of the Web Site are not aimed at advertising having the sole purpose of provision of information. To the fullest extent permitted by legislation SPI Group hereby disclaims any liability for any direct, indirect, incidental, punitive, special or consequential damages or loss, lost opportunities suffered by you as a result from the use of the Web Site, any of its services or any information accessible over or through the Site, whether such loss, damages, costs or lost opportunities arise from the negligence or SPI Group is even informed of such possibility. SPI Group remains responsible for such loss, damages, costs or lost opportunities arising from the gross negligence or intent. You agree to indemnify SPI Group and its shareholders, directors and/or employees, agents or affiliates, consultants, hosting provider or any other third parties anyhow participating in creation and maintenance of the Web Site from and hold harmless against any liability from the use of the Web Site.
In no event shall liability of SPI Group for any and all loss or damages, costs, lost opportunities, with respect to any causes of action arising from the use of the Web Site and/or these Terms and Conditions, exceed 100 euro in aggregate, the sufficiency of which is hereby confirmed by you. Since some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability or damages, SPI Group shall be entitled to the maximum disclaimers and/or limitations on damages and liability available.
Your Responsibility
It is your responsibility to implement protection with virus checking software (and updating the same) with respect to the Materials viewed and/or downloaded from the Web Site and to ensure the compatibility of such software with your equipment.
Severability
Should one or more clauses in this contract conflict with a statutory or public order provision, be declared invalid further to a definitive judgement by a competent court or have no legal effect for whatever other reason, the clause(s) that is invalid and/or has no legal effect shall not in any circumstances affect the validity of the other clauses in the contract, and the clause(s) that is invalid and/or has no legal effect shall be construed in accordance with the intents of the parties to the maximum extent provided by applicable law.
You are requested to verify the information posted on the Web Site with independent parties and/or authorities before acting or relying upon it. No information may be treated as advice. SPI Group shall not guarantee that the contents of the Web Site will be accurate although certain reasonable steps have been taken to ensure the accuracy of all information posted.
Linking To and From the Web Site
No hyperlink from other Web Sites to the Web Site shall be made without the prior written consent of SPI Group. Where the Web Site contains links to other sites, these links are for information purposes only. SPI Group has no control over the content of these sites and accepts no responsibility for them or for any loss or damage that may arise from their use.
Treatment of Your Identifying Data
The identifying data that you may provide to the Web Site solely on your own wish (the “Data”) shall be treated in accordance with the EU regulation and any other applicable regulations, as amended or replaced from time to time (collectively, the “Regulations”), concerning protection of personal data.
Your IP address is automatically registered with the system while browsing the Web Site but this does not identify you personally and you remain anonymous unless you have voluntarily provided any identifying data.
In a limited number of cases you are invited to provide the Data such as your name and e-mail address or other information requested on the pages of the Web Site, that is treated as personal data. You may at any time refuse to provide such Data, and you understand that some tools may not be available in such cases. The Data shall not be disclosed to any third parties (except for the cases in which in accordance with the applicable Regulations SPI Group may not refuse to disclose the Data, and in such cases the provision of the Data is hereby promised to be limited to the minimum extent lawfully permitted) and shall only be collected to allow you the use of some tools with informative purpose and collection of statistics data. The Data you provide to us will be retained only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which the information was collected or as required by law. At any time, you are permitted to access, modify, oppose to the Data procession and enjoy any other rights stipulated by the Regulations concerning processing and protection of private data. Please at any time contact us by clicking here for exercising your rights. Please note that SPI Group will take all steps reasonably necessary to follow the Regulations mentioned hereof to procure the protection of the personal data in processing, storage and security. Please at any time contact us by clicking here for exercising your rights. Please any time contact us by clicking here to exercise your rights.
The Web Site was developed in accordance with and shall be governed by, and your browsing in and use of the Web Site (including but not limited to any information appearing hereon, the publication of such information and any other matters relating to the Web Site) shall be deemed acceptance of, the laws of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg. If you have any doubts with respect to compliance with the applicable legislation, you are strongly encouraged, and it is your obligation in such cases, to seek for legal advice of professional lawyers.
Entire Agreement
These Terms and Conditions supersede any and all prior agreements, promises, representations, assurances, statements and understandings whatsoever between you and SPI Group.
To the extent that the Web Site may be viewed from any foreign jurisdiction, and it is your own wish and initiative to browse the Web Site, you are obliged and agree to abide by the legislation of your country or territory of residence and/or connection to the Web Site. Access to the Web Site from any foreign jurisdiction is made solely at your own risk. You shall bear any direct or indirect consequences and liability resulted from an infringement of the relevant legal and regulatory provisions. SPI Group shall in no case be liable for any such infringement.
By entering this Web Site, you agree that any dispute relating to these Terms and Conditions, as well as their interpretation will be exclusively submitted to Luxembourg Courts except for the cases prohibited by the European Regulation 44/2001 of 22 December 2000 on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters.
SPI Group makes no representation that the Materials and/or use of the Web Site are lawful, appropriate or available for use in your location and therefore those users who choose to access the Web Site from any location shall agree to do so on their own initiative and are responsible for full compliance (no disclaimers or limitations is accepted) with national or local legislation, if and to the extent local laws are applicable.
The Web Site may contain references to products or services not available in your country or territory of residence and/or connection to the Web Site. References to a particular product or services do not imply that SPI Group intends to make such products or services available in such countries and territories.
If you visit the Web Site it shall be irrevocably assumed that you understand and intend these Terms and Conditions to apply to you in the same way as any signed, written contract.
Please feel free to contact us or submit any query here and enjoy the Web Site!
Note. Your rights and obligations in relation to SPI Group shall include the rights and obligations in relation to SPI Group S.ar.l. and its any affiliates, branches and daughter companies, where applicable in these Terms and Conditions, their shareholders, directors and/or employees. SPI Group is time to time referred to as “we”, “us”, “our”.
As used herein, the term “you” and “your” shall mean the user of the Web Site.
SPI Group stands for responsible consumption of alcoholic beverages.
By clicking the acceptance button you confirm that you understand in full, and irrevocably agree to comply with, all of the above.
Do not drive drunk. Do not drink if you are under the age starting from which the applicable laws allow you to drink. Please remember that consumption of beverage alcohol by minors is dangerous and unhealthy and acknowledge the harm of excessive or irresponsible consumption by adults.
| 26,250 |
We offer a safe and secure platform that allows casino players of all ages to get a chance in the big leagues with an expert analyzing their moves and luck.
So whether you’re a seasoned player looking for an edge or a newbie just starting, we have you covered.
Just enter your email address, and we’ll be in touch to provide you with all the necessary information.
Plus, if you’re a loyal customer, you can be sure that we’ll continue to offer free spins year-round.
New and exciting updates are on the go!
Our slots & blackjack games are some of the most popular in the market for players of all levels.
Enjoying and chilling inside their homes and getting the feeling of playing in a casino.
Start Enjoying Your Winnings
This brings a whole new level of excitement to playing casino games and gives you the chance to chat with the dealer while having fun.
Our team is friendly and knowledgeable and will be happy to assist you with any questions or problems that you may have.
Innovation that makes it easy to get in on blackjack drive anywhere.
Hit roulette to place wagers on black or red with an unmatched knowledge.
You will not be disappointed.
We offer you a platform where you can play live casino games with top-notch graphics, sounds, and animations.
We welcome you with fast registration, fast cashouts, and an easy-to-play platform that will make you feel at home. Register now to join our fast-growing community of online casino players!
You will play against a real person with an honest and impartial attitude to help create a perfectly fair gaming environment.
Chance to build stronger, wisely.
We are one of the most popular online casinos available today, and we are proud to offer our players an enjoyable gaming experience that is sure to please everyone.
We offer a variety of live dealer games, including blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and more. Get started today and experience the thrill of playing against real dealers.
Our site is secure and uses the latest in encryption technology to protect your privacy. So what are you waiting for? Come and join us at our online casino today and enjoy all the excitement we have to offer!
The scratch cards are purely and simply the result of chance. However, there are still a few strategies to know in order to put the odds on your side to win. This is not cheating, far from it, just common sense. Because our scratch card game guide is here to help, we give you the ropes to maximize your chances of success, before deciding on a game.
Choose the right game to increase your chances of hitting a winning ticket
With the number of scratch card games on offer, it’s not impossible that you won’t know which one to take. If some are attractive with their cool design, we recommend that you check the associated return rate. As mentioned above, each game has a specific payout rate which indicates the payout percentage of winnings based on stakes. This rate is true and controlled. In concrete terms, the higher the rate of return, the more chances you have of winning. To verify this, go to the paytable side when you are on the game page.
Choose the best software to earn more and find the best graphics in games
We told you, competition is fierce in the online gambling market. On the different platforms, several software providers offer their games. Among the best known, there is Netent, Betsoft, Rival, Nextgen, Playn’N’Go or Gamescale. They are renowned for offering quality graphics and therefore great game satisfaction.
However, this does not necessarily mean that they all offer scratch cards with high jackpots. This is a point to consider before choosing your game. Some lesser-known providers are well worth a look. If you find a game that combines profitability and good graphics, then you might as well enjoy it!
Practice the free versions and understand the rules before upgrading to the paid version
You may have noticed that online casinos very often offer fun playing. This mode allows you to try out the games for free before you jump in with real money. Usually there is not even a need to register. It is the same for scratch cards. You have the opportunity to see which platform is right for you.
We agree, the scratch cards are extremely easy to understand and you are sure to know the process every time. But the free version is necessary because there may be a few variations that you wouldn’t expect. And then you can get a feel for the atmosphere of the game.
| 4,694 |
I have witness people breakdown from childhood and adolescent traumas. When someone died, left you or hurt you. That doesn’t get washed away that easy.
Many of us often feel we have the potential to do more–and many of us also feel there is something holding us back.
We know the number one reason people don’t reach their life goals or complete the important projects is taking action, and we know the reason for not taking action is fear. How events in our past recorded in our mind have a bigger will than our dreams.
They have the power to limit our potential and they hold the key to a powerful liberation. It’s not easy to look back. But when do, we face the truth.
You open the wound with courage, and determination to move forward. You deal with whatever you need to deal with. Be it a conversation with a parent, a sister, a brother, or yourself. You stay in the darkness, in the hole, with the intention of a warrior–to give death to whatever is in the way. Because you have a purpose. You are going back for the sake of the impact you want to make in the world. The story you want to tell.
You need to do this type of healing at one point in your life–If you are feeling angry, if things are not working as planned, if you keep hitting the same wall, if you keep making the same mistake. If any of this resonates it’s probably time to summon courage and look at the past. End with the story not supporting your growth and move on.
Here is a tool that helped me get out of the emotional sabotage I got stuck at the end of the year. Things were really not rolling for me. I was stuck, everything that came my way irritated me. Of course my first instinct was to say “what!?” I have done enough work on myself already, where is this coming from? As a professional coach I have worked a lot on getting rid off the emotional weight that does not help. But personal growth is a journey, is a life commitment, and this usually happens to anyone that is awake–moving towards their dreams. I had set some exciting and terrifying goals for me this years (I shared this in a previous post), and it was time to clean house again.
Moving to the next level means killing the ogre who holds the key.
My friend and colleague Joanne Del Core does distance healing with a method call Emotion Code. This type of work is similar to Reiki. She taps into your emotional blocks while you rest in your bed or couch for an hour. After the session you receive the results by email, and you get an hour of coaching.
These are the things that she found and released:
Notice the trapped emotion from age 12. I came to this country when I was 11, I have shared that it was one of the most difficult times in my life.
Frustration from age 17. I was a teenager mother. The level of frustration for not knowing what to do, feeling I had done something wrong, feeling lost. All those emotions were still trapped in me.
Shock from age 14. This was the time my parents sent me away.
All I gave Joanne was my birthdate. I was amazed at the accuracy of the dates. As the trapped emotion coincided with critical events that I have lived.
Regarding your feeling of worthless:
Trapped emotion: Longing from age 7
Trapped emotion: Depression, from age 12
Trapped emotion: Frustration, from age 17
Trapped emotion: Depression, from age 17
Trapped emotion: Taken for granted, from age 8
Trapped emotion: Indecisiveness, from age 7
Trapped emotion: Panic, from age 7
Trapped emotion: Taken for granted, from age 8
Trapped emotion: Worthless, from age 6
Trapped emotion: Depression, from age 7
Trapped emotion: Panic, from age 17
Emotional resonance (when your body “rings” with an emotion”): Frustration, from age 6
Emotional resonance: Shock, from age 14
Emotional resonance: Shock, from age 8
Mental energy: no will to live energy (sometimes live overwhelms us and we lose the desire to live. If this happens even temporarily, the energy of this feeling can become lodged in the body, providing a continual source of imbalance)
Regarding what’s blocking you from receiving fully:
Emotional resonance: Shock, from age 16
Emotional resonance: Shock, from age 17
I wanted to look for preconceived trapped emotions in your system (they are trapped emotions that become lodged in the spirit-body prior to conception). Two types are usually seen: Fear-related about impending life on Earth and grief-related about leaving home with God:
Preconceived trapped emotion: Frustration
Preconceived trapped emotion: Taken for granted
The work was so liberating because I was able to nail things I had forgotten about that were getting in my way. From this point of clarity I was able to take action and deal with outstanding conversations I had with myself and the people involved.
This is just one way of clearing the past. There are many tools and professionals that can help you ge “naked” to the core of your feelings. Here is a link to Joanne’s site if you are interested in learning more. I offer this tool to my clients. I have the sensitivity to realize when a person is feeling trapped. It shows in the way they talk and in the session the same issue comes up over and over again. When feelings are begging to be released, they are usually very stubborn.
I feel much better now. Much lighter. The biggest gift is that I have clarity and clarity gives me power over the issue.
More than 15,000 people have already read my book!
← How Fear Works Inside Us And The Simple Formula To Overcome It Why I'm giving away a Book that will Probably make you Uncomfortable →
| 5,639 |
By Bob Burridge | December 26, 2011 - 1:13 am | December 26, 2011 Bible Studies, Reformed Theology, Romans
Comments Off on No Points for Effort
by Bob Burridge ©2011
We like to see people put forth effort in their lives to accomplish noble goals, but effort alone is no virtue. People can be very diligent in accomplishing horrible things. Evil people in history such as Adolph Hitler, the heretic Pelagius, Communist Vladimir Lenin, and others were tirelessly busy and totally committed to things they sincerely believed in. However, we don’t commend them for their efforts. They set evil goals and used means that dishonored God. No godly person thinks of Hitler’s failed attempt at genocide and says, “Well, at least he tired.” Doing a wicked thing is not commended simply because there was a strong effort put forth.
In the not-so-distant past doctors thought they could cure certain diseases by cutting a patient to let out large amounts of blood. Since a fever reflects blood temperature, the process appeared to work. There was a problem though, the patients often died from the loss of blood, infections, or a reduced ability of the body to fight of the disease that was causing the fever. No one today would applaud a doctor’s efforts if he went back to the practice of bleeding his patients. We wouldn’t say, “Well at least he has good intentions, and he tries so hard!” Wrong practices are not justified simply because there is a good goal in mind.
On an even higher scale, the same is true of righteousness. The world’s religions have many varied ideas about how to become “right with God.” Most of them have the same common element, human effort. For some that effort is directed toward doing charitable works and good deeds. Some turn to magical incantations and mystical ceremonies. Others make great personal sacrifices and endure self-inflicted pain. Some trust in the decisions they make or in certain prayers they recite. They all make the same mistake according to what God tells us in his word. Biblically, our efforts, even good efforts, cannot be the cause of our salvation. No one is able to do good until God produces new life in them. Good efforts are the effect of God already making a person right by grace. At the root, each of these false religions makes man out to be god over his own soul. They see human effort as what causes God to treat some with mercy and others with wrath.
That is directly against what we have seen so far in our study of Romans. God grants no points for effort!
In this 9th chapter Paul used Old Testament Scripture to prove directly that we are not saved by any desire of our own hearts, or by the work of our hands. We are chosen for eternal life by God’s eternal good pleasure alone. In verse 11 he wrote about God’s dealing with the sons of Isaac. He chose to redeem only one of them “… that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls.”
Paul then summarized his point in verse 18, “Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.”
Here Paul is dealing with the objections of ancient Israel. They mistook their own efforts as the cause of God’s blessing. They had added complex details and customs to the law of God. Their man-made additions made them reject the promise of a Messiah who would satisfy justice for their guilt by his suffering in their place.
They came to rely upon their own Jewishness instead of resting in God’s provision of grace. They looked down upon the Gentiles, and took pride in their own efforts. However, God’s word says that all our efforts are worthless unless they are the fruit of a redeemed heart. The prophet said in Isaiah 64:6, “But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags …”
The prophets had warned that God would judge the nation for her corruption of the truth. Jesus said that God’s judgment would fall upon Israel while the generation he spoke to was still alive. When the Jewish Rabbi we know as the Apostle Paul become a follower of Christ, he also warned the Jews that their special time of blessing was about over.
God’s plan had not failed. Universal salvation of the Jews was never his plan. Just as he only made one of Abraham’s sons the heir of the promise, and only one of his Grandsons, it was only the chosen of Israel who were the true sons of God’s promise.
The time had come when God was not going to choose his people from Israel alone. Here our study continues in Romans 9:25-33.
God was going to add non-Jews to his covenant family!
Romans 9:25-26, “As He says also in Hosea: ‘I will call them My people, who were not My people, And her beloved, who was not beloved. And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, “You are not My people,” There they shall be called sons of the living God.’ “
Again Paul builds his case by quoting from the Bible. This is his consistent way of reasoning: If it can be shown that God said it, that settles it. So he turned to the book of the prophet Hosea to show that he was not introducing a new idea.
Verse 25 is taken from Hosea 2:23 “… I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy; Then I will say to those who were not My people, ‘ You are My people!’ And they shall say, ‘You are my God!’ ”
Verse 26 is from Hosea 1:10, “… where it was said to them, ‘ You are not My people,’ There it shall be said to them, ‘ You are sons of the living God.’ ”
Hosea wrote to warn the Northern Kingdom of Israel about her unfaithfulness to God. She had compromised with unbelief and made alliances with heathen nations. But her strength was outward only. Inwardly she was weak and unfaithful. She had ignored the advice of God’s prophets. Most had abandoned the truth, so God was going to scatter them. He would let them be taken captive, led off into a heathen nation.
The life of Hosea teaches a memorable lesson that has taught us for thousands of years. God told this man to marry a prostitute by the name of Gomer. By her he had 3 children whom God named.
First he had a son and named him Jezreel [Yiz-re-EL (יזרעאל)]. Though Yiz-re-EL sounds similar to “Israel”, it is spelled very differently in Hebrew. The name means “scattered by God” in the sense of casting out seeds when planting so that they are spread out on the field. God said he would, “bring an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.” (Hosea 1:4)
Next he had a daughter whom God told him to name Lo-Ruhamah [Lo Ru-KHA-mah (לא רחמה)], which means “no compassion”. God said, “for I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel …”
Then he had another son. God told him to name this son Lo-Ammi [Lo Am-MI (לא עמי)]– which means “not my people. And God said, “for you are not My people and I will not be your God.”
The names represented God’s relationship with his unfaithful nation. Though the Israelis were physical descendents of Abraham, members of his visible covenant family, they were to be scattered without compassion, and no longer to be called God’s people.
Then Hosea was told to seek a woman who had committed adultery. This illustrated how Israel had left her God and committed spiritual adultery. To show God’s mercy in saving some from among the unworthy and apostate nation, Hosea was told to go find this woman, redeem her with a price, and to care for her. The names of his children were used to illustrate God’s grace toward those he redeems. Instead of Lo-Ammi (not my people), he was to say, Ammi (my people). In stead of Lo-Ruhamah (no compassion), he was to say, Ruhamah (compassion).
Throughout the record in Scripture, we see that God divides mankind into categories. There are two main ways of making that division. First, some become members outwardly in God’s Covenant Family, and others do not. Before the time of the Apostles that visible church was the nation of Israel. In the time of the Apostles it took on the form of the Christian Church. The members of that Covenant Family are those out of all of fallen mankind who make a commitment to submit to God’s ways and teachings.
Within that outward form of the church there is a more important division of mankind. Some in this visible form of the church are also redeemed from their guilt and sin, and some are not. The redeemed are those who were eternally chosen by grace alone. We call the whole group of God’s elect the Invisible Church. These are the vessels of mercy chosen to display the glories of Christ (Romans 9:23). God elected them based upon his own pleasure, not based upon their own efforts.
Those left in their sin are justly condemned. It is what we all deserve. They are forever aliens from the true spiritual family of God. They are what Paul called God’s Vessels of Wrath in the last section of this chapter (9:22). They display God’s power and patience in administering justice in his good time.
Hosea wrote to the unfaithful tribes of Israel who had abandoned God’s covenant. This is why this portion of Hosea was so helpful to Paul in making his point. God’s promise to redeem was only made with the remnant he eternally planned to be his own. Salvation is not by effort or inherited advantage, it is by Sovereign Grace alone. Therefore God may bring in Jews who had abandoned the outward form of the church, and he could save Gentiles as well.
Peter used these verses form Hosea similarly in 1 Peter 2:9-10, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”
God had promised to adopt the unworthy into His Kingdom. To make this election by sovereign grace absolutely clear, the Lord was about to build his church from among the Gentiles, those who were so despised and looked down upon by the Jews. Paul also explained this in Ephesians 2:12-13, “that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”
God promised to save only a remnant of Israel.
Romans 9:27-29, “Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel: ‘Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, The remnant will be saved. For He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, Because the LORD will make a short work upon the earth.’ And as Isaiah said before: ‘Unless the LORD of Sabaoth had left us a seed, We would have become like Sodom, And we would have been made like Gomorrah.’ ”
Paul again turns to the then existing books of the Bible, this time to the Prophet Isaiah. This section of Romans is a perfect lesson in using God’s written word as its own interpreter. In just these 33 verses, Paul quotes from the Old Testament 34 times. He makes eight Old Testament references in just these last nine verses.
The Bible is clear. God’s salvation is only promised to a remnant of those who claim to be his people. Isaiah 10:20-23, “And it shall come to pass in that day That the remnant of Israel, And such as have escaped of the house of Jacob, Will never again depend on him who defeated them, But will depend on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. The remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, To the Mighty God. For though your people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea, A remnant of them will return; The destruction decreed shall overflow with righteousness. For the Lord GOD of hosts Will make a determined end In the midst of all the land.”
The great nation of Israel was going to be taken away by Assyrian invasion as a judgment of God. There, they will be reduced to a mere remnant. Only that remnant will return to the land in faith. It will be only those who “depend on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.” (Isaiah 10:20)
Clearly Paul and Isaiah did not see this as a promise to just a remnant of outward National Israel. The remnant was made up of those changed inwardly by grace and given a true faith. Since only a remnant is returned in faith, the majority of the outward church remained corrupt, even into the time when Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem hundreds of years after the delivering of Isaiah’s prophesies.
Those who take comfort in the size of their church or in the large numbers who seem to agree should take heed. God does not bless by majorities. He blesses his remnant rescued by grace alone. Popular trends in the churches through all the ages are never a good test of what is pleasing to God. Our trends must be measured by comparison with the honestly and carefully studied word of Scripture.
What of those who are not called by God’s grace to be his remnant? The Lord will quickly, surely, execute His Word. His judgment falls quickly. Paul again turns to the Scriptures for his support. Isaiah 1:9, “Unless the LORD of hosts Had left to us a very small remnant, We would have become like Sodom, We would have been made like Gomorrah.”
Aside from his mercy, the just end of every human is like that of Sodom and Gomorrah, the cities destroyed in terrifying judgment for their sin and unbelief.
of putting hope in our own efforts.
Romans 9:30-33, “What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. As it is written: ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.’ “
“What is this?” the Jews were asking. “Has God given salvation to the unworthy Gentiles?” That’s exactly what he has done. “But, …” they might object, “… they weren’t even pursuing righteousness — and we were!”
So then, why did the Jews not attain salvation since they tried so hard? Paul’s answer hits right at the heart of all false religion, they thought they deserved it. They had so corrupted what Moses said, that they thought the law was a means of salvation. They thought that because they were so zealous in their religion, God would save them. But God gives no points for effort.
No human works are free from corruption. Sin distorts our every goal. Even our best efforts and intentions condemn us all the more as they are done arrogantly for our own glory rather than for the glory of our Creator.
In Galatians 2:21, Paul made it clear that if it was possible to be made right with God by means of our efforts or by keeping the law, then the death of the Messiah would have been unnecessary. “I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
Why send God the Son to suffer and to endure a cruel unjust death, if men were able to earn salvation by their deeds? if it could simply be deserved?
In Scripture Jesus is the Rock, the cornerstone of truth, and foundation of all hope. Upon the solid foundation of his holy life and atoning death his people stand with confidence that their guilt is removed. He is the cornerstone laid down first by the Master builder as a guide to how the rest of the building is to be oriented and constructed. As is says in Isaiah 28:16 “therefore thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed.”
Ancient Israel did not like the shape of the building that Christ’s truth marked out. She abused the law thinking it was a way of salvation. God gave his statutes to humble his people to repentance, and to instil in them a trust in his provisions for the soul. His law was the way those redeemed by grace show their gratitude. It was never given as a means of removing sin or earning salvation by our own efforts.
The suffering Messiah exposed that false religion of works. They looked for a different kind of Messiah, a Jewish revolutionary. The cornerstone became for the Jews a stumbling stone that offended them. Isaiah 8:14, “He will be as a sanctuary, But a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense To both the houses of Israel, As a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.”
Peter used this same Old Testament symbolism when he wrote 1 Peter 2:8, ” ‘A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.’ They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.” In the next verses Peter used the reference from Hosea just as Paul did.
Dr. Haldane says, “A free salvation becomes an offense to men on account of their pride.” They will not admit their corruption due to sin, their guilt, their inability to merit God’s favor. They will not accept a God who is sovereign and just.
Israel in her unbelief stumbled at this. As a nation there was no evidence of a true faith. It exposed the spiritual aliens who lived among the true people of God. They who believe they can earn divine favor without the enablement of their Creator may take on the name of the Savior, but they are not part of the remnant redeemed by grace.
God shattered any glimmer of pride in the Israelite’s heart. He put faith into the hearts of the Gentiles considered by the Jews to be savage, pagan, and cursed. What grander demonstration of Sovereign Grace could be imagined? God saves sinners, not those who think they have earned the right to be called Son’s of God. The Gentiles had put forth no effort to come to Christ, or to discover God’s truth. Yet by grace alone they were grafted into the vine.
The effort we put forth in our lives is not done to merit God’s forgiveness. The cause of our alienation from him is not removed by good things we do or promise. Our efforts are the evidences of a forgiveness already granted. We strive toward holiness by the power of Christ at work in us, not to get him to work in us. By our obedience to God we express gratitude for blessings we know we do not deserve and could never earn.
(The Bible quotations in this lesson are from the New King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.)
Tagged grace, mercy, undeserved
By Bob Burridge | December 12, 2011 - 12:05 am | November 25, 2013 Bible Studies, Reformed Theology, Romans
by Bob Burridge ©2011
In the Book of Romans the Apostle Paul explains some hard, but important truths. For 2,000 years before Christ, God had specially blessed the Jews. He had given them many advantages, and charged them with safely keeping his word.
Sadly, for the most part, what God gave them was abused, and his word was confused. Jesus had warned that the glory of the Jewish people was about to be ended in judgment. Their temple would be destroyed, and their corrupted worship stopped. Paul too had taught that the coming of Messiah marked the end of their unique privilege. As a Jew himself, the Apostle Paul deeply grieved for their unbelief.
Did this mean that God was not keeping his promise to ancient Israel? Certainly that cannot be possible. God had never promised to save all of the physical descendents of Jacob. God gave his covenant promises to Adam, and later to Noah. But he never intended all humans descended from them to be his redeemed people. From the descendants of Adam and Noah, he chose the family of Abraham and his descendants to represent God’s blessings. From the children of Abraham God only chose Isaac to continue the advantaged line. And of Isaac’s twins, God loved Jacob but hated Esau as we saw in the previous part of this chapter of Romans.
Not all of the Jews by natural birth are the spiritual children of God’s promise. Of all those outwardly associated with the Covenant People, only a remnant of them are redeemed by the Savior. In that sense, within the Visible Church there is God’s Invisible Church, those chosen by God’s grace, those upon whom God set his love.
This is not an easy truth for the fallen mind. The spiritually dead heart does not want to admit its own guilt and its inability to change its own basic nature. He wants to be free to do what he wants to do. He wonders that if God chooses only some to be redeemed and to become his true children, is there injustice in God? Is he unfair?
In Romans 9:14-18 Paul deals with the justice of God in choosing some only. In 9:19-24 he handles more directly the fairness issue which we will take up in our next study.
Romans 9:14, “What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not!”
Justice is one of God’s eternal attributes. It is part of what he is. When he created all things, he built justice into the universe as a moral principle. When he made mankind in his image, God put it into the heart of humans to love justice. The fallen heart corrupts that idea as it does all the qualities that are in God.
Justice describes what happens to lawbreakers. First is assumes that there is a rule, a law, that ought to be obeyed. It assumes that there is a penalty attached to breaking that rule. Whenever the rule is broken, justice demands that the penalty will be paid. Fairness means that the rule, and its penalty, are applied consistently.
Is God unjust or unfair when he rejects Israel as a whole, yet saves some? Is it unjust that he loves Jacob, but hates Esau (Romans 9:13, Malachi 1:2-3)?
Paul dismisses the objection immediately. He says, “Certainly not!” He uses strong words to deny to the very idea that God could be unjust. The Greek phrase here is mae genoito (μη γενοιτο), which literally means, “Let it not be!” It’s like when we say, “Don’t even think such a thing!” One of my Greek teachers used to bring this over into our day by using the American idiom, “Perish the thought.”
Since Romans is an inspired book of Scripture, if no more was said this would be enough. The Bible says here that God is not unjust. Paul had just shown from Old Testament Scripture that God loves some and hates others, that not all descendents of Jacob are the true Israel of God’s promise. Yet God is just. It says so here. That is all we really need.
God in his desire to show us more about this wonder, does not stop there. He explains beyond just telling us the fact. There is a great comfort here for God’s people when they understand this truth. There is a promise here that helps us through hard times and those moments of doubt.
The First Point of Doctrine in the Canons of Dordt, Article 14 on Election and Reprobation, states, “Just as, by God’s wise plan, this teaching concerning divine election has been proclaimed through the prophets, Christ himself, and the apostles, in Old and New Testament times, and has subsequently been committed to writing in the Holy Scriptures, so also today in God’s church, for which it was specifically intended, this teaching must be set forth–with a spirit of discretion, in a godly and holy manner, at the appropriate time and place, without inquisitive searching into the ways of the Most High. This must be done for the glory of God’s most holy name, and for the lively comfort of his people.” (translated from the original Latin manuscript, adopted in 1986 by the Synod of the Christian Reformed Church)
To explain his answer more completely,
Paul again turns to Scripture.
Romans 9:15, “For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.’ “
If God has stated this in his word, it is therefore true and must be accepted. The New Testament regularly cites Old Testament authority to prove its case. The Bible does not engage in abstract philosophical arguments to give authority to its teachings. Neither should we.
God spoke to Moses telling him about his divine prerogative in Exodus 33:19, “Then He said, ‘I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.’ ”
This is the verse Paul quotes here in Romans to support the point he is making. Mercy and compassion are shown toward those to whom God desires to show it. It is hard to imagine anything being more clear. God does not treat all humans in the same way. This is directly stated by God himself.
Also, God is just. The idea of justice itself comes from what God is. While he selects those to whom he will be merciful and show compassion, he never neglects the demands of justice in so doing. As Paul had also written about God, “He cannot deny Himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13).
So then, if all humans deserve eternal damnation and separation from God, how can any be shown compassion and be mercifully delivered without violating justice?
Today we know more than Moses knew about how God justly displays his compassion. Jesus was God in human flesh. He came as the promised Messiah. Only he, as the infinite and perfect God, and as perfect man, could represent those chosen by God, to live and die in their place to satisfy justice for all those to whom God intended to show his compassion.
There can be no principles that limit God other than that which flows from his own nature. Nothing more absolute or eternal than him can possibly exist. Any concept of justice or fairness must come from God himself, not from things external to him. There can be no law that binds the hand of God. A principle that binds must be sovereign over its subjects. If something compels, it is in itself Lord over that which is under it. The highest principle above which is nothing else, is Lord of lords. The Bible tells us that this is the Creator who has revealed himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God incarnate in the person of Jesus. Since God defines justice and fairness, the thought of him being unjust or unfair not only denies that God is God, it makes nonsense out of the idea of the words themselves.
God has compassion upon whom he will. Whatever he desires is by definition right and just. God’s word has established that it is so. There is no need to explain further. The facts of Exodus 33:19 stands by themselves. No more needs to be said. Our inability to reconcile statements, or to comprehend them, is not a valid objection to their being true. The final test is to determine what God’s word says. That is the final word.
What then determines who the
Romans 9:16, “So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.”
This is a partial conclusion in Paul’s argument. Since it is God alone who decides who will receive his mercy, then it cannot depend upon man. Man cannot be the cause of the mercy he receives if its cause is in God.
First: This mercy cannot be caused by man’s will. It is not by a human’s decision, choice, determination, or receiving that he is saved. It is caused by God alone who has mercy upon whom he will.
Then also he shows that mercy is not caused by man’s efforts. Running is a favorite metaphor Paul uses in several other letters (1 Corinthians 9:24-26, Galatians 2:2, 5:7, Philippians 2:16). It stands for the busy work of man in what he sets his mind to want and to do. But all his efforts cannot be the cause of mercy. It is God alone who makes that determination.
Dr. Haldane suggests that Paul might be thinking back to Jacob, the Father of Israel. He desired the blessing that appeared to belong to Esau. He willed it. He wanted it. He ran off to get the venison, disguise himself and deceive his father. Yet in all this, his desires and actions were not the cause of his being chosen. God had chosen that rascal Jacob before he was even born. Before he had done good or evil. If anyone was undeserving of blessing it was that deceiver Jacob. How clear an example God gives us showing that mercy comes by God’s grace, not by man’s choice or effort (Romans 9:11-13).
The Apostle John tells us why some believe and receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior. In John 1:12-13 he says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
Of course it is also true that those God truly redeems will both will and run. They exercise faith. They receive Jesus as Lord. They do run to him. However, the point is that these are the effects, not the causes, of God’s mercy. He puts that love and faith into their otherwise dead and foolish hearts. As Paul wrote in Philippians 2:13, “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”
There is always a divine purpose for some
being left in their evil dispositions.
Romans 9:17, “For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.’ “
Paul again uses the Bible. He quotes the example of how God used Pharaoh. Instead of complex philosophical ideas being introduced, Paul looks to what God has said. Man is often tempted to try to explain the existence of evil beyond what God reveals. Some imagine that God is bound by some abstract idea of human freedom. Others imagine that God lays aside some of his sovereign ability to do his own will. But none of these theories come from God’s word. They are the products of the fallen human mind that creatively wants to be in control.
John Calvin wisely cautions us “… never to feel the least desire to attain any other knowledge concerning this doctrine save what is taught us in Scripture. When the Lord shuts his sacred mouth, let us also stop our thoughts from advancing one step further in our inquiries.”
Unwarranted speculation is dangerous, and it is blasphemous to the revealed nature of God. We are not required to comprehend how a thing is done, or how it all fits together. Our duty, which is not possible in yet fallen hearts, is to accept what God plainly says.
How did this part of Israel’s history come to happen as it did? This man who became the Pharaoh was born into the royal family of Egypt. He was raised to develop the dispositions he displayed toward God and the Israelites. It was this man who came to rule Egypt at just that right time. Only one answer is possible. Israel’s history, even her Egyptian captivity, was the decreed providence of God. All that Pharaoh was, made him the perfect tool for displaying God’s mercy toward Israel. It was God who raised him up to be the person disposed to act exactly as he did. It was not Pharaoh who determined that the Exodus would take place as history records. It was the eternal and unchangeable sovereign good pleasure of God.
God tells us that there was a divine purpose in it all. When six of the plagues had been sent upon Egypt, and four more were yet to come, God gave these words to Moses to say to Pharaoh in Exodus 9:16, “But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.”
God could have removed Pharaoh long before the first plague was sent. But God later explained in Exodus 33:19 to Moses, that Pharaoh’s stubborn and evil heart became the means by which God would show his power in delivering his people who could not deliver themselves. God would declare the glory of his divine nature, his holy name. This would be a testimony to all the earth, not just to the Jews but to us gentiles thousands of years later. Children even today learn of God’s power by hearing the story of the plagues, the passover, the crossing of the Red Sea, and God’s deliverance.
The verse Paul had quoted just a moment ago from Exodus 33:19 said the same thing. It was all done to display the glory of God’s name, that he has mercy upon whom he will. This is the revealed fact Paul appeals to. This is what God himself explained.
Romans 9:18, “Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.”
Here Paul concludes his reasoning from Scripture explaining God’s rejection of Israel. He repeats for a third time, God’s prerogative to show mercy on whom he will, but to this he adds the negative side. He eliminates any possible misunderstanding. If God has mercy upon whom he will, then there are those upon whom he does not show mercy. Those become hardened by the absence of God’s restraint upon their hearts. Being left to hardness, they are used to demonstrate God’s power and holy name. This has been proven already in the verses Paul has quoted.
By hardening, Paul does not mean that God made an innocent Pharaoh become wicked. He left him to the disposition of his own fallen soul. Pharaoh received nothing that was not justly deserved.
Dr. Charles Hodge explained about God’s work in the heart of this Egyptian leader, “He did not make him wicked; he only forebore to make him good…”
God is not obligated to bestow his mercy upon anyone. God’s nature demands that he must always be just. This is why a Savior was necessary to redeem us who are all unworthy in Adam. God’s nature involves a mercy that is a prerogative of his good pleasure. His redeeming grace does not apply to all fallen humans. We do not know this by implication or by the constructions of Theology. The Bible directly tells us.
Oh how this infinite nature of the Creator is so far above us! It is beyond our comprehension. In Psalm 139:6 we read, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it.”
Of course we could look into many more cases in Scripture about how wicked hearts are hardened. We could study more into the details of Pharaoh’s heart and of the sovereign workings of God. We could examine how God hardens the hearts of those who are left in sin. Paul does not go into all that here. That would detract from the simplicity of his argument. He has quoted Scripture, and by this his point has been made. It is clearly true because God in his inspired word says so.
God’s dealings with Israel are not unjust. He would be a “Just God” if he had left us all in the condemnation of sin which we deserve. He may exercise his prerogative and show mercy and compassion upon whom he will.
How tragically foolish when men blame God when they sin. They reason as if it is the Lord’s fault for not stopping them. They assume that if God had a good purpose in their rebellion, then they cannot be held responsible. However, here God tells us that he held Israel responsible for her rebellion and blasphemy.
Paul’s reasoning is beyond objection. He uses God’s inspired word. God is not unjust in hardening Pharaoh, or the hearts of the apostate nation of Israel, or of the apostate modern Christian church. God is not unjust in saving some who deserve eternal damnation, because Jesus settled the debt of justice in the place of them according to that eternal plan. He has mercy upon whom he will, and whom he will he hardens. All are used in his plan to declare his power and glory.
Have you been touched by the mercy of God? Has he made you aware of the offense of your sin before his holy eyes? Has he made you see the wonder of the Cross of Christ? Has he made you hungry for righteousness. Do you desire to obey his moral principles in every way you can? Has he humbled you to repentance when you fail? The Eternal God did not have to do that. It was his divine prerogative to show mercy. You deserve as did Pharaoh, Esau, and all those not redeemed in Christ, to be justly left with your deserved guilt, and to be hardened in your heart against God.
What marvelous grace rescues us, and will not let us go! What comfort and hope is ours, who in Christ learn to rest in God’s compassion rather than in our own devices. Take time to thank God for his undeserved grace.
(The Bible quotations in this lesson are from the New King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.)
Tagged election, grace, justice, mercy
How We are Made Right with God
By Bob Burridge | December 29, 2010 - 12:00 am | December 29, 2010 Bible Studies
Comments Off on How We are Made Right with God
How We are Made Right with God
by Bob Burridge ©2010
The good news of the gospel isn’t anchored in our own efforts or feelings. It’s anchored in the work of Christ in fulfillment of God’s promise.
The person who needs to hear about Christ needs to be taken beyond his sorrow for sinning. If we just scare him with the fires of hell we drive him to whatever he believes is the escape. Often that’s not to the true deliverance they can have in Christ.
The statistics of emotionally charged revival campaigns are not very encouraging. The large majority of those who allege to come to Christ under those conditions show no change in their lives. After a few weeks they are never heard from again by the churches.
We need to point them to the work the Savior did, not to an emotional leap in the dark. They may come to God for mercy, but mercy comes only through Christ. Cries for mercy based on anything else are not the way to salvation.
First we need to be sure they understand the atonement. They may not know the word. You may not know the full theological definition of it yourself. But you need to lead them to the truth of it.
1 Peter 3:18, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit”
This verse begins with these words, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, …”
We humans are all unjust. We are sinners who stand accused before God. We are law-breakers.
As we see in Romans 3:23, “… all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Sin has a penalty as the Apostle Paul explained in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’
As those who sinned in Adam, and as those who sin by our own imperfect moral nature, we are guilty and condemned in the eyes of God.
1 Peter 3:18 gives more detail about how that gift of God can benefit the sinner. Jesus died for the unjust. He was just one, innocent of any moral guilt. He suffered for the unjust. We are the ones who are not innocent.
Jesus only had to suffer once for all. He was that infinite sacrifice needed to cover so much guilt. The infinite God who is infinitely powerful, absolutely innocent and just, took on a full human nature to represent us just as Adam did.
Only the Messiah, God and man in perfect union, could stand as our representative. Adam represented the human race. Jesus represented those chosen by God. They weren’t chosen because of anything good in them. They were chosen by grace alone (Ephesians 1:4-5) — an act of a perfect love.
Our Savior died in the place of those God called to life by taking on their guilt and penalty. He suffered infinitely to pay our infinite debt. With the barrier of guilt removed we can be reconciled with God. This is what today’s verse teaches us, “… that he might bring us to God”
The guilt barrier is removed. God is reconciled with us and we with him. Aside from his atonement God is offended by us and we are alienated from him. In Christ there is reconciliation: The offense is removed so that God is not separated from us any longer.
With the separation between us and God ended, we have life in Christ.
The Benefits of Satisfied Justice
This important verse ends with this promise, “being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:”
Jesus died in the flesh. His human body and spirit were separated as a consequence of our sins. Then Jesus was made alive again by the act of the Triune God. His body was raised as ours will be some day. It was reunited with his human soul because the sin that caused physical death was paid for.
In him we are made alive again too because the guilt of sin has been removed. We are re-united with God by being born-again, made alive spiritually, regenerated. At death our bodies will be separated from our souls only temporarily. At our resurrection our bodies will be glorified and re-united with our souls forever. That union will be in full fellowship with God eternally.
This is the good news the person who doesn’t know Christ needs to know. We need to explain it in the best way we can and urge others to trust in it.
(Note: The Bible quotations in this article are from the New King James Bible unless otherwise noted.)
- "The Behemoth in Job 40:15-24"
- "The Omnis of God"
- "The Meaning of Propitiation"
- "Thankful for God's Creation"
- "What Does the Bible Mainly Teach Us?"
- "The Widow's Last Flour"
- "Why Did God Make Us?"
- "Study of Paul's Letter to Philemon"
- "The Importance of the Head" (Col 1:18)
- "Total Inability"
- Commentary on the Book of Romans
- Commentary on the Book of Romans
The articles posted on this website are here to provide information about the Bible and specific topics related to the Reformed Faith along with it's application in our daily thoughts and activities.
| 42,102 |
Poverty can limit—and can completely remove—options for pet wellness in communities without access to affordable veterinary services. Our Pets for Life program offers free services and innovative solutions to these communities.
Pets served through the Pets for Life program.
Less than $20,000
The average household income in some impoverished communities our program hopes to serve.
Rates of unemployment in some of the communities that need this program.
The issue
People with pets in impoverished communities often struggle to provide basic care. The majority of the animals will never see a veterinarian, with spay/neuter rates a fraction of the national average.
Friends of HSI’s US affiliate, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), created the Pets for Life program in 2009 to address this issue and to help reduce the critical lack of veterinary care for pets in poverty. Friends of HSi is now conducting the Pets for Life program in Canda, offering an innovative alternative to traditional models of solving companion animal problems in impoverished communities. More specifically, we provide the following services:
| 1,151 |
Disclaimer: Used sets may be missing parts, be partial sets, or have color swapped pieces. They include all pieces/minifigures as pictured. Please ask if you have any concerns about a set before purchasing. They are sold AS-IS and can't be returned or exchanged.
Shipping: Used sets are shipped assembled. Some minor disassembly may be required for packing. Each set will be packed as carefully as possible, but it is virtually guaranteed that additional disassembly will occur during shipping.
Links
LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies. Used with permission. ©2020 the LEGO Group. All rights reserved.
| 656 |
If you have talked to any of the experienced hair stylists at K Bella, I am positive you have heard them mention Neuma at some point.
What is all the buzz about this product line? Why are so many stylists using Neuma? Well… It’s because their products protect your hair, keep your color vibrant, and are made with all-natural ingredients.
Neuma is dedicated to having green products. They use zero synthetic fragrance, glutens, neurotoxins, or environmental pollutants. All of their products are plant-based and have certified organic extracts. Even their bottles are made out of recycled materials! Neuma is fully committed to making sure not to harm the environment around them.
It doesn’t matter what your hair needs, Neuma has a product to help.
Need to repair your hair? Neuma offers neuRepair and reNeu, which help strengthen and nourish the hair follicles.
Need to add volume to thin hair? Neuma offers neuVolume that adds long-lasting body to your hair without weighing it down. It gives you a thicker and fuller look.
Need help with styling? Neuma offers neuStyling, which keeps every hair in place even in the humidity. You can style with pomade, gel, clay, mousse, or crème.
Their environmentally friendly products assist with smoothing, styling, rejuvenating, repairing, and volume all while protecting your color.
Their Phyto Colour Complex™ removes pollutants from the hair shaft to prevent color oxidation. This maximizes the hue, vibrancy, and longevity of your hair color. It also gives you a natural healthy shine. The Phyto UV Shield™ also enhances the brightness of your color while protecting from UVA and UVB oxidation. No matter how much time you spend in the sun, Neuma will help protect your hair to keep it looking fresh.
Whatever is essential to keeping your hair looking great, Neuma has a product for you. Be sure to ask your stylist about Neuma products the next time you stop into K Bella.
Share This Article
Related Tags
K Bella was started by Kristan in 2009. Her artistic talents include all aspects of hair, but she specializes in extremely thin or thick hair with her precise hair cutting techniques, one-of-a-kind color applications, and all forms of hair extensions, including Fusion, Micro Links, NBR, and Habit Hand Tied.
| 2,356 |
After my very first 5k experience, where my friend Zac showed up five minutes after the starting gun went off, wearing all black on a mid-August day, and was slightly hungover (which you can read fully about here) I’ve toned down on the running a little. The first 5k was several years ago and I’ve run […]
Archives Select Month January 2021 (1) August 2019 (1) May 2019 (1) April 2019 (1) March 2019 (2) February 2019 (3) January 2019 (2) December 2018 (5) November 2018 (2) February 2017 (3) January 2017 (3) December 2016 (3) November 2016 (1) August 2016 (2) May 2016 (2) April 2016 (1) March 2016 (2) February 2016 (2) January 2016 (4) December 2015 (3) November 2015 (3) October 2015 (5) September 2015 (4) August 2015 (4) July 2015 (5) June 2015 (5) May 2015 (1)
Enter your email address to follow me and receive notifications of new posts by email! XOXO
Email Address:
There is this picture I have of the ideal woman floating around in my head. She’s perfection and she knows it.
She is everything I want to be. She is smart, funny, a good homemaker, and can rock any lipstick color she wants. Plus she is just so damn happy. I want to be her. Problem is I’m hopelessly flawed…or actually, as I like to say, HopeFULLY flawed. There is always hope.
Here I’ll write about my numerous (and humorous) shortcomings, my (mostly happy) thoughts and ideas, and my failures and successes. Here I will strive for perfection and always fall short. Here is where I will try to become Almost “Her.”
“HER” defined: Funny, smart, brave, knowledgeable, beautiful, energetic, laid-back, positive, healthy, crafty, an amazing friend/daughter/girlfriend/wife/aunt/mother/grandmother, happy, full of faith, stress-free, thoughtful, honest, playful, spontaneous, and a bomb diggity cook. (This list is never-ending.)
| 1,893 |
After losing a loved one, you experience a lot of firsts. A lot of hard firsts. Especially first holidays. You’re still in shock. You’re adjusting not only to losing them, but to life and special occasions without them.
That first year you try and stick to traditions, but it’s not easy. Plans get adjusted. You don’t put out all of your decorations. You kind of half-ass the holidays.
You always expect and anticipate the firsts to be the hardest. I did. They weren’t easy. At all. Day to day is still an unexpected roller-coaster. You’re still grieving, and let me tell you something, that is okay. Especially leading up to the one year mark. (If you’re new here, I lost my dad basically the day before Thanksgiving last year. So, excellent timing.)
What I’m learning though, is that the second year of holidays is different. It’s surprisingly harder. The shock of the loss isn’t as strong and reality is setting in. The dust is settling a bit and you’re navigating life in the “new normal”. Some people even forget what you are going through and that’s okay. Not only is Dad not coming back, but life is going on. Special, happy times aren’t as happy. But they are happening. I’m realizing that Thanksgiving and Christmas are really happening without him. Somehow.
I am beyond blessed with family and friends. I have an incredible and understanding support system. But, I’m still honestly feeling anxious leading into it. I was am a Christmas fanatic. I love it. Dad raised me that way. Really, not much brings me more joy than some Christmas music and some twinkling lights. The lights just don’t seem to shine the same without Dad.
I’m finding myself holding on to memories and traditions. All of the small things that at one point seemed meaningless, now mean everything. The songs and the movies. The little chachkies that are now invaluable and full of precious memories. That time my sister spilled chocolate milk all over the turkey and no one even got mad. The time my siblings and I all had the chicken pox on Christmas and had to stay home. Peeking down the stairs to see if Santa came. Always burning the Christmas morning cinnamon rolls while the Yule Log played on TV with a Christmas record in the background. Dad always behind the video camera and always making sure all the batteries were in the toys and that all the decals were on Barbie’s Dream House and the Ninja Turtle Van.
But, as hard as it seems at times, life goes on. If there is one thing Tom Donnelly loved, it was the holidays. I know for damn sure he will come down and haunt me if I half-ass Christmas again. As hard as I know it will be, I need to be all in. So, time to channel my inner Buddy the Elf and squash the Scrooge.
I guess what I’m saying is, be gentle. With yourself. And, with others. Don’t just try to “get through” the holidays. But embrace them and celebrate them in memory of those we love.
Please feel free to browse through my blog for other posts, or check out some articles I have written for Thought Catalog here.
Related
Published by jdonnellster
View all posts by jdonnellster
Previous postLife status: Currently holding it together with one bobby pin.
Next postThe first year without you
1 thought on “Why the second year is the hardest”
November 4, 2019 at 12:02 pm
Well said, Julie. You’re right that the second year doesn’t get easier. With the first year things are busy, but then reality hits, as you said. I try to remember that my parents wouldn’t have wanted me to half-&(&* the holidays, as you also acknowledge .So I try my best, knowing that they will always be missed, each and every day, but those memories that you shared will always be with you..
| 3,828 |
A week ago, I published a research paper, along with my colleagues Paul Gilding and Jimena Alvarez. For 20 leading fossil fuel producing firms, we measured the economic cost to society of the climate change impacts caused by the use of their products, and compared this with their profits in each year from 2008 to 2012. Because the companies presently don’t have to pay for these climate impacts, we view this as an implicit subsidy to the companies.
At the heart of the paper is a very simple comparison, which is shown in the figure below. For each company, the smallest circle is for 2008, with the years connected in order to the largest circle in 2012. Coal companies are shown in black or dark brown, and oil and gas companies in lighter shades of red, brown and orange. The dashed line in the figure represents economic cost to society equal to after‐tax profit.
All the companies lie above the line, which means that the economic cost to society of the CO2 emissions from the products they sell was greater than their after‐tax profit, with the single exception of Exxon Mobil in 2008. For pure coal companies (Coal India, Peabody, Shenhua Group, and China Coal) the economic cost to society exceeded total revenue in all years.
These results seem striking to us, hence the research paper. We are keen to have your comments and take part in a discussion about the meaning of the results, and this has started. The paper has been covered favourably by Dave Roberts at Vox who concluded that ‘with proper accounting, the fossil fuel business doesn’t look like such a moneymaker’. Tim Worstall at Forbes agreed with the numbers, and even the idea of a substantial carbon tax, but didn’t like our rather mild suggestion that ‘company profits could be lost and assets stranded by the resulting shift to low carbon energy’.
Goodness knows what Worstall will make of this paper by Naomi Oreskes and her colleagues which appeared in Climatic Change on the same day as our paper, and concludes that ‘major investor-owned fossil energy companies carry significant responsibility for climate change’.
What do you think?
Read the press release or the paper “Quantifying the implicit climate subsidy received by leading fossil fuel companies”
After Paris →
3 Responses to Implicit climate subsidy exceeds profits at 20 top fossil fuel companies
31 July 2015 at 9:23 am
As I made quite clear, it’s not the companies that carry the incidence of the climate damages. It’s the consumers. Exxon is not responsible for the emissions from my driving. I am responsible for the emissions from my driving.
Thus: the companies are responsible for, should bear the economic burden of (ie, pay a carbon tax upon) their emissions of their own processes. Emissions during processing, this sort of thing.
And we consumers should bear the costs of, pay that carbon tax, on the emissions from our own use. This is, of course, implicit in the very design of the Stern Review and so on.
Thus a comparison of total emissions costs to corporate profits is simply, well, not perhaps wrong, but useless.
We#re never going to try and charge total emissions costs to the corporates. Because what we want to change is consumer behaviour. Thus we must charge them to the consumer.
cwhope says:
31 July 2015 at 9:52 am
Thanks for your comment. Here’s my take on it. I think we agree that by far the best policy to tackle climate change is a strong, comprehensive, rising, fiscally-neutral tax on greenhouse gas emissions. To reduce transactions costs, I think that tax should be applied as soon as the relevant products enter the market. So it will be applied to the fossil fuel companies. They will decide how much of the tax to pass on to consumers. If they pass on all of it, their products will be much more expensive and they will lose sales, which will reduce their profits indirectly. If they pass on none of it, their profits will be reduced directly. If they pass on some of it, they will lose profits from both mechanisms. So there are risks to the companies, and it is not useless to see how the total impacts from burning their fuels compare to their existing profits. But it is only a first scoping exercise, and we say in the paper that ‘it is not a literal measure of the future financial liabilities of a company, as society is unlikely to apply the full costs to the companies concerned, at least not retrospectively.’
cwhope says:
6 August 2015 at 11:42 am
Director, Climate Change at ConocoPhillips says
I recently read the above paper and found it interesting as Carbon Asset Risk is one of the issues that we are taking seriously and on which we are trying to increase our disclosure to stakeholders.
I had a number of questions and I’d appreciate your thoughts. The first is around the social cost of carbon. I know you’ve done a lot of work on this and I’ve read many papers that have tried to estimate it, but in the end I wonder if this is something that is ever truly knowable or estimable with any accuracy . Without any history of climate damage we are trying to predict something which has a huge range of uncertainty and I think you try and take that into account with a huge number of computer runs, but how confident can you be of any number that is produced (aside of the whole discount rate discussion, which adds another layer of uncertainty)? Your paper makes three claims – that it proposes a technique that helps understand the level of materiality – that it gives an indication of the relative differences between companies and fuel types – and an indication of companies’ net contribution to society. I would argue that the technique certainly achieves the second claim (and for that alone it should be applauded), but possibly neither the 1st or 3rd. In Europe, taxes have been added to gasoline (sorry, I’m becoming American) that are well in excess of $122 per tonne CO2(e), but we haven’t seen the collapse of any European oil and gas companies. So there is something else that is going on in the economy which may have more to do with the other benefits that oil and gas bring (mobility, comfort, energy density, reliability, personal security, etc, etc) which consumers value more than the alternatives on offer – walking, mass transit, renewable fuels, electric cars, etc. This makes it difficult to judge the materiality that the imposition of a carbon price will have on a fossil fuel company without judging the utility of the alternatives. The other issue not addressed in your paper is that you assume that the future will look like history in terms of company portfolios (as well as future regulation, but you have mentioned that). In reality, companies react very quickly to changes in commodity prices, as has been seen by the recent oil price collapse. As of this minute most oil and gas companies have adjusted to a place where they are beginning to report profits again and have a path back to cash neutrality following a huge fall in their major product price. This is for a number of reasons, firstly companies have portfolios which contain many options allowing them to readjust to prices and demand fluctuations, secondly the industry does not work in a vacuum, so all other things are not equal – when oil prices fall so do all of the input prices – equipment, people, technologies, services, and thirdly the industry has all of the characteristics – finance, technology, people, scale, ingenuity, project management skills that will allow it to adapt and succeed at whatever the most economic method of producing energy happens to be. So I’m not sure that simply taking the social cost of carbon multiplied by a company’s historic consumer carbon emissions is a real reflection of materiality to the company or a company’s net contribution to society when so much of what society may value is missing from the calculation. I’d be interested in your thoughts.
(posted here with Malcolm’s permission)
Leave a reply Cancel reply
Notify me of follow-up comments by email.
Notify me of new posts by email.
Δ
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Chris is a climate change policy researcher, PAGE model developer, and Emeritus Reader in Policy Modelling at Cambridge Judge Business School, interested in environment and energy.
| 8,445 |
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Every week they post a new topic/Top Ten list and invite everyone to share their own answers. I'm so obsessed with lists!
1. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor - I've heard so many good things about this book, and I can't wait to actually get around to reading it. I really hope it lives up to all the hype.
2. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - I keep putting this book off because I can already tell I'm going to love it, and then I'll never be able to read it for the first time again. But I really need to read it soon.
3. The House at Tyneford by Natasha Solomons - I came across this book because it was described as similar to Downton Abbey. I'm sorry but I must check out anything and everything related to my beloved Downton Abbey.
4. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez - This book not only sounds interesting, it was highly recommended by dead white guys. If she likes it, I have to read it!
5. Looking for Anne of Green Gables by Irene Gammel - I've had this book for almost two years, and I'm vowing that this spring will finally be the time I get around to reading it!
6. Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran - I am so excited to read this, not only because I've heard great things about it, but also because I'm excited to learn more about this subject.
7. The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin - This has really mixed reviews, but I'm just so in love with the cover. I keep hoping that I end up loving it (some people have) instead of being disappointed by it (as some other people have been).
8. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - How have I not read this before?! I don't know, but I'm changing that this spring.
9. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins - I've seen this mentioned by a lot of bloggers recently, which has really peaked my interest in it. I'm excited to dive in!
10. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden - I have had like three people tell me that I need to read this, and all have different reading tastes. I'm taking the hint.
22 comments
Julie S. March 20, 2012 at 10:40 AM
100 Years of Solitude is really good! It can be difficult to get through, because a lot of the characters have similar names, and it jumps around in time, but it's worth it!
ReplyDelete
Replies
Hannah March 20, 2012 at 2:53 PM
Thanks so much for the heads up about character names in 100 Years of Solitude! I always like knowing stuff like that ahead of time so that I'm prepared for the slight confusion :) Thanks for stopping by & commenting!
Delete
Replies
beccabooklover March 20, 2012 at 10:50 AM
I bought Madame Tussad's not to long ago and I'm really looking forward to reading it mainly because I love Michelle Moran's books and I don't know much about the French Revolution so will be nice to learn a bit about that period in history :)
Great choices!
Here's my Top Ten list:
ReplyDelete
Replies
Hannah March 20, 2012 at 2:56 PM
Yeah, I'm really excited to learn more about the French Revolution! When I read historical fiction, I feel like somehow always end up reading about WWII so I'm excited for something a little different! Going to check out your list now :)
Delete
Replies
Anonymous March 20, 2012 at 1:50 PM
A very fine list :) Some I'd like to read, some I have. I own Memoirs of a Geisha, but haven't made it to reading it yet. Though I wasn't crazy about the story of Great Gatsby, the writing was fantastic. If you like classics, Lolita was fabulous. I absolutely love Nabokov's writing style! Here's my list: http://whatsontheshelf.wordpress.com/2012/03/20/top-ten-tuesday-10/
ReplyDelete
Replies
Hannah March 20, 2012 at 2:59 PM
Glad you like the list :) I have no idea if I'll like The Great Gatsby, but I'm so excited to read it! Thanks for recommending Lolita... I'm definitely adding it to my wish list now! Thanks so much for commenting!
Delete
Replies
Anonymous March 20, 2012 at 2:30 PM
I have several of the same books on my TBR list, though not for this Spring, and I will be adding the Irene Gammel book to my list. Sounds really good.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Hannah March 20, 2012 at 3:05 PM
I still can't believe I've had the Irene Gammel book for so long and still haven't read it! Thanks for stopping by! I'm going to check out your list now!!
Delete
Replies
Daisy March 20, 2012 at 4:45 PM
I need to read so many of these as well! Especially The Night Circus! Everyone and their great aunt seems to love it, I'm excited to jump on the bandwagon as well! :)
ReplyDelete
Replies
Hannah March 20, 2012 at 7:24 PM
That's exactly how I feel about The Night Circus - everyone I know that's read it has loved it! I've had it for a month or two, but I just keep saving it for later. I think it's finally time for later to be now!
Delete
Replies
Magan @ Rather be Reading March 20, 2012 at 6:23 PM
Oooh! Daughter of Smoke and Bone! IT'S SO GOOD! I hope you love reading it; it was a bit outside my norm, but I couldn't put it down. Great, awesome world building. Happy reading! :)
ReplyDelete
Replies
Hannah March 20, 2012 at 7:25 PM
Yeah, from what I've read about it, it does sound like it will be a little bit outside my comfort zone. But I've seen such good reviews of it (even from people who don't typically liked this kind of thing) that I'm really looking forward to finally reading it :)
Delete
Replies
LL March 20, 2012 at 9:28 PM
Daughter of Smoke and Bone, The Night Circus, and Madame Tussaud were three of the best books I read last year! Hooray! American Heiress and House at Tyneford are on my sometime-in-the-future-TBR (Downton Abbey love, of course) and if you have good things to say about Looking For Green Gables I might have to add that to my list! Great list!
ReplyDelete
Replies
Hannah March 21, 2012 at 12:03 PM
It makes so happy to hear that you loved those three! If you say they're good, then I'm even more excited to read them! Is it bad that I did a Google search for books similar to Downton Abbey? Because that's totally how those two ended up on my list haha! And I'll definitely let you know about Looking for Green Gables :)
Delete
Replies
LL March 22, 2012 at 10:41 PM
I did the same thing! I think I spent a good portion of class a few weeks ago adding books that were similar to Downton Abbey to my TBR on Goodreads.
Delete
Replies
Hannah March 23, 2012 at 9:14 AM
Haha yes - this makes me like you even more! I'll have to go check out your TBR on Goodreads and see if I've missed any good ones!
Delete
Replies
Beth March 21, 2012 at 9:28 AM
I've read many of these and think you're in for a real treat with Madame Tussaud & The Woman in White-- definitely my favorites from this list! The Night Circus and The House at Tynedford were also entertaining and fun. I just recently abandoned American Heiress because I just didn't really enjoy the characters or flow, but who knows... Great mix of titles-- looks like you have some great reading ahead.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Hannah March 21, 2012 at 12:08 PM
Yeah, I'm really looking forward to The Woman in White & Madame Tussaud. I've heard so many great things about both, and I'm happy you concur! I have noticed other people saying similar things about American Heiress, but I'm hoping for the best. I love the summary, but it sounds like the idea might have been better than the execution... I always hate when that happens!
Delete
Replies
Jillian March 21, 2012 at 11:29 PM
I'm curious about that Anne of Green Gables book! And the one similar to Downton Abbey of COURSE sounds fascinating! :)
Enjoy your spring reading, Hannah!
ReplyDelete
Replies
Hannah March 27, 2012 at 12:54 PM
Thanks Jillian! And I'll definitely post reviews of all these books so you'll know if they're worth adding to your TBR list :)
Delete
Replies
Lisa Schensted March 25, 2012 at 9:09 PM
The Great Gatsby! One of the few books I read in it's entirety in High School. That and Lord of the Flies, of course.
The Woman in White has been on my to-read list for ages. It will happen one day!
ReplyDelete
Replies
Hannah March 27, 2012 at 12:56 PM
I still can't believe I haven't read The Great Gatsby! I have, however, read Lord of the Flies so I'm good there at least :)
It may be wishful thinking for me to say that I'll be reading the Woman in White this spring, but I'd like to so I just kept it on here. Maybe I'll read it and love it so much that I'll convince to finally take it off the to-read list!
| 8,849 |
previous
play
next
Update Required To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.
0:00 - COVID-19’s impact on her job at Exxon
Direct segment link:
Partial Transcript: KL: Today's May 29, 2020. Thank you so much for your time, Kathleen. To start, would you please briefly introduce yourself like your name and your background?
Subjects: Exxon; Rice; work
Direct segment link:
Partial Transcript: KL: I see, have you engaged in any response to the outbreak yet?
KH: Yeah. So my personal engagement was I co-founded a nonprofit with a classmate from Rice named Coco.
12:37 - Other activities during COVID-19
Direct segment link:
Partial Transcript: KL: I see. Have you ever involved in other kind of activities during the COVID-19 pandemic?
KH: Um, so this one's kind of been my main activity.
Subjects: home; yoga
13:19 - Racial prejudice and inequality revealed by the pandemic
Direct segment link:
Partial Transcript: KL: Cool. Um, I guess my next question is, how did you feel hearing about assumptions made about Asian community as being more prone to the virus? Or how do you feel about like the recent attacks to Asian people in the States?
Keywords: Asians; community; culture; inequality; Japanese; New York; politics; prejudice; society; violence; Zoom
Subjects: coronavirus; inequality; politics; race
Direct segment link:
Partial Transcript: KL: So will you consider a change in your like your career or future direction of business, or even like, places to live as a result of pandemic?
KH: So not places to live, because I don't think anywhere in the world is safe from this per se and I don't think I don't think moving away from a problem is necessarily an answer.
Keywords: business; career; community; Houston; initiative
Subjects: career; future; locations
0:00
Date of Interview: 5/31/2020
Transcribed by: Kelly Liao
Edited by: Sarah Kong
The special oral history collection is created in response to COVID-19 that started in February 2020. Kathleen Harcourt, a chemical engineer who just received her MBA from Rice University, spoke about her experiences during the pandemic, particularly about her involvement in the "Snacks for Med Staff" initiative she co-founded with several other Rice students. She also talked about her views on the rising anti-Asian sentiments under the pandemic and the future of Houston community.
The interview took place via Zoom, a popular video conferencing app (and the official app for Rice University) during COVID-19.
KL: Today's May 29, 2020. Thank you so much for your time, Kathleen. To start, would you please briefly introduce yourself like your name and your background?
KH: Oh, yeah. So my name is Kathy Harcourt. My background, so I am a chemical engineer. Just got my MBA from Rice University. I live in here in Houston, Texas, and I'm currently working for Exxon Mobil. Uh yeah.
KL: Okay, that's great. So, we know since March, we have moved on to classes online at Rice. I don't know how has that impacted your studies, even though it's like last time at Rice and also your life or your work?
KH: Yeah, I mean, it's it was a lot more challenging at first. I think I've certainly gotten more used to it. So to start from a class standpoint, the camaraderie of seeing the other classmates spending time together the physical 1:00sort of contact piece, it's been hard to not have that. I miss it. And I'd say in classes too, it can be challenging to focus all the time when it's on a camera versus on the professor. So I think those pieces have been challenging. With work as well, there can be challenges of having a successful meeting. When you're not always able to see everyone, people don't always know when it's time to talk or you know, who's talking so that can be complicated. People's internet goes out and their dogs bark and their babies cry. But I think that there's also some, some advantages I'm starting to see as well without the commute, I've gotten a lot of extra time back. And I would say another advantage is just I've had a lot have time to think, think about who I am, what I'm doing. There's a lot less hustle and bustle outside. So I think it helps me focus more when I was studying on my studies or on my work because there's not necessarily another 2:00place I'd rather be than present where I'm at. So overall, I think it's a challenging time, but I see a lot of silver linings.
KL: I see. So what about your job? Has it also be affected by coronavirus pandemic?
KH: Yeah, so, yes, it has. So my day-to-day activities are the same. Yet as an oil and gas company. There's a lot less gasoline, diesel, etc, petroleum products really being sold. So, Exxon Mobil is such a large company where I would say it doesn't- We're definitely not struggling as much as some of the other companies but, you know, for everybody, there's a lot of earnings that have, you know, been affected and there's just a lot of different, you know, costs that need to be relooked at, to figure out, you know how to best weather the storm, especially when there's just not as much demand. As an employee, I 3:00think what's really changed for me is, you know, first was the working from home. So not coming into the office every day was a bit challenging, getting used to that and the new schedule, creating our own schedules. But now we're starting to go back into the office. And there's challenges there with, you know, trying to be safe while still being around other people. So, wearing masks constantly, using hand sanitizer, always staying six feet of social distance, really limited in what we're able to do with the fridges and the you know, all the facilities we share, so it's definitely been different.
KL: I see, have you engaged in any response to the outbreak yet?
KH: Yeah. So my personal engagement was I co-founded a nonprofit with a classmate from Rice named Coco. So me and Coco started Snacks for Med Staff, 4:00which is a small nonprofit where we take donation money, and we buy food from small local restaurants to help them out during this challenging time since they weren't seeing as much revenue, especially during the shutdown. And then we deliver it to hospital staff who are combating COVID-19 to help them, you know, have some food because usually they're just so busy, they don't have time to stop. Also, a lot of the places around them tend to be closed. So it's not always easy for them to grab food. And it's also really big morale booster for them just to let them know that the community is thinking about them. We leave nice notes with them from the restaurant from us. So the overall goal is to really boost morale of medical staff while also helping the economy and with Snacks for Med Staff, we also had a couple of the individuals at Rice who used to serve us our food who were not working because Rice was closed, we were able to hire them to do the driving their catering service. And so that was really 5:00nice as well, because we were just helping a lot of people. It felt like in the community, business owners, hospital staff, and then too I think the donors also get something out of it because all of us have a desire to, to help and to do something and to make a difference. And I felt we were able to also build an outlet for those people to have something to, to give to so that they could feel, you know, emotionally a bit better during this really challenging time that there was something they could do.
KL: That's really great. So what has inspired you and your partner to start this initiative?
KH: Yeah, so Coco's got a really great background and you'll get that soon, but for me, I think my heart really goes to the business owners a bit. So when I was first going to college when I was you know 18, I had to pay for my own college. And I had a minimum wage kind of job, I worked at a vitamin store. And I just remembered how challenging it was to not know how I was going to pay the bills, 6:00you know, how you know what, what was my next week going to look like, you know, and just not having enough funds where I was worried about, you know, food bills and all that. I can only imagine what it's like to be in that situation right now. I'm really fortunate that you know, I went to college and I got a good, good job and I'm, it's pretty stable, and I'm not in those shoes anymore. But I really wanted to do something for the community. In particular, I wanted to help those who were scared about their income. And with the restaurant industry, you know, a lot of these small business owners, it's not just them who are afraid of losing their business. If they don't get enough money, they can't pay their staff. And so those are a lot of people who are really relying on that. Typically, you know, somebody in that position is not going to have a massive amount of money just waiting in their bank account to help them float during the time if they get furloughed. So we wanted to do something and even to that front 7:00to Coco. My partner, she is really passionate about the hospital staff. Her mom works in a hospital in China. And so she came up with the idea of "Hey, you know, in China, we, it's really common for us to just send everybody food, why don't we just do it here?" And I told her it was a great idea. And we should start. We originally didn't necessarily think we were going to make a nonprofit. All we wanted to do was just spend a couple hundred dollars of her own money to help a couple of restaurants, local restaurants, and then think the hospital workers. So we talked to a couple of classmates who knew, who either were in the hospital or they knew people who worked in the hospital that with COVID. And then we organized sending them food. And then once people heard about what we were doing, we started to receive a bunch of donations and get a bunch of money. That's when we decided to start a nonprofit was so we could make that transparent.
KL: That sounds a very inspiring experience. So is the initiative only limited 8:00to Houston area or also other parts of the country?
KH: Yeah, so we've expanded to five different states and 23 different hospitals. So our goal was definitely Houston just simply because it's our home. And you know, we love our home. But we also wanted to go to some of the hardest hit states and cities. So we particularly went out of our way to try and figure out you know, how to get to New York, we had some hospitals in New York, in Detroit, Philadelphia, LA. So we try to look at the COVID cases and say, "Okay, where was it particularly hard hit, and then can we find some hospitals there?" As well as just we expanded to a couple of other places that maybe weren't as aggressively affected by COVID like San Antonio or things just because we had contacts there and there was still that need, just because they didn't have the highest amount didn't necessarily mean that they that the need wasn't there. So we kind of expanded to all those areas. But Houston's always been probably our biggest 9:00presence where we have the most hospitals just because that's where we're from.
KL: I see. So how did you establish connections with like hospitals in those areas?
KH: Yeah, so interestingly enough, it was a lot of our own networks, we just kind of started to help. And as we started to help, people started to give us contacts, either with like family members or friends or people they knew. And that's really how we got most of our contacts. We did once we built website, get a couple of contacts from our website, we made a page where you could recommend a hospital, but honestly, the vast majority of them were through word of mouth.
KL: Okay, that's nice So what kind of progress has the initiative initiative made? Like what are the reactions of the medical staff or business owners?
KH: Yeah, so we'd had a couple situations and like, I remember one in New York where some of the ladies just started crying because they were just overwhelmed. 10:00They were working so hard and to just suddenly get like a big package of food and a bunch of these letters that, you know, say, "Hey, you guys are doing great. The community supports you." They really appreciated it. So I think the medical staff really felt like they were getting that morale boost. And the the restaurants we worked with, we ended up--at first we started to just do like DoorDash and just send local restaurants. But then we learned a little bit more and found out things like Uber Eats and DoorDash take a big percentage of the cut. And so then we started to do partnerships with specific restaurants. And then we also hired our staff here in Houston, which would do the deliveries. And all of them would tell us how grateful they were, particularly there would be weeks where they would be really slow and there was just no business. I don't want to say that we saved them from, you know, demise or anything we spent, we raised a total of $20,000. So spreading that out between the 23 hospitals, I 11:00can't guarantee we made or braid- broke a company yet, I think we really did help in the most challenging times, and give them that extra income when they needed it. So they also told us that what we were doing was wonderful, and they were super appreciative. And we, on our Instagram, we have lots of photos, mostly from the hospitals, but even a couple from our restaurant partners, showing everybody just been super excited about what's going on.
KL: That's wonderful. So, how do you feel about this process?
KH: Yeah, I feel really good about it. I think at the end of the day, I really always want to make a difference. And I know Coco does too. And you know, you can't... Rome wasn't built in a day. We couldn't necessarily help everyone but even still the amount of help we were able to give and how much we heard the hospitals tell us "Thank you so much, you know, because you did this, it helped 12:00us get through the day. We look forward to, you know, the days when we get packages from you guys." Or, you know, the restaurants who told us "Hey, you know, we've really appreciated what you've done and helping us continue our business. You've helped us pay our staff." Like that kind of that that kind of feeling when you know that you've done something, you've made a difference it, it makes it all worth it. So all the hours we spent organizing things and figuring out what the next steps were. It was, it was all worth it. It was really good.
KL: I see. Have you ever involved in other kind of activities during the COVID-19 pandemic?
KH: Um, so this one's kind of been my main activity. I guess like as a personal note, I do. I'm a yoga instructor for fun. So I used to teach yoga classes. I'm not teaching right now, but I have been taking a lot of yoga classes at home. 13:00And just like you know, watching the videos, so that's been kind of a hobby of mine as well as spending a lot more time with my dog. So, yeah, I think the nonprofit is taken up most of my spare time between school and work, but I think it was really well spent.
KL: Cool. Um, I guess my next question is, how did you feel hearing about assumptions made about Asian community as being more prone to the virus? Or how do you feel about like the recent attacks to Asian people in the States?
KH: It's horrible and it's, it's really something we need to educate people on because a lot of it comes from misinformation and fear. And one of the things I find so challenging too is there are certain people I feel who really take advantage of the fear to then pointed at minority groups. And I feel that that's been done, especially during this time. There's been a lot of political pieces 14:00to this where I feel there is a, there is a desire by some political parties to really particularly try to make China look bad, which is a shame because I felt, I feel they're willing to put their own citizens at certain kind of risk. Even if it's not necessarily guaranteed violence, right, prejudice. It can be challenging when folks are trying to just sell food or you know, just go do their daily job. My grandmother grew up in New York and she's Japanese. And my great grandparents came here from Japan. And my grandma actually, because she was there after World War Two, people used to beat her up. Like actually like as a kid like actually beat her up just because she was Japanese. And it's like, she never did anything wrong to anyone. She didn't do anything to deserve it. But just because of her, you know, heritage. These people were being brutish to 15:00her and they would insult her and they treated them just awfully and my grandma used to tell me stories when I was growing up. And it's a shame to me because I feel like we've made progress and then during times like this, I feel like we go back on some of that progress, right? Like it, it's unacceptable to show violence to people just because they have a different background than you. And it's there's no science that shows that somehow being of Asian heritage makes us more prone. So it's just to me I feel we as a community need to correct this, this misinformation for our own citizens. It's it's mind blowing to me that we do this to our own people. And even if they're not like direct citizens here, even if it's just people visiting like we're all still people, it's just the wrong way for humanity to go.
KL: I'm sorry to hear about the stories of your grandma.
KH: Yeah. Well, the good news is she's still around and you know, she she overcame that. And I think that just shows how resilient she was. She's an amazing woman. And she didn't get to go to college. So she worked really, really hard to make sure my mom and my uncle and uncles did get to go to college. And because she did that, you know, my mom went to college, I was able to go to college. So through the hard times, it also shows you how incredibly resilient people can be and even communities. So I've talked--I'm personally half Japanese and half American so I would say I go less noticed. And you can probably hear more from my, the other co-founder Coco but her actually came from China. She's received a lot harsher treatment than I have. And that's also surprised me because we have similar backgrounds, right? We're similar people, we have similar interests. And to know that I'm treated slightly better, just because 17:00I'm only half Japanese. You know, I'm half Asian, and somehow she's been treated poor because she's full. That's really hard for me to hear as well.
KL: Yeah. So how do you think we could come out of this epidemic stronger as a community?
KH: I think the ways we can become stronger, are a couple of things. One, I think that we need to make we need to ensure tribalism doesn't get to a point where we start to exclude groups. And what I mean by that is, I think before the pandemic, there was a lot more view of globalism, you know, let's just do what's the cheapest thing. Let's just do what's kind of the biggest thing for everyone. Now there's a little bit more tribalism. Okay, let's help the community. Let's be a little bit community oriented. Let's be a little bit more, you know, around our own, you know, group. And I think that can create some good things and that you care more about those around you. And you might even be able to build a little bit more culture in that way by not just going to what all the big trends 18:00are by focusing on the small local trends, if you will, other small, local culturals. I think we can have some really exciting sort of creative and innovative things that could come from that. However, that can only happen if we don't create exclusivity along with that kind of tribalism sort of view. So to not fall into the trap of assuming that because people are different, they're threatening. I think other ways we can come out of this a lot stronger is--I think there's a lot of innovations and movements happening right now in technology, and in bio technology, specifically too. I think once we overcome this, the fact that we have progressed those two fields more, you know, the medical field and the and technology. I think that's going to be better for the human race, and I think we should be open to accepting just some of the technological changes that are likely to come from this. For example, I think 19:00more people are going to start working from home, maybe not as many as are right now. But I think it's going to become a more acceptable thing. And I think that could be really helpful particularly for a lot of couples nowadays, both the the, whether you're hetero homo, whatever you may be, when you're a couple taking care of a baby, it's, it's more likely now that both partners are working, as opposed to the traditional one staying at home. If we have stay at home work, for example, that might allow those people to project their careers. Still at the same rate, even though they have a young child at home, we might not have to have somebody feel like they have to, you know, put, put their career behind, you know, temporarily on hold so they could raise their children. So I see this also as potentially with technology allowing us to integrate things better, which will help with career projections.
KL: I see. Since you mentioned technologies, I'm wondering how much of your work 20:00or studies or social experiences has been conducted via digital communication tools such as Zoom or FaceTime? Like how do you compare it to in-person experiences?
KH: Yeah, I think the best. The answer is the vast majority of my interactions now are through some sort of, you know, technology versus in person. And it's not exactly the same. And there's definitely some challenges, it's hard to read the subtleness of people's faces as much. And body language is a lot harder to read because you can't actually see anyone's body. So I think some of those cues which are really helpful in person have been lost a bit in translation. Yet, I think once again, as we talked about a little bit earlier, there are some of the advantages the convenience of not having to travel as much. The simplicity, it's less challenging. I don't- when I have a big meeting, I don't have to book a room and have to figure out, you know, where in the building, could I physically 21:00fit all these people, I just put a call on people's calendars. So I think that there's a balance. And I think too, hopefully, we will come up with different ways for technology to help us adapt to some of the things that we're used to more in person that we don't have now. One of the hardest things is I miss hugging people, maybe not my co-workers as much but especially my friends and, and just seeing people. There's a, there's definitely nothing so far that I've seen as far as technology can quite make it feel as as intimate as when you get to be with someone in person and give them a hug.
KL: Yeah, I can relate to that so much. I'm going back to the pandemic itself. What do you think this pandemic has revealed about the structural equalities of our society?
KH: Well, I think one of the one of the biggest things that shows is I feel when 22:00times are good, people are a bit better behaved. But as as things get more challenging, sometimes we regress. And I think this is a situation where we've regressed a bit, you know, the amount of, you know, violence and just, you know, verbal, physical, all that on Asian Asians in general here in the US has increased since this has happened, right? And I think it's happening because people are scared and people want someone or something to blame. And it's just a lot easier to point a finger at somebody, and that's different. So I think, yeah, it's just shown a regression due to fear. And I think the way we can combat that the best is through education to fix the misinformation, because the misinformation is causing both the fear and also the inaccurate blaming.
KL: I see. So I guess my next question is will be more personal. Have there been any changes in the structure of the life at home with your like significant parents or friends or yeah?
KH: Yeah, so I live by myself I have my my significant other right now is my dog. [laughs] So I would say I spend a lot more time with him. So he's probably the only one that this is like the best thing that's ever happened to him. I think- Mr. Fox is my dog's name. He loves, he loves what's happening, but most of us don't. But I'd say in general with my other relationships, I found that it's just in general people are a lot more depressed. I feel a lot more people are struggling with how do we redefine who we are when our activities change or 24:00we lose a job, you know, or things are, we have to reshape our habits. So I think in general, I've spent a lot more time talking to friends, but it's been a lot more almost like a therapy session than just a, you know, typical, "Hey, how are you?" People are really struggling to get through this new definition of the new world, if you will, where we are right now. I think humans in general have a lot of challenge with big changes, especially when it comes to habits. So we've all been forced to completely reroute our habits. Once again, I think it's and this amazes me too--once again I'm half Japanese, and I'm half American, and you would think that that shouldn't make a big difference, but it makes a huge difference. When you talk to my co-founder Coco, you're going to hear some really sad things. She's has one friend for example who she got a fight on a with a fight argue with and Facebook and they told her to go back to her 25:00COVID-infested country. And she, you know, she belongs here. So it's just it's really sad that these lines are being created and even amongst friends and family. Once people are afraid, they do silly things that don't make any sense. And that would be an example of one of them. I I've been fortunate and I haven't experienced them but I know people who are personally experiencing it, especially being Asian where the misinformation is such that not even just strangers but even potentially people who are once friends are mistreating them.
KL: So will you consider a change in your like your career or future direction of business, or even like, places to live as a result of pandemic?
KH: So not places to live, because I don't think anywhere in the world is safe 26:00from this per se and I don't think I don't think moving away from a problem is necessarily an answer. I think the one thing I have really taken from this though as far as what I want to change is I definitely see the future of technology has always been there. And we've always known it's the future. And I think this has accelerated it. I think people and companies are going to push for technological innovation even more and and same thing with biotech and just, you know, medical field, I think this is gonna change. It doesn't change where things were going, but it's making it go much faster. So I definitely from a career standpoint, really want to prepare myself to get a lot more experience in technology. And utilizing that to benefit people. So I think that's just really woken me up of, you know, I need to do this. So I'm going to take over- now that 27:00I finished my classes and I have a little bit of time, I'm planning on taking some sort of coding course, whether it's R or Python, not to be an expert, but just to know something. I'm thinking to myself, this is like the language of the future. You know, my children will like be learning this in school. This will be just like, how I took Spanish class, you know, so I think it's important to move in that direction. Yeah.
KL: Yeah, that's good. Um, so what do you think the future of Houston community looks like in terms of social interactions and returning back to normal?
KH: So I'd like to say that we'd be very cautious and we would come together a bit more slowly to try to reduce the spread. That's not really what I'm seeing. I do I have not seen I think in some places like a grocery store, you see most people wearing masks. But if you drive by, like a bar, for example, you can see 28:00a bar's got a bunch of people there. They don't look like they're social distancing. They're not wearing masks. To some people, I think they just so desperately want life to go back to the way it was before all this happened, that they want to pretend like it didn't happen, and they're trying to act like it hasn't. So for some people, I think they're still living in the past a little bit. And they're not being because of that they're putting themselves and others at risk. I think moving forward, though, what we can learn from this is I think we can learn there's a lot of value in patience for all of us just having had to do isolation, having to separate out you know, how do we benefit from that. And I think for Houston, we're also very lucky in though although we're a big city, we've had a lot of space, I don't think we've been as affected with COVID and hasn't been as big of a point in our life as some of the cities I've already talked about New York, you know, city and you know, Detroit and things. So I 29:00think for us, we may come, we may have another wave of this coming before people take it seriously, and I hope people do. So I think our future still looks bright, but I think we may have a little bit more learning to do. And then just kind of from how we've treated some of the people in the community. I think we just need to, to re-educate people and be very careful about misinformation, because just a small amount of misinformation can really create waves that affect large amounts of people to make really poor decisions.
KL: Cool, so I go going back to your initiative. I'm wondering what do you think of the future of your initiative? [KH: Yeah.] Will it go on or will you end it?
KH: Yeah, so we we're now a board of five. So me and Coco brought on three other 30:00Rice students to help us it's been so much fun. But I think what we've all decided is it makes the most sense to close down the nonprofit for a couple of reasons. One, the economy is starting to open up. So the need is not there as much. Also in not all the cities, but a lot of our cities, for example, like New York and Detroit, a lot of the hospitals are actually converting some of those COVID units back into normal units. So there's just less of the needs out there. So for us, we're seeing that the need is is not there as strongly as it was before. And I think we also are finding that we want to move on with other things in our life as well. Some of us will be starting new jobs here soon. And with that, we want to make sure we have time to do the best we can in those jobs and then to another piece point as well, we've found, though the nonprofit was a lot of fun, and we did a lot of good. And once again, raising over $20,000 is something to be proud of. But we really struggled to grow outside of our network 31:00outside of the Rice community and friends and family. And I think there's enough need in this space where if we really want to keep doing good, we might do a lot more good by joining a larger organization that's, that's fitting these needs. We kind of created ourselves because we wanted to be very nimble. There wasn't really anything like what we were doing at the time. Now there are other organizations already doing what we were doing. It was a good idea, you know, and so it just we think it makes sense to push resources towards those organizations that are a bit bigger. Now that that this has caught on and it's a much more popular thing, than to necessarily continue to push on our own. But that's not to say that we are, we are ashamed of what we've done. We're incredibly proud. I think we've done really good for our community. And I think it's also taught me that when you have a good idea, things just kind of happen. 32:00They grow life on their own. So you just always have to be constantly trying to innovate and do new things. And as you find things that work the world around, you will notice and help you along your way.
KL: That's great. It's so wonderful to see your active involvement amidst this very difficult time. So I guess, yeah, these are all my questions for today. Do you have anything else to add?
KH: I'm just that I think that this is a great initiative. I think it's important to capture the voices of people and to understand cultures. I think as time goes on sometimes the cultural differences become smaller and smaller because we do become a more globalized community. And while that's there are some good things in that too, I think that there's a lot of value in diversity. So I think it's great that you guys are capturing the diversity to share for, you know, future generations.
KL: Cool. Thank you so much for your time today, Kathleen.
KH: Thank you.
KL: I guess yeah, this is the end of the interview.
KH: Bye. Thank you.
KL: You're welcome.
The copyright holder for this material has granted Rice University permission to share this material online.
| 34,851 |
Rain pitter-pattered the windshield as I drove on the dimly lit highway that late night. Usually, I’d admire how the street lights look against the dark sky, but I just gripped the steering wheel hard as I thought about how she could think her radical action was justified. I grunted as I turned on the radio to try to calm me down. The first thing I heard was: “I don’t care if you don’t, I don’t care if you don’t, I don’t care if you don’t care!”
Just hearing those words come out of my radio made me grip my steering wheel harder. Thoughts clouded my mind as I felt like I needed to scream. Why would she do that?! Doesn’t she know she’s killing it?! Doesn’t she remember what happened to Mom?! Why the hell would she think this is right?!
Looking out into the stormy night I see I’m approaching a traffic light that has turned red. In my rage, I didn’t realize how fast I was going and I slammed on the brakes. The car skidded to a stop and if I would have realized any later, my car would have collided with the truck ahead of me. I took a deep breath as I listen to the current song, Jesus of Suburbia “I don’t feel any shame, I won’t apologize, where there ain’t nowhere you can go. Running away from pain, when you’ve been victimized. Tales from another broken…”
I switched to another station, already feeling the anger rise within me again. As I waited for the light to change, I heard this come out of the radio; “We’re not gonna take it! No!! We ain’t gonna take it! We’re not gonna take it, anymore!!” The light turned green and as soon as the truck started to move, I slammed my foot down on the gas. As I did, the truck changed lanes, leaving me free to hit rubber to the road. By this point, my mind was made up and thought my feelings were justified. I let my attitude sway with the emotions expressed in the song and was determined to stop her.
“We’re right! We’re free! We’ll fight! You’ll see!!” The song blasted as I let out a yell with the song, the car increased speed and was going over 70, the normal speed limit. I held on to the wheel tight as I made the car go faster.
I started to shout, “You think you can just go and do this, Taylor?!” The car’s speed was at 76 miles per hour and still climbing. My eyes narrowed as I focused on getting there as soon as possible. I felt my face getting hot with fury.
“Did you just forget about what happened to Mom?!” I gritted my teeth as I zoomed down the highway, “You’ll regret this decision for your whole life!!” The speedometer read a steady 80 as I kept it around there. I suddenly heard blaring sirens as I realized I just ran a red light. I swore as gripped the steering wheel hard as the next song played.
It took me off guard as I heard the lyrics; “You’re just a small bump unborn, in four months you’re brought to life.” I loosen my grip on the wheel, only for a second as I tried to refocus.
It didn’t help, however, as the next line I heard was, “I’ll hold your body in my hands, be as gentle as I can. But for now, you’re a scan of my unmade plans, a small bump. In four months you’re brought to life.” Hearing those words repeated over and over made me tear up, and started to cry.
I thought about everything surrounding that night. That night twenty-two years ago when my mom sat me down. I was only five at the time, but I still remember the look in her eyes. That sadness I felt that would never leave her eyes as she told me the baby… the baby she was expected had died before getting here. And as a five-year-old that shocked me, heck it scarred me. For a full year, I had thought I’d never feel happy or see my mother happy again until Taylor was born. It was almost like she had taken all the sorrow away from our house.
I never told her this, but Taylor filled the void that I felt for a year. She gave me joy when there was none. She… she breathed life back into me when I felt like nothing but dirt, and now… what? I’m driving from the cops trying to stop her from getting an abortion. ..Wait…
I’m sucked back into reality to feel the weight of my decisions. I dry my face with my sleeve as my mind scrambles to come up with a plan. Just then my phone rings and I try to grab it from my jacket pocket. I turn it on and see it’s from Taylor, and start to type in my password.
Looking up to check the road I realize a sharp turn was approaching sooner than I was expecting. I stomped on the brakes and quickly turned the wheel, but it was too late. My car didn’t make the turn and smashed into a tree. I didn’t see much, but I did see glass break and pieces of the car go flying. I felt something hit my head hard while a sharp pain followed. A warm liquid which I assumed was blood trickle out of my left ear, as well as a lot of blood run down my face.
My vision was getting clouded, and using the last of my strength I look at my sister’s message. It said; “Danny, I’m sorry for arguing with you. I realized you were right, and I decided to keep the baby. I found out that it’s a boy! You’re the best big brother ever, and I can’t wait for you to met him!”
Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
Enter your email address below to receive our daily email updates
Enter your email address
Writer
Euphoria Season 2 tea, who's side are you on?
Team Cassie (0%, 0 Votes)
Total Voters: 2
Thank you for visiting the BHS Blueprint!
The site will be closing for the summer months of June, July and August for regular maintenance preparing for the next school year. Sorry for this inconvenience. Sincerely, the BHS Blueprint Staff.
| 5,829 |
Almost 70% of Canadians consume more sugar than is recommended, and many of us are addicted to sugar without even realizing it. It is widely suggested and has been argued that sugar is almost or equally addictive as cocaine. Sugar addiction has become a pandemic of its own kind and is at the root of many basic and major restorative dental work that we do at Blok dental in Saskatoon. In this blog we explore the addictive nature of sugar, how it has secretly infiltrated most modern food products, the consequences for our oral health, and how to minimize and manage damage to our teeth caused by dietary sugar.
The impact of added sugar on our overall health
Sugar consumption increases the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and various cancers. Among these are oral health risks such as gingivitis, periodontal disease, tooth decay, and even tooth loss. A new study in the Canadian Journal of Public Health found that medical costs, lost productivity and premature mortality from these diseases costs billions of dollars every year. “Imagine if the real cost to society of the food you buy at the grocery store was built right into each product’s price. Everything with added sugar would cost a whole lot more”, according to University of Alberta researchers in a new study in The Canadian Journal of Public Health. Read the article here: Excess Sugar Consumption Costs Canada’s Health-Care System $5 Billion Each Year.
A vast majority of the processed or packaged foods we find in the center aisles of modern grocery stores (think, any aisle other than the produce and meat sections) contain added sugars, which come with hidden costs that aren’t reflected in the price we pay at the check-out aisle. For many people, these costs come much later, in the form of chronic diseases and yes—dental health problems that are very costly to treat.
Why is there so much sugar in our food products?
1. Increased shelf-life. Sugar plays a role in the preservation of many types of foods including convenience foods, pre-packaged or prepared meals, and even foods that are marketed as health food products.
Increased sales. Adding sugar to certain food products is a clever strategy to promote customer loyalty and return sales due to its highly addictive quality. Anything with added sugar will chemically motivate us to buy the product again because it makes us feel good by releasing endorphins in a similar way to other addictive substances.
The infiltration of sugar into modern diets
You might be surprised to learn just how prevalent sugar is in many common food options. Food products marketed towards kids are especially sugar-ladden, concerning kid’s dentists everywhere. Of course we expect to find sugar in popular snack foods, cookies, breakfast cereals, and fruit juices, but you might be surprised to find excessive added sugars in less obvious places and even in foods we don’t consider to be sweet-tasting such as:
Condiments such as BBQ sauce and ketchup
Granola bars and protein bars
canned pasta sauce
A single can of soup or cup of yogurt can contain more than the average daily recommended intake of sugar. Don’t take our word for it—the next time you’re passing through the center aisles at the grocery store, stop and read a few labels to see just how pervasive added sugar is. Read How to spot — and avoid — added sugar.
How does sugar affect my oral health?
Sugar is really the first step in almost every common oral health concern. When our teeth and gums are exposed to sugary food and drinks, we feed the bacteria that contribute to oral health issues such as bad breath, tooth decay, and gum disease. Oral plaque bacteria that feed on sugar convert it to acid, which upsets the microbiome of the mouth and allows plaque bacteria to reproduce and proliferate, creating a highly acidic oral environment. This results in saliva with lowered pH which results in enamel erosion, tooth demineralization, and puts you at risk for developing cavities, bad breath (halitosis), and other oral health concerns. To make matters worse, these bacteria will accumulate and reproduce in deposits of sticky plaque along the gum line, causing inflammation that leads to gingivitis and gum disease.
We would rather see you twice annually for a checkup and dental cleaning than have to perform costly and potentially invasive or painful treatments to address well-developed oral health problems resulting from excessive sugar consumption and poor oral home care.
Tips to reduce exposure to sugar and reduce damage from sugar exposure
Avoid sugary drinks, which act as a sugar-rinse allowing sugars to reach every corner of the mouth and in between teeth.
Use a straw to reduce contact of sugar liquids on teeth.
Read product labels at the grocery store and re-think some of your go-to high-sugar choices.
Keep your mouth clean! Brush and floss twice daily, or more if you are consuming more sugar.
See a dentist twice annually regardless of your sugar intake.
Oral health benefits of reduced dietary sugar
Cleaner teeth with less plaque buildup for bacteria to grow on your teeth.
Healthier, more resilient saliva with balanced pH, promoting saliva’s natural ability to combat acid wear and erosion.
Fewer cavities and tooth decay.
Reduced risk of gingivitis and gum disease.
Reduced risk of costly and invasive oral health interventions.
Reduced risk of dental emergencies.
Regular dental checkups and professional cleaning minimizes damage from sugar
Visit Blok dental for the best way to prevent pesky dietary sugar from compromising your oral health! Regular maintenance with professional dental services in Saskatoon makes a lifetime of difference when it comes to protecting your teeth against sugar. As always good home care between visits further reduces your chances of ever needing costly treatments to preserve your smile longterm.
| 6,124 |
While Rocket started out as having almost all of our talent based out of the East coast - the company has transformed over the last five years into having a truly global team. Not only did we join Dept, an international digital agency with offices in 13 countries, but we also have large Rocket teams in Argentina and Croatia in addition to the US. Without this distributed, multi-national team we would not be the fastest-growing product agency in the US.
Every week, our #general Slack channel lights up with similar messages:
So why have we been so busy creating an international superpower? It is easy to look at our client base today to understand the dynamics that are driving this. For example, we have local clients in Argentina, such as La Surferia, that want a local team. And, our multi-national clients that have European teams want to work with teams that are closer to them. This means clients like Robin and Globalization Partners want to work with our Croatian team. Finally, of course we have many clients based here in the US who are looking for a mix of onshore and nearshore talent to support their project which leads to better overall quality, more diverse viewpoints, and cost-effectiveness.
As we have transformed over into this global team we thought it might be worth sharing some of our lessons learned and why we believe in this multi-national model so deeply.
It might be worth going back to how we got started on this journey.
Five years ago we were working with a client that brought a second vendor based out of South America into a project we were working on. They brought this second vendor into the project for cost savings reasons. While great on paper, we were horrified by the degradation of the project from a quality, enjoyment, and overall delivery perspective. Some of the reasons for this were:
The lack of integrated teams meant inconsistent coding practices which lead to a deterioration of quality.
The other third party had a model where a PM stood in front of the designers and developers. Things became lost in translation as we (and the client) could not interface with the development team directly.
Related to the point above, they wanted to work in a very ‘waterfall’ fashion; design, development and strategy were not well integrated, which we have found critical to a successful product agency. The dissonance between our way of work and theirs simply made things more difficult.
This was an “ah-ha” moment for us. We realized that if we could start to build our own international teams then it could be a win-win. Clients could still realize the financial benefits of a hybrid team but the overall delivered product would be better since it would be a single integrated team doing the work composed of the best talent from across the globe.
As we’ve grown our multinational teams we’ve had a few guiding principles that we have followed that have made all the difference.
As always, communication is key. This means a couple of things:
It is central to our ethos to have client-facing designers and developers. Everyone enjoys a project more when folks can work directly with one another and not have layers in-between them. Also since our client's primary language is English this means that an English assessment is part of our interview process and also an integral part of growing at Rocket.
We consciously built these teams and locations because we wanted to make sure that our entire team could overlap in work hours. For our clients with teams in the US, this is why we selected Argentina. As we’ve grown we have many clients that have European teams as well which fits nicely with our Croatian team.
Quality is our “high holy” at Rocket. Building the best team and products possible is what drives us. Getting access to a larger talent pool simply makes Rocket a better company to work at and work with.
We are one team. While Dept and Rocket have offices in multiple countries, we operate as a single team. Even when Argentina and Croatia face each other in the World Cup. While this is enabled by a consistent hiring process - the end result is that when composing teams we don’t think about a person's location. We don’t need to. The designer can be based out of any location. The lead engineer can be based out of anywhere. The end result is that we have a product-oriented, client-facing team that works the same hours as our clients. This leads to the best product work possible.
These principles have served us well and we believe have led to the best digital product teams possible. While we are not big into lists, our two-time inclusion by Inc. as one of the fastest-growing companies supports this approach.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that having multinational teams means a more diverse team. More viewpoints, more backgrounds, and a deeper understanding of more cultural nuances. Not only does it lead to a better product but also makes Rocket a more dynamic and interesting bunch to work with.
Read more posts by this author.
Share this post
Part 2: A day in the not-so-average lives of a Rocket Insights employee
Learn more about our employees, including their career paths, a typical day at Rocket, their favorite Rocket memory and any cool hobbies or side hustles they have going on.…
It's more important than ever to consider all the different ways to make your app accessible to everyone and ensure an inclusive experience. Here are a few ways iOS developers can make their apps more accessible.…
| 5,584 |
As young, single Christians, I believe we have all gone through this romantic idea of someday being able to ‘find the one’ and marry and live happily ever after. While the latter is a myth, the term ‘finding the one’ is simply not accurate – and perhaps there is some untruth in it. Let me clarify what I mean:
The term ‘finding the one’ connotes that you have a special someone who is especially made and kept by God for you. The fallacy here is that you can marry the wrong person. What if you did marry the wrong person who is supposed to be somebody else’s ‘right one’ ? Because of what you did, then everything goes into a domino effect – and mostly everyone ends up marrying the wrong person.
This is an absurd idea.
I’m not one to say whether this is how things work or not. That is for God to keep – and reveal when the time comes. All I’m saying is: the idea of ‘finding the one’ can be true and false at the same time.
While it is true that there can be only ‘one’ person for you to marry, it is not true that you can marry the ‘wrong’ person.
Was this post helpful? Share it if you feel like others may find it useful too:
If you are married, there’s news for you: as far as the Bible is concerned, you ARE married to your ‘one and only’.
But you know what really matters in all this? It’s that there is a matter of faith in all these. We are not sure of the romantic concept of finding our ‘one’ – who that person is, what his/her character is, when we’ll be able to meet him/her, and so on and so forth.
In romance, there are matters of faith – and in all this, God is in control. As far as the unexplainable mystery of God’s trinity goes, I believe the concept of ‘finding the one’ is something that we are never going to be able to explain. There is certainly parts of our life and history where the Lord has predestined things to happen. Then there are also those that are left for our free will to affect.
The fascinating thing about finding ‘the one’ is that we can affect it. Let’s face it, we are never going to be able to find ‘the one’ if all we do is coop ourselves up at home – never going out to meet and mingle and socialize. And if ever we do meet ‘the one’ will he/she reciprocate? Will he/she find us someone that he/she will spend the rest of his/her life with? There are what I will call ‘X-factors’ that is involved. These factors are ones that we can affect.
If you are serious about being able to marry ‘the one’ when he/she goes your way, make sure that whatever you can affect now, you will affect. You will improve. You will consider and work on.
Remember the term “do your best and God will do the rest?” perhaps this is one of those times where you can say – hey, that sounds about right.
These are just thoughts floating around right now. I don’t want to lose ’em. I’ll still have to rummage through these words and publish ’em in a simpler, more comprehensible fashion in God and You.
You might also like to read:
What do women need? Unpreparedness makes the right thing wrong.
And you think you have problems? Think again. Think harder. God and you
Sean Si is a motivational speaker and is the head honcho and editor-in-chief of SEO Hacker. He does SEO Services for companies in the Philippines and Abroad. Connect with him at Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter. Check out his new project, Aquascape Philippines
| 3,455 |
Last 6 months December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 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 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 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 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 June 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 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003
Filter by date
Millennials and Gen Z are saving less for retirement
August 23, 2022
DENVER, Colo.— In a time where almost everything costs more, it's easy to feel overwhelmed thinking about saving for the future. For many people, that feeling is changing the way they spend money. "I'm currently in Spain doing an internship with the Institute of Film Madrid," she said.
Dollars and Sense: retirement income literacy
August 23, 2022
Eric Peterson from Peterson Financial Group shares details of a retirement income literacy survey. You can learn more at a retirement planning today course, which starts September 19th. If you have questions, call Peterson Financial Group at 515-226-1500 or go online at askericpeterson.com.
DeSantis to cut off FRS investments to 'woke' companies
August 23, 2022
Ron DeSantis plans to deploy the $199- billion Florida Retirement System Tuesday to the front lines of a 2022 culture war, mid-term election. And some of these businesses are going to have to choose between going down the ESG rabbit hole or being able to be invested with the State of Florida. " According to the global management consulting firm McKinsey and…
Florida man sentenced to 10 years in prison for investment scheme
August 22, 2022
District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Thomas Coelho to 10 years in federal prison for wire fraud. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $1.8 million, the proceeds of the wire fraud scheme. Coelho, who held himself out to be a lawyer and a Wharton School of Business graduate, used his association with persons and…
August 22, 2022
It's now up to $1.125 trillion, taking it past its pre-pandemic high, according to the Fed's G. 19 consumer credit report released Aug. 5. Total consumer debt- which includes student and auto loans, as well as revolving debt- gained $40.1 billion to touch $4.627 trillion in June. In its quarterly report on household debt and credit, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York…
Kiplinger's Personal: Get a handle on your credit card debt
August 22, 2022
Revolving credit, which includes credit cards, surged by 21.4% in March, according to the Federal Reserve. But at the same time that credit card debts are growing, rising interest rates have made carrying a balance more expensive. This strategy only works if you resist the temptation to use the balance transfer card to make new purchases, said Beverly Harzog,…
Got an extra $11,500? You'll need it to keep up with 2022 prices
August 22, 2022
Even with the Federal Reserve's attempts to control inflation through interest rate increases, it's unlikely these prices will fall dramatically. Using inflation and annual spending data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, we looked at how spending in 2022 will differ from 2020, the last full year when inflation was relatively stable.
Debt consolidation ideas become more attractive
August 22, 2022
There's never a good time to have a lot of personal debt, but now would have to be one of the worst times. Since March, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates by a cumulative 225 basis points, or 2.25%. The high interest rates make credit-card and debt-consolidation programs attractive routes for consumers, said Bruce McClary, senior vice president of…
August 19, 2022
How ‘Advocate Clients’ can grow your practice
As you continue to build relationships with clients, they can then refer you to other people within their network. There is nothing more powerful than client testimonials to show prospects that your work is effective and helps others achieve their financial goals.
Inflation Reduction Act won’t reduce inflation. That’s just one of its faults
August 19, 2022
With Americans being crushed by inflation as the midterm election nears, desperate Democrats led by President Joe Biden are patting themselves on the back for passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. The IRS finally is going to be able to beef up its staff so it can do its job, including processing tax returns promptly and catching tax deadbeats.
Why savings interest rates aren't Increasing like loan interest rates
August 19, 2022
Rising interest rates have been a hot topic the past year, as the Federal Open Market Committee raises interest rates for the Federal Reserve system, the central bank of the United States. Jon Stewart, Retail Team Leader, Coastal Community Bank, said he talks to customers daily about their questions regarding interest rate increases. Stewart explained that…
Parkland man pleads guilty in $21 million gaming app investment scheme
August 18, 2022
Five of six South Florida residents who were indicted on charges that they defrauded investors out of millions by claiming the money would develop a mobile gaming application have now pleaded guilty. The scheme centered around a company called Social Voucher, formed in 2013 by co-defendants Gerald Parker, 73, of Juno Beach, and Michael Assenza, 44, of Boca…
Two men accused of defrauding nearly 100 investors of millions of dollars
August 18, 2022
He purchased a $1.5 million house for himself and his wife in Clarence, where he lived from 2015 to 2019, and bought another home for $738,000 in Florida for a relative. Pastor allegedly spent $294,000 on jewelry, $95,000 on furniture for a rented home in California and $57,000 on clothing at a high-end men's clothing store in Amherst. Their audacious lies,…
Manalapan resident charged with $1 million investment scheme
August 18, 2022
A Manalapan resident has been charged with defrauding victims in an investment fraud scheme out of at least $1 million and with fraudulently obtaining a loan of approximately $96,000 meant to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced on Aug. 17. He was scheduled to make his initial court appearance on Aug. 17…
RPI: Men in same-sex couples suffer earnings decline when preventative HIV-meds are available
August 18, 2022
TROY, New York, Aug. 18– Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute issued the following news:. Conor Lennon, an associate professor of economics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. "Health insurance offered by employers is the most common source of coverage among working-age adults," Dr. Lennon said.
Fidelity: retirement savers look long term, continue to save despite headwinds
August 17, 2022
In fact, according to recent Fidelity Investments ® research 2, more than half of American workers indicate they are“ extremely or very concerned” about the health and stability of the economy— and as a result, nearly 1 in 5 say they have adjusted their retirement strategy and are taking a more conservative approach to their retirement savings.
Sometimes debt could be a helpful tool
August 17, 2022
In some corners of the personal finance advice world, getting into debt is just about the worst thing you can do. "Good debt can help you move forward with your career and life," says Mark Reyes, a certified financial planner and senior manager of financial assistance at financial services app Albert. That's not a bad debt to have; it's going to put a roof over your head, "…
Debt consolidation becomes more attractive
August 17, 2022
There's never a good time to have a lot of personal debt, but now would have to be one of the worst times. Since March, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates by a cumulative 225 basis points, or 2.25%. The high interest rates make credit-card and debt-consolidation programs attractive routes for consumers, said Bruce McClary, senior vice president of…
31% of retirees say continued inflation would motivate them to rejoin the workforce
August 17, 2022
In addition to inflation, the role of Social Security insurance was also top of mind for many retirees, with 25% saying they'd be motivated to rejoin the workforce if Social Security no longer covered their expenses. "At a time when more retirees need additional income and employers need their expertise and experience, older workers continue to face hiring…
- Presented By -
5 areas analysts predict will challenge the insurance industry in 2023
Fight against Medicare Advantage plan for retirees has only just begun
Expect the MYGA, indexed annuity boom into next year, Moore says
Rochester-area nursing home accused of $18.6M fraud
When the success of your business depends on making the right connections, ICMG is the place to be.
At Encova Insurance, we’re big enough to matter in the industry, but small enough to care about each agent. See what products we have to offer your clients.
USAA Named “Claims Champion of the Year” and “Policyholder Experience Knockout” Award Recipient at Excellence in Insurance Innovation, Sponsored by Insurity
Voluntary Advantage is bringing the Voluntary Benefits industry together
| 12,329 |
With claps, whistles, shouting, screaming and near stampede like situation Sidharth Malhotra enters the stage at India Today Mind Rocks Youth Summit 2015.
After security intervention and much coaxing did the crowd settle a bit and there was a chance to 'talk' to the actor at India Today Mind Rocks Youth Summit 2015.
3/9
Better looks in modelling and acting help you make it big, said Sidharth Malhotra enters the stage at India Today Mind Rocks Youth Summit 2015.
The Delhi boy reminisced about his college days in the national capital, his modelling days and the many rejections he had to face before finally making a mark in the industry.
5/9
Malhotra cleverly evaded the question about his relationship with Alia Bhatt and danced the way to the girls' hearts.
The actor, however, is comfortable with his item boy image and has no qualms about taking his clothes off if the situation demands.
7/9
His advice to youngsters: Break the mould, have a voice and vision to achieve you dreams
He insisted on dancing with a few members of the audience and got his way. Girls danced to Radha, Disco Deewane and other hits from his movies.
| 1,191 |
Over 3,000 students from 28 schools will take part in Viva Nuestra Energia (Long Live Our Energy) educational programme during this academic year. This initiative provides the schools with the opportunity to teach their students about different energy-related aspects, such as knowing where it comes from or how to use it efficiently.
In October and November, Viva Nuestra Energía will visit a total of 16 schools in the Oviedo, Gijón, Corvera and Proaza districts in the Principality of Asturias. The aim is to reach over 1,800 students divided into 92 sessions.
In the Basque Country, during the same period, the programme will be run in 12 schools in Vitoria, Barakaldo, Santurtzi, Bilbao and Donostia-San Sebastián. In total, over 1,300 Basque students will take part in the EDP educational activity, divided into 67 sessions.
Viva Nuestra Energía is held in a travelling classroom that visits the schools. It is aimed at Primary Education students aged between 6 and 9 years old. The activity lasts for an hour and is run by two monitors who teach the content in a participative, experiential and fun way. The session is based around an interactive presentation and cartoon videos. The monitors explain what energy is and how it is produced, the sources of renewable and non-renewable energy; the sustainable and efficient use of energy by adopting environmentally-friendly attitudes and behaviour.
After the explanation, the students are given energy tips and take part in a team quiz. The assessment of the programme and monitors is very positive. The satisfaction survey conducted with the teachers at the end of each session shows that 99.6% would be very happy to recommend it.
EDP launched the Viva Nuestra Energía programme in 2010. Over 252,000 students from 1,528 different schools in Asturias, Cantabria, the Basque Country, Navarra, Castilla y León, Extremadura and Murcia have participated in the scheme since then. In Spain, the year-end forecast is to have taken the programme to 73 centres in Asturias, Cantabria, the Basque Country and Castejón and Tudela, and to have reached 11,865 students.
Thanks to this educational programme, EDP is being consolidated as a socially-responsible entity committed to education and the environment.
Further information on the programme is available on this link.
Featured News
On 31 May the Oviedo Philharmonic Society is organising a solidarity concert backed by the EDP Foundation, featuring Ukrainian conductor Yuri Nasushkin, in support of Ukraine.
The EDP Foundation lends its support to dance and the offer of culture from the Kursaal 05.24.2022
The National Dance Company presents a new version of Giselle, from the perspective of Spanish romanticism.
Nothing produces more positive energy than music! Let's donate ours to the Ukrainian comminity! 04.22.2022
Music has been, is and will be a universal tool of unity, fraternity and peace.
A successful Christmas Concert by the EDP Foundation Camerata at Santander Cathedral 12.20.2021
After twelve consecutive years the traditional Christmas concert was held once more at Santander Cathedral, on Sunday 19 December.
| 3,220 |
Offering quality CFO & Advisory Services with your clients can be very rewarding, especially financially. As a certified Profit & Growth Expert™ you are ready to confidently market, price, sell your services implementing the Universal Business Builder engagement. Now you are ready to apply the principles from The CFO Project with your clients and get paid what you are worth.
We show accountants (including bookkeepers, CPAs, and enrolled agents) how to:
1. Effectively start or incorporate CFO/business advisory service (or add one to their existing practice)
2. Find the business owners who need this service (and are willing to pay premium)
3. Convert them into paying clients (paying a minimum of $1,500 per month)
4. All so that you can add a consistent, and predictable revenue stream to your practice where you’ll earn more money while working a lot less.
Get 3 paying CFO & Advisory clients worth >$18,000 a year each!
This is a minimum guarantee worth more than $54,000 in revenue.
There are three challenges facing accountants:
Challenge #1: To get paid more you have to take on more clients (and/or work more hours)
Challenge #2: You have a ton of competition
Challenge #3: A lot of accounting software are trying to automate your job away
They want their accountant (you) to be their business advisor.
But, there’s two problems with this.
You’re not getting paid to do that.
You’re not sure, exactly, how to do that.
You’re getting paid to do compliance work. This means that to make more money you have to take on a lot of low-paying and demanding clients.
What you need is a system. A system that will allow you provide a high-quality CFO service to your clients.
You also need support and community. You need to be surrounded by the best CFOs and business advisors that can help you build a great business.
By offering a CFO service you’ll not only be able to separate yourself from your competition, you’ll also be able to command higher fees, have predictable recurring revenue, and have a bigger impact on your clients’ lives.
Most business owners don’t have a solid plan of what to do or how to do it so they can have a growing and more profitable business.
So, they come into work everyday and work in their business.
Then, they look up a year or two later and realize they haven’t made meaningful progress.
They are nowhere close to achieving the freedom of money and time they desperately want.
They simply need a clear path…
…to have a successful, growing and more profitable business.
You, as their business advisor, needs to lead your client down a clear path to help them have a growing and more profitable business.
Specifically, you need to help them be able to…
…know how to increase revenue.
…know how to increase profit.
…know how to increase cash flow.
This all happens in our One Clear Path.
By using the One Clear Path, you can help your clients have a growing and more profitable business every month without stress and overwhelm.
You can help them go from being overworked, stressed out, and always worried about money to having confidence they’re on the right path.
This path will help your clients take home more money, be in control of their time, and finally enjoy their business again.
By joining The CFO Project Membership, you’ll have the training, tools, and support to offer this One Clear Path to your clients.
There are three main stages to our path.
Stage 1: Foundation
This is where you show your client what drives (or influences) their revenue, profit, and cash flow.
Think of their business as a machine. Your job is to break the machine down into different parts (the drivers) to see what’s working and what’s not.
Stage 2: Targets
This is where you, and your client, set measurable targets for this year and the next five years.
You’ll help your client set targets for each of the ‘parts’ of their business (drivers).
This is where you give your client a simple way to know what’s going on in their business (Scoreboard) and a way to know what to do to (Objectives & Next Steps) have a growing and more profitable business.
If the client completes the Next Steps, they’ll complete the Objectives. If the Objectives are met their Scoreboard will be ‘in the green’. If their Scoreboard is in the green, they will meet their targets.
This a way to keep a client for a very long time. This is a way for a client to have a growing and more profitable business.
Your clients need you to help them accomplish this.
Here are the features included in the program:
Training: We’ll train each member on a proven system to provide a high-quality CFO service
Upon joining, each member will go through a series of short “basic trainings” to get them up to speed as quickly as possible.
Our system is scalable. This system takes less than four hours per month per client. This will allow members to take on more clients and make more money per hour.
Our system is 100% white labeled.
Members can learn the compete system and become certified in less than three months.
Each month, we conduct live ‘Masterclasses’ where we deep dive into specific strategies members can use in their CFO practice.
Community: Each member will be a part of an exclusive community of like-minded professionals
Each member will participate in weekly mastermind meetings to get training, share wins, solve challenges, and share best practices – called the “CFO Roundtable”
Each CFO Roundtable is led by a knowledgeable, caring and certified “CFO Trainer” who will guide their members each step of the way
Members will also have unlimited access to a private online forum where they get help, offer advice, and be a part of a 24/7 community of like-minded business advisors to
discuss various topics.
Resources: Each member will have full access to our library of supporting resources. Our library is made up of:
Downloadable templates to use in conducting a high-quality (and highly effective) CFO service
Step-by-step guides to assist in providing a CFO service, marketing your practice and converting leads
Copy Ready Scripts to use for marketing (e.g. email messaging), sales (e.g. what to say to prospects) and operations (e.g. how to manage your engagements)
Your Enrollment Also Includes:
Assigned Coaches and Mentors
An Orientation Counselor to help you get set up and through the training
An Academic Coach (tutor) to learn the material and help with related real world questions
Here’s what is included with the program.
Training on a step-by-step system to provide and sell a CFO service
Ability to become a Certified CFO
Monthly Masterclasses Live group coaching and mentorship by a CFO Trainer
Full access to the tools, templates, guides and downloads needed to sell and provide a scalable CFO service
3-Client Guarantee: We’ll guarantee that you will get 3 paying CFO clients (assuming you complete, and apply, the training).
Each CFO client is worth (at minimum) approximately $18,000 a year. Thus, the guarantee is worth approximately $54,000.
Each member will pay for twelve months of membership where they will immediately get full access to the program for twelve months. After the first twelve months, each member will pay a nominal monthly fee to remain in the program (it is currently $397/mo). Members can cancel anytime after the first twelve months.
We do this in a ‘membership-style’ program. Each ‘member’ gets all-access to each feature in the program. As part of the membership, each accountant will get:
Access to live and on-demand training that’s designed to be practical (rather than theoretical) and to get results fast
A community of other like-minded CFOs to lean on for support, get questions answered and to get encouragement – all lead by knowledgeable and caring trainers.
A resource library of tools, templates, guides, and other resources that took years and thousands of dollars to build and accumulate.
Ability to become a ‘Certified CFO’ so they can boost their credibility and be seen as the go-to business advisor that can help with dramatically growing and improving the profitability of small-to-medium sized businesses.
APPLY FOR
For CPAs, Accountants, Bookkeepers & Enrolled Agents…
Offer a CFO service and finally have a scalable way for you to make more money
The CFO Project is delivered through easy-to-follow instructional videos, workbooks and reference materials. You have the flexibility to complete the courses on your own time, in a way that fits your life and business needs. You’ll have access to the support of knowledgeable coaches and mentors each running their own successful businesses offering quality accounting services along with access to other experienced accounting professionals throughout your course and beyond.
You’ll have the respect and credibility of your clients.
You’ll be able to differentiate yourself from your competitors
You’ll be able to command higher fees, retain clients longer, and have a bigger impact on their lives
Training on a 100% white labeled “CFO/business advisory” system
Part A: Learn how to provide an outsourced CFO service that actually gets results for your clients
Part B: Learn how to find leads from business owners who need this type of service
Part C: Learn how to convert those leads to a paying client worth (at least) $18,000 per year
Community access to world-class mentors and other CFOs
Weekly ‘CFO Roundtable’ to help each other
One-to-one coaching and
24/7 private online forum where you can get help, offer advice, and be a part of a distinguished community
Resources: access to our vault – tools, templates, and guides to find clients
Jeff Prager and Adam Lean are passionate about helping business owners have a better business and be better business owners. They’re mission is to help 10,000 business owners make more money. They founded The CFO Project to help as many business owners as they can make more money.
Jeff has been a CPA, business owner, and entrepreneur for over 35 years. He’s built multiple businesses into 7, 8, and 9-figure successes, including Ashworth Golf Clothing, and the second largest privately-owned homebuilder in Colorado. His passion is helping business owners understand their numbers so they know how to have a better business.
Adam is a former accountant turned 2-time entrepreneur who built, scaled, and sold multiple businesses. While helping other business owners he realized his passion was teaching and providing tools to business owners to help them make more money and have a peace-of-mind.
| 10,786 |
If you’re tired of wearing makeup day after day and having to touch it all throughout the day, permanent make-up might be for you. Or if perhaps you’re fed up with the price of makeup products and keeping them kept neatly and conveniently, permanent cosmetics might even be for you. Also referred to as micropigmentation, permanent makeup is a form of cosmetic tattooing designed to enhance your facial features and look like make-up.
What kinds of permanent makeup can you receive? You can have your eyebrows formed and coloured. “Eyeliner” can be used to create the lashes show up thicker. Lip liner and complete lip color can change the style of currently as well thin, as well thick, and too pale lips. And camouflage can help blend irregular skin pigmentation or reduce the appearance of scarring.
Permanent makeup saves time on those days you have to operate out of the house, yet still allows you to modify and boost your look further if you want.
Athletes and those that work or play hard no longer have to worry about makeup running while sweating or going swimming. You don’t have to be concerned as much about likely to touch up in the midst of the day.
Other reasons to get permanent make-up might be good for individuals in whose vision is failing, or those that have disabilities that prohibit a stable hand like Multiple Sclerosis or Parkinson’s.
Lots of people use permanent make-up, however, not are all good. Plenty practice it, but select sensibly. This is permanent and you would like it to look good. Look at work they’ve completed. Should they have no portfolio by pass them and look for somebody else. Don’t hesitate to pay for much more for high quality. This isn’t an area to skimp. If completed wrong, you can wind up looking even worse than whenever you went in, or the results can diminish quickly. Prices for methods vary. As we pointed out before, don’t skimp on price. Rather, go for the best quality the 1st time about. You will likely have to go in for a second application or touch up a month approximately after the preliminary application. Make sure this can be worked into the initial cost.
Also, learn the process should you be unhappy with the results. A truly expert applicator shouldn’t be offended by the concern. Ideally they may have not many, if any, disappointed clients, but you are working with an additional individual who may be just as fallible when you are. So hold the uncomfortable “imagine if” discussion up front. You just might study a great deal concerning the person you’re considering to permanently mark up your face.
What exactly is a Lip Tattoo?
Obtaining a lip tattoo is currently getting extremely popular. It really is if you have a motive, name, symbol, number or any other little style tattooed on the internal a part of your bottom lip. (Getting it on your own top lip is additionally possible but not the standard.)
Who Ought to get one?
If you are somebody burning up to obtain a some printer ink completed, but don’t truly want one to see it except if you show it for them (no-you will see this tattoo design except if you show them the inside of your base lip) or if you need a tattooed name of someone there is a unique relationship or friendship with, this might also work for you personally, especially if you remain unclear regarding the relationship, because they are not only easy to hide however are commonly known to fade quite fast unless you choose touch ups.
How Long do They Last?
How long the lip tats last differs for every person. A lip tattoo design can last between 1-five-years should you keep on choosing contact ups but usually they fade quite rapidly and a number of them can even diminish or smudge within a few days.. It is because your internal lip is continually moist therefore it doesn’t truly seal the ink in like skin body art. Plus your saliva smashes down the ink like it could meals. You need to obtain it touched up a minimum of 4 or 5 times before it stays much more permanent. So make sure you go to a expert tattoo artist who may have knowledge about lip tattooing. A tip to evidently make them last a bit longer is to location some cells paper in between your lips after the work is done, to offer the pigment or printer ink a better chance of penetrating much deeper.
Exactly how much do Lip Body art hurt?
The level of pain like with all body art also vary from person to person. Many people claim that it’s the most unpleasant place to acquire a tattoo design, plus some say that it’s a misconception that lip tattoos hurt probably the most. And So I believe it is safe to say which it would hurt just as much as any other tattoo on the body would. One more thing to keep in mind is the fact that a lip tattoo also leaves a funny taste in your mouth, which is typical as a result of blood and printer ink. (So don’t panic.) Tip: the artist should be experienced and be able to do your lip tattoo design without hurting the blood vessels that you have inside your lip.
Lip Tattoo design Right after Care!
All body art require right after treatment and lip tattoos are no various. You are unable to drink or eat anything immediately after having a lip tattoo design is carried out as well as in the long operate you will probably have to rinse your mouth after consuming, consuming and smoking so make sure you consider the after care advice from the tattoo design designer. But here are a few general tips: tend not to use typical mouth wash, the chemicals is likely to make it xmgjnt quicker. (Use antibacterial or alcoholic beverages totally free.) Usually do not pick at it or rub it as if you cause it to bleed you may lose pigment. Tend not to suck on your lip and stay away or limit your intake of citrus fruit fresh fruits and alcohol.
What exactly do Lip Tattoos cost?
these are usually more expensive than other tattoos as it is a hard location for a tattoo design even although the process itself is usually very fast. You may have to take into account that lip body art need continuous contact ups and some tattoo musicians are the touch.
admin August 13, 2021 August 14, 2021 More On This
Copyright © 2022 BaseballMarinersOfficial. All rights reserved. Theme Spacious by ThemeGrill. Powered by: WordPress.
We are using cookies on our website
Please confirm, if you accept our tracking cookies. You can also decline the tracking, so you can continue to visit our website without any data sent to third party services.
| 6,569 |
The week before my recent trip to the Declare Conference was stressful. I was trying to put the finishing touches on my soon-to-be eBook, trying to collaborate with some other bloggers on a new series, and trying to get mentally ready to start our fifth year of homeschooling. I was trying, but nothing came easily. All of it felt awkward. Near about impossible. Like square peg/round hole territory. Like Blogging sometimes.
Writing is comfortable for me. Blogging is not. There are techie issues, time management issues, social media issues, and more. But the part I struggle with the most is whether or not I am supposed to worry about YOU reading, sharing on FB, subscribing to my updates, making comments, stuff like that. I write because it helps me figure stuff out. I write to connect with other people over the things I care about. I write to do my small part to make His Name great. Writing is a joy. Blogging is not.
Blog experts tell you how to interpret your numbers, increase your numbers, or use your numbers to get publishing contracts and advertisers, etc. Me? That stuff feels really uncomfortable. Am I an underachiever? Am I too set in my ways to get on board? Am I too stubborn to adapt? I just haven’t ever been motivated to do things the “right” way in order to make my blog successful.
Instead I have blogged to my Audience of One, because sometimes He is the only One reading. Sometimes I have thought of you, in particular, and I have grieved over the best way to share my heart with you. Sometimes I have just journaled here. I have done the things that pleased me and the things I hoped would please Him. But the messages are so loud: Numbers. SEO. Unique visitors. Likes. Shares. These are the objective criteria for blogging success. And there is no getting away from this stuff, especially if you go to a blogging conference. Unless it is the Declare Conference.
This past weekend, I heard the things that everyone, in any place in life, needs to hear:
Don’t strive for “success”, but walk in the calling He has given to you and leave the results to Him.
Don’t live your life in your own strength. Instead, give everything to the Lord (it all belongs to Him anyway).
Don’t keep your eyes fixed on others. And for goodness sake don’t keep your eyes fixed on yourself. Fix your eyes on Jesus, the (author) founder and perfecter (finisher) of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:12).
I heard what I needed to hear about blogging and about my life at the Declare Conference. I met “my people”, the ones who feel just like me about all this silly pressure to be important. I wish I were eloquent enough to tie it up neatly in a box and give it to you, because we all need to hear Truth. The closest I can get, to sharing the Declare message with you, is this:
You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
a people for His own possession,
that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him
who called you out of darkness
The question for each of us is: how do WE proclaim His excellencies? Some are missionaries, some start amazing non-profits, some write beautiful phrases that stick, some speak healing and Truth and love…and some are dishwashers, and nose-wipers, and crumb gatherers, and clothes folders and listeners. Some are supporting players in someone else’s big story.
Here is what we ALL need to remember: WE don’t get to choose our forum. HE does. If I write for an Audience of One and proclaim Truth about His excellencies, I am being wildly obedient to the opportunity He has given me to do this. If I lovingly fold that 7th towel, I proclaim HIS servanthood. If I share a hug and some tears with a dear friend, it is as if I have done it to Him.
And whatever you do, in word or deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him (Col. 3:17).
When we live the life He has given us, and we do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus…if we proclaim His excellency with our humility, then we are living in wild obedience to the purpose for which He has called us. Thank you Declare Conference, for encouraging all of us weary, uncertain, earnest women to DECLARE Him in our own little corners, just as He has called us to do. Not striving, not calculating, not wrestling but serving, accepting, and following. Thank you Declare Conference for voicing our permission to the live the life God has given each of us, without shame or grief over the size of our impact. Tell me sweet friend, what is He calling you to do today?
Related
Comments
Jolene @ The Alabaster Jar says
August 22, 2014 at 5:37 pm
Britta, it was so nice to connect with you at Declare! Just write to Jesus, friend and forget all of the blogging stuff. It’s what I do. Goodness, I’m not a writer, nor a blogger, I’m just the Lord’s daughter- simple as that. My identity is not in what I do or how I do it, my identity is in Christ alone.
Continue to fix your eyes on Him and let Him move in your heart….and then you’ll see Him move in your blog.
Amber Backes says
August 20, 2014 at 7:14 am
thank you for being an encourager during the photo sessions. You definitely put us all at ease. I loved meeting you. Definitely want to keep up with you. Hoping to see you next year at Declare. I love that it is going to be small and intimate. That is so my style.
Britta says
August 20, 2014 at 8:04 pm
So fun – it was a God-appointment! I am already registered for next year. Very excited I also signed up for updates on your blog. Love reading your story!
Stacy says
August 15, 2014 at 9:21 pm
So thankful to have met the girl behind these words. You were such a blessing to me. This: “Thank you Declare Conference for voicing our permission to the live the life God has given each of us, without shame or grief over the size of our impact.” That pretty much sums it up for me. Thank you!!
Britta says
August 16, 2014 at 10:09 am
Lea says
August 15, 2014 at 5:48 am
Britta, what a joy to meet you last weekend and what a beautiful post this is about the awesomeness of last weekend. Blessings to you as you “go forth” in HIS name!
Michelle Welch says
August 14, 2014 at 7:50 pm
Sweet Britta! We are sisters at heart! I loved your post. It made this busy grandma feel at peace with all that Declare brought to my heart. Hands down it is the best conference ever! I hope we get to sit down to coffee someday!
Kim Stewart says
August 14, 2014 at 7:49 pm
Britta, what a beautiful post – it was such a pleasure to meet you there!
August 14, 2014 at 7:36 pm
Beautiful! Loved your post here Britta and loved meeting you even more. I’m so glad God connected us together. Your words are beautiful and your heart for Jesus shines through.
Kathy Strong says
August 14, 2014 at 3:46 pm
Amen to that my friend! So well written and completely from your heart reflecting mine! I am yet to put pen to paper since returning from Declare, excited and nervous all at the same time but I know God is stirring something in me……
Liz says
August 14, 2014 at 3:25 pm
Love this, and it was so great to meet you! Looking forward to connecting more online, until we meet again.
Crystal says
August 14, 2014 at 6:13 am
Oh friend – you shine Jesus and made this nervous gal feel so at ease from that very first lunch! I’m so grateful I got to spend time with you and be encouraged by your constant smile and loving heart. (and that graphic at the top of your post is so lovely! Off to Pin it as inspiration!)
Britta says
August 14, 2014 at 6:52 am
Wow – for me, such a welcome! No superstars. No divas. No elite. I couldn’t believe that I was connecting with speakers, and organizers, and seasoned bloggers. Totally blessed. I loved all how all the helps were focused on getting the most for your time. Thank you for welcoming me so warmly. Thank you for showing us the insider secrets to the techie stuff. You brought down barriers. And I kept forgetting that you were an introvert!
cati says
August 13, 2014 at 3:56 pm
sounds awesome! I can totally apply this to my life of servanthood motherhood.
I can’t wait to hear more in person, -so glad that you were blessed:D
Britta says
August 13, 2014 at 10:30 pm
Thank you dear friend! I think it is pretty amazing to hear so much about real life at a blogging conference. Oh – and I met (and got a picture with) the gal who wrote the book on The Jesse Tree Project. I took the picture for you! She is super nice, you would love her
| 8,880 |
Kate Crouse will serve as project manager for Faith+Lead, providing coordination and support for projects across Faith+Lead as an integral part of the Faith+Lead Studio Team. She brings years of experience in higher education project management at Capella University and also at Augsburg Fortress Publishing. Kate holds a master’s degree from New York University and a bachelor’s degree from Drake University.
Mai Xiong will serve as project coordinator for Faith+Lead on the studio team. She comes with years of experience in digital marketing, web development, and project coordination in a variety of industries. Mai is a graduate of the University of Minnesota.
Kate and Mai begin August 2. They have offices in the central hallway of Bockman Hall, second floor. Questions? Contact Angie Miller, director of business operations for Faith+Lead, amiller001@luthersem.edu.
God Pause for December 6: Psalm 146:5-10 December 6, 2022
Tuesday Chapel: Mary Hess December 6, 2022
TOMORROW: Winter Graduate Recognition and Community Meal December 6, 2022
Chapel Schedule for the Coming Week December 6, 2022
Community Life Pancake Breakfast December 6, 2022
Archives Select Month December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 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 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
| 1,915 |
Each year, countless people flock to California for vacation in hopes of grabbing a small piece of American paradise. When most people think of California, beaches, fun, and Hollywood are probably the first things that come to mind. Although California is a state full of diversity, people only tend to see the good, and think of the larger cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco. However, as with any place else, there are parts of California that are anything but paradise. In fact, there are certain parts of the state, that are among the poorest in the country. Although it may be hard for some people to believe, everything isn’t all good in the Golden State. Here are 20 of the poorest cities in California.
(Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
Salinas, California isn’t a place that many people outside of the state have probably ever heard of. However, Salinas is the largest city in Monterey County. But despite its size Salinas has one of the lowest per capita incomes in the state at $18,060. In fact, Salinas tends to be poorer and less educated than other places in the state of California, and the United States as a whole.
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Between 2009 and 2013, nearly 20% of the people in Moreno Valley, California were living under the federal poverty line. Although the city’s population is nearly 200,000, making it the second largest city in Riverside county, people of all ages in the area seem to be struggling financially.
(Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
For the last several years especially, the city of El Centro has been dealing with some serious struggles. During the recession, El Centro was one of the poorest medium sized cities in the country. Even now, the city struggles with extreme poverty and high unemployment rates, and the per capita income is just $18,273.
(Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
Located in Los Angeles county, more than 12% of the population in Santa Fe Springs lives below the poverty line. Although most people think of entertainment industries when they think of California, the economy in the city is made up mostly of the light industry and other factory related jobs.
(Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
Located about 120 miles from Los Angeles, Santa Maria is one of the largest cities in Santa Barbara County. Nearly 20% of the city’s residence are living below the poverty line and although the per capita income has gone up over the last several years, it’s still just $18,915 dollars which is substantially lower than the national average.
Ontario
The city of Ontario, California is another city that you’ve probably never heard of. In fact, there’s a good chance you didn’t even know there was a place called Ontario anywhere other than Canada. However, Ontario actually has more than 150,000 residents and has the 15th busiest airport in the country. But despite those facts, the city is still struggling with poverty and more than 15% of the people there are living below the poverty line.
(Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images)
Located in Los Angeles county, the city of Palmdale has much of its economy rooted in the aerospace industry, even referring to itself as the “aerospace capital of the United States.” But even with a foot in the aerospace door, Palmdale’s economy isn’t booming. More than 20% of the city’s residence were recorded as living in poverty in the most recent census, and the median income was recently listed at just over $19,000.
(Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
Norwalk
Norwalk is another city in Los Angeles County whose residence are dealing with some serious financial issues. While the median income has been recorded at approx. $60,000, the per capita income is still under $20,000 and nearly 13% of the people in the city are living below the federal poverty line.
(Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
Hawthorne is a relatively small city, but that doesn’t mean it’s without its problems. Although the population is less than 100,000, nearly 20% of the people in the city are living below the federal poverty line. Unlike some of the other cities in the list, Hawthorne doesn’t have a specific economic industry.
(Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Fresno is a city that you’ve probably heard of. Fresno is a very diverse city that is home to people from several ethnic groups. It is also the fifth largest city in California and one of the 50 largest states in the United States. But despite its size, and the fact that there are several decent size companies in the city, more than 26% of the people in Fresno are living below the poverty line.
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Stockon is another city you’ve probably heard of, and it’s the county seat of San Joaquin County. For the last decade or so, Stockon’s economy has been facing some serious challenges. When the housing market reached a low point in 2007, the city was greatly effected. The value of houses all throughout the city dropped, and Stockton led the country in foreclosures in 2007. In 2012, the city filed for bankruptcy, making it the largest city in the history of the country to do so. Although the city is trying to regain its footing, it’s still in serious recovery mode.
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
When people think of Orange County, they often think of wealth and high-class. However, the city of Garden Grove proves that that isn’t always the case. Garden Grove is a medium size city that is relatively poor compared to other cities in the state of California and other cities in the country. With more than 15% of the population living below the federal poverty line, things in this part of Orange County aren’t looking so glamorous.
(Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
Located in San Diego County, the city of El Cajon is one of the poorest cities in the county. In fact, in 2010 it had the highest percentage of poverty out of all the cities in San Diego County. Although the population seems to be growing, the economy of the city doesn’t seem to be growing with it which could eventually present bigger problems down the line.
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
The entire Bakersfield metro area has been struggling with poverty over the last several years. In fact, just a few years ago, the area was one of the poorest in the entire country. Despite the city’s size, the per capita income is just slightly over $20,000 which is still lower than the national average.
(Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
In 2011, San Bernardino was the second poorest largest big city in the United States. Things in the city were so bad that nearly 35% of its residence were living in poverty and the gap between the rich and the poor was only continuing to grow. Although things in the city have gotten a little better, trying to recover is an ongoing process.
(Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
When people think of Anaheim, they probably think of Disney Land. However, for many, it may be tough to accept that now too far outside of the Disney gates, the people of Anaheim are dealing with some serious issues regarding poverty. More than 14% of the people in Anaheim are living below the poverty line and the per capita income is just over $23,000. The sad reality is that there are a good number of people living in Anaheim who probably can’t even afford to go to Disney Land.
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Humboldt is often associated with hippies. With its history in the marijuana business, Humboldt has built quite the reputation over the years. However, despite efforts to make marijuana the center of the city’s economy, many of the people in Humboldt are living below the federal poverty line. Not only is the per capita income low at just over $24,000 but the income for an entire family in Humboldt is only $52,000
(Photo by Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images)
El Monte is a city in Los Angeles county where nearly a quarter of the population is living below the poverty line. Unfortunately, the economy in the city doesn’t seem to be getting much better and things have been at somewhat of a standstill over the last few years. However, despite the financial struggles, the city has a reputation for being friendly.
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
As with any large city, poverty in Sacramento has always been an issue. Over the last few years especially, there has seemed to be an increase in poverty throughout the city, and the recession certainly didn’t help things. Although Sacramento is working to build itself up, the population of homeless people in the city doesn’t seem to be decreasing.
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Very few people think of poverty when they think of Los Angeles. However, if you were around during the 80s and 90s you know that Los Angeles has been dealing with poverty and violence for quite some time. In fact, according to some charts, Los Angeles is the poorest big city in the country. Los Angeles county is also home to the majority of poor cities in the state. The high cost of living in L.A. also makes it difficult for people to keep their heads above water, even while working full-time jobs.
(Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Written by Camille Moore
Camille has a master's degree from Saint Joseph University's Writing Studies program. Her writing has been published on several websites, and she enjoys writing articles and short stories in her spare time. You can follow Camille on Twitter @CamealAshley.
| 9,635 |
Timothy Piazza, a 19-year-old Penn State sophomore, died from his injuries after falling down a flight of stairs during a pledging ceremony by the Beta Theta Pi fraternity.
By
Updated on May 5, 2017, 8:15 pmPosted on May 5, 2017, 4:38 pm
The Beta Theta Pi fraternity and 18 of its brothers were charged Friday in the hazing death of Timothy Piazza, a 19-year-old Penn State sophomore.
The Centre County District Attorney announced more than 850 charges — including involuntary manslaughter — against the fraternity and its members for Piazza's death during a pledging ceremony in February.
Piazza died from his injuries two days after after he was forced to consume "a life-threatening amount of alcohol" and fell down a flight of stairs during a hazing ritual for Beta Theta Pi pledges, according to grand jury findings released on Friday.
None of the brothers called for medical help for 12 hours after Piazza first fell — and attempted to cover up their role in his death by deleting their online exchanges, prosecutors said.
The Centre County DA released a document revealing chilling details and the sequence of events at the ceremony on Feb. 2 that led to Piazza's death. Charges against the fraternity and its brothers also include hazing and furnishing alcohol to minors.
Piazza suffered from respiratory failure due to severe head trauma and compromised brain function, a medical expert testified. He had multiple traumatic brain injuries and a fracture at the base of his skull.
The operating surgeon who opened Piazza's abdominal cavity discovered four liters — 80% of a human body's total blood supply — of dark, old blood in his abdomen, according to the grand jury findings.
"Tim was an incredibly young man and an excellent student with a very bright, promising future ahead of him," his father, Jim Piazza, said at a press conference Friday.
Jim Piazza, father of Tim Piazza speaks about charges.
Fri May 05 14:26:46 UTC+0000 2017
"He was awesome son, brother, boyfriend, and friend. We’re going to miss him terribly. He wanted nothing more than to make people laugh and just be a good friend."
Jim Piazza said that the death of his son was the result of "a disobedience of law, a disregard of moral values which was then exacerbated by egregious acts of self-preservation."
In a statement Friday, Beta Theta Pi — which was banned from returning to Penn State — said the nature of the charges against its members is "incredibly disheartening."
"Beta Theta Pi International Fraternity has clearly and consistently expressed its position that it does not tolerate hazing or alcohol abuse in any form by its members," the statement said. "The former undergraduate members were well educated by the International Fraternity and Penn State on these policies; however, they are entitled to the presumption of innocence as they face these charges."
Penn State president Eric Barron described the details revealed in the grand jury findings as "heart-wrenching and incomprehensible," in a statement on Friday.
"The alleged details in the grand jury presentment, which suggest the inhumane treatment of a student forced through hazing to consume dangerous amounts of alcohol and endure hours of suffering, are sickening and difficult to understand," Barron said. Since Piazza's death, the university had announced a number of "aggressive measures" to reform Greek life on campus, he said.
Here's a summary of the events at the pledging ceremony that led to Piazza's death, all according to the grand jury findings:
On the night of Feb. 2, Piazza fell down the fraternity house's basement steps after allegedly being made to drink four to five alcoholic beverages within two minutes at a series of drinking stations, referred to as the "gauntlet" during the pledging ceremony.
The purpose of the gauntlet is to get pledges drunk in a very short time.
Surveillance video from the fraternity house showed "a visibly intoxicated" Piazza severely staggering drunkenly toward the basement steps. A brother at the ceremony testified that he saw Piazza "lying on his stomach, face down at the bottom of the steps."
In a group message to the brothers, one of them wrote: "Also Tim Piazza might actually be a problem. He fell 15 feet down a flight of stairs, hair-first, going to need help."
According to the findings, some of the brothers carried Piazza to a couch. The teen's body was limp, he appeared to be unconscious, and he had a bruise on his abdomen, according to surveillance video.
As Piazza lay on the couch, the findings revealed that brothers allegedly dumped liquid on his face, slapped his face multiple times, struck him on his bruised abdomen, and attached a backpack to him to presumably prevent him from rolling over.
The grand jury concluded that despite noting the severity of Piazza's condition through the night, the fraternity brothers and pledges did not call the authorities until 12 hours later.
One of the newly initiated brothers, Kordel Davis, recalled that Piazza "looked horrible" and that his eyes were shut and he was "thrashing and making weird movements on the couch."
Davis testified that he repeatedly told the brothers that they should call 911 and take Piazza to the hospital. He screamed at them for help but was ignored, and once was allegedly shoved against a wall. One of the brothers told him he was "crazy," Davis testified. Davis also warned them that Piazza should not go to sleep because he could lapse into a coma, but one of the brothers told him that was a "myth."
At one point during the night, a brother allegedly tackled another brother who landed on top of an unconscious Piazza.
The documents revealed that as Piazza regained consciousness he fell several more times during the course of the night, striking his head twice on the hardwood floor, falling into an iron railing and landing on a stone floor, and falling head first into a door.
A brother told detectives that when he sent a GroupMe message warning that Piazza should be taken to a hospital, the only response from another brother was that he was being "overdramatic."
As Piazza lay on the floor during the night, some of the brothers allegedly stepped over his body and left him there, while one began Snapchatting him, according to the findings.
Even after discovering Piazza's unconscious body the next morning, none of the brothers called 911 immediately, the grand jury findings said.
The brothers discovered Piazza the next morning "lying on his back with his arms clenched tight at his sides and his hands in the air," and "his chest was bare, his breathing heavy, and he had blood on his face," according to the findings. He also "felt cold to the touch, his skin appeared pale, and his eyes remained half-open."
No one immediately called 911 even though numerous brothers had cell phones, according to surveillance video of the scene. Footage showed that while Piazza lay unconscious on the floor, the brothers "shook him, attempted to prop his limp body up on the couch; covered him with a blanket; wiped his face; and attempted to dress him."
A cell phone belonging to one of the brothers revealed internet searches for "falling asleep after head injury," "true or false, a person with a serious head injury or concussion should be kept awake," "cold extremities in drunk person," and "binge drinking, alcohol, bruising or discoloration, cold feet and cold hands."
Around 42 minutes after discovering Piazza, one of the brothers called 911.
As they waited for police to arrive, a brother testified that someone suggested dressing Piazza "because they claimed Timothy might look better if he was dressed before medical treatment was rendered." However they were unsuccessful because of the stiffness of his arms.
Investigators recovered "a wealth of information" that showed "an active attempt to conceal and/or destroy evidence" after Piazza was transported to the hospital.
The grand jury concluded that many of the brothers' GroupMe messages "demonstrated a concerted effort by some of the Beta brothers to destroy or withhold evidence of both the alleged hazing as well as the underage consumption of alcohol."
This included alleged directives to delete the GroupMe messages, get rid of evidence of alcohol in the basement, and to ensure the pledges "keep quiet" about the incidents of the night.
In an exchange between the chapter's president, Brendan Young, and another brother, Young expressed his concerns about being sued for Piazza's death saying, "They could get us for giving him alcohol that contributed to his death. Also the guys taking care of him didn't call an ambulance right away, so they could get in trouble for negligence. I just don't know what I'm liable for as president."
A fraternity member told police that they were concerned about calling 911 after Piazza's fall because they were "fearful the police would discover indications of hazing as well as minors under the influence of alcohol in their house."
In text messages to an unidentified person, Young blamed himself for Piazza's death, saying, "He looked fucking dead."
The text messages from Young's phone described Piazza the next morning as "completely limp."
"He is in shock and was on the verge of death," the messages said.
In another exchange, Young said, "He fell down a flight of stairs because he was too drunk," to which a person responded, "You can't blame yourself."
Young replied: "How can I not? I don't think you fully comprehend the situation. He looked fucking dead..."
| 9,820 |
ONE ROQ Vodka Club is more than an award-winning spirit – it’s an experience. Founded in 2012, ONE ROQ has redefined American luxury vodka through brand ownership. Those who become club members are also investors, and have the opportunity to acquire equity as the company grows.
Members are also given exclusive club privileges, including cash dividends, discounted vodka, and invitations to VIP events. The company’s goal is to attract more investors and reach its $1.07 million goal that will help launch the ONE ROQ club platform.
The Mr. Smith team helped create a consistent representation of the brand through design and copy. Starting with paid and organic social content, we wanted the audience to know that ONE ROQ ownership is an attainable luxury. We supported this message with a range of creative assets, from static images to animations. Our in-house photographer captured photos of the ONE ROQ Vodka bottle to help keep the imagery cohesive. We wanted each post to feel alluring – like an exclusive invitation that’s sent directly to a potential investor.
What makes ONE ROQ different from other vodka brands is its dedication to providing current members a unique experience. The Mr. Smith team has helped not only promote club benefits, but also help launch the member portal, which includes an online store, email program, and organic blog content.
After consultation and planning it was decided what KPIs would be measured. And through a combination of strategic targeting (utilizing a variety of different audience creation tactics) and a steady stream of creative for testing, we were able to achieve the following results:
Monthly Purchases increased by 45%
Cost Per Purchase decreased by 2%
Purchase Value increased by 29%
Monthly Impressions increased by 54%
CPM decreased by 3%
ROAS increased by 9%
Landing Page Views increased by 83%
Cost Per Landing Page View decreased by 12%
Mr. Smith was chosen as agency partner responsible for overall Strategy, Visual Design, Photo/Video, Social Media, Content Marketing, and Digital Advertising.
| 2,074 |
Throughout the animal kingdom, male species are generally bigger and more beautiful. Male elephants have tusks; male lion have a mane (hair around the neck which makes the animal looks majestic), peacock have feathers. In birds the males are more colorful and attractive. However this link gets broken in Humans. We are more likely to associate females with beauty than a male.
What is interesting is that male is the dominating sex with a propensity for being polygamous. I am not being sexist, but the male is expected to be the breadwinner, take initiatives in wooing his spouse and take the lead in case of any dispute/show of physical strength. In any other species, with all these burdens, you would expect the males to be more attractive than their female counterparts. Yet that is not the case. An average female is also more concerned about her looks, dressing and manners/etiquettes than the average male. Does it not sound contradicting?
In almost all other species the members would like to advertise attaining puberty. In males these changes are actively being suppressed. They would shave off their facial hair (school kids would ape their father and do it even before it starts growing), cover their genitals (not that I would like a public display) and cover up their chest, arms & legs. Females on the other hand would wear garments that enhances & makes more prominent their breasts and hips. Are women pedophiles or am I missing something?
Hair tends to grow slowly and its color, texture & strength depend on the person’s mental & physical fitness at that time. Hence a waist long hair captures 2 year history of the person’s health, nutrition, age and reproductive fitness. But male are more likely to cut their hair short & wear caps, and hence blend themselves with those who don’t even have strong enough hair to grow it long.
Dancing is another way by which a person could advertise their agility, coordination, stamina, flexibility etc. Here again an average female is a better dancer.
All these contradictions make me doubt the fundamental hypothesis: : In a male dominated species, the male is very competitive and go overboard to advertise his superiority over the other contenders to his target partner.
Any clues? Are males so much domesticated through years of monogamy that they grow beer bellies, fart, puke and say all inappropriate words… all this to prove their partner (the feeble looking, yet dominating species) that no other female in their right mind will even think about them?
Other explanation could be that the rules of the game have changed. Females go overboard with their looks & beauty to attract the desirable men and keep them interested. Men are no longer wild beasts, who rely solely on their health & strength to provide for their family. Unlike animals, men rely more on eloquence, intellect and wealth rather than physical attributes to display their desirability & prominence. After all men are more likely to buy jewelry (or pay for it) for their partners. They would drive expensive cars, pay for the bills on the date, and use expensive gadgets, watches, specs & accessories.
Miscellaneous
Car: One giant wallet for men
Post author By Ankur
Post date June 19, 2011
4 Comments on Car: One giant wallet for men
I am amongst those guys who always used to complain that women unnecessarily lug a heavy handbag around which is stuffed with junk. However recently I have noticed that guys are no better either. Just open the boot (and not just glove box area) and be amazed by the quantity and variety of stuff they carry around.
Running shoes, towel, change of clothes…. This I saw in the back seat of a guy who swears that he has not been to the gym in over a month.
An empty: Mini-fridge. (An insulated cooler is more common) I would love a drink on the road, but what use it would be if you have not stocked it.
Paint cans, dent removal kit, a tool kit that would rival the one owned by your mechanic. I wonder how often you would stop at the traffic light to repair your car (a bit of context, most Indians go to a mechanic even for a simple flat tire)
Items in the ToDo list which have been lying untouched for months.
CDS, dvds, combs, deodorants, etc. and all the other junk you can think of.
I guess what really happens is that one sees a huge personal storage space and over time we find stuff to fill it.
Classes for men
Post author By Ankur
Post date June 15, 2005
3 Comments on Classes for men
New evening classes for men! All are welcome. Open to men only!
Classes starting this month.
Note: Due to the complexity and level of difficulty of their contents, each course will accept a maximum of eight participants each.
Step by step with slide presentation.
Topic 3: Differences between the laundry basket and the floor.
Pictures and explanatory graphics.
Topic 4. The after-dinner dishes and silverware: can they levitate and fly into the kitchen sink?
Topic 5. Loss of identity: losing the remote to your significant other.
Helpline and support groups.
Topic 6. Learning how to find things, starting with looking in the right place instead of turning the house upside down while screaming.
Topic 7. Health watch: bringing her flowers is not harmful to your health.
Graphics and audio tape.
Topic 8. Real men ask for directions when lost.
Topic 9. Is it genetically impossible to sit quietly as she parallel parks?
Topic 10. Learning to live: basic differences between mother and wife.
Online class and role playing.
Topic 11. How to be the ideal shopping companion.
Relaxation exercises, meditation and breathing techniques.
Topic 12. How to fight cerebral atrophy: remembering birthdays, anniversaries, other important dates and calling when you’re going to be late.
| 5,974 |
September 15, 2021 knottyabuse, alcoholism, book reviews, books that need editing, cluster B, domestic violence, high conflict people, kinky, male victims of domestic violence, poorly written books, repost, Richard Cassalata, Social Taboo, true crime, true stories
Here’s another reposted book review from the original Overeducated Housewife blog. This one was written in July 2017 and appears as/is. I had completely forgotten about this book, but it’s definitely one that belongs on my blog.
Sad story plus wretched writing equals missed opportunities…
Ever since I started reading it, I have been itching to write my review of Social Taboo: A Male Victim of Domestic Violence Speaks. I finally finished reading Richard Cassalata’s 2016 book about twenty minutes ago after struggling with it and thinking it would never end. I didn’t realize it when I started reading this book, but Social Taboo is 578 painful pages in length. I would guess at least 150 of those pages could have been omitted. Add in the fact that Mr. Cassalata apparently never had this book edited or even read by a literate friend before he published it, and you have a recipe for a former English major’s nightmare.
As you might guess from this book’s title, Social Taboo is a non-fiction account of a man’s experience with an abusive woman. The author, who refers to himself as Rick, writes that in early January 2011, he had been looking online for a relationship with a woman. Rick is a divorced father of three boys, and as of 2016, he lives in Arizona. He has not had much luck with online personal ads. Evidently, many of the responses he gets are porn solicitations.
One night, Rick gets an email from an attractive woman named Amy. Amy lives in Eloy, which is evidently a crime infested, yet very rural, area. She’s a teacher in her mid to late 30s at the time, having earned teaching certifications in Ohio and Arizona. She invites Rick over and asks him to bring with him a bottle of Grey Goose vodka.
Although Rick is not much of a drinker, he complies with Amy’s request and drives out to Eloy. He and Amy hit it off immediately, although Rick is slightly alarmed when Amy pours herself a generous measure of vodka mixed with cranberry juice. Although he says nothing to her at the time, it soon becomes apparent that Amy has a serious drinking problem.
Rick, who is in the midst of earning his teaching credentials, finds that he and Amy are able to talk shop. However, besides talking about their work, Amy also talks about her past relationships. If you know anything about women with cluster B personality disorders, you know that there are already a couple of red flags popping up during this couple’s first meeting.
Rick describes Amy as witty, charming, sweet, friendly, and very attractive. He writes that they “clicked” from the get go. And while it may not be the smartest thing for him to have done, during that first date, Rick and Amy are consummating their brand new relationship between the sheets on Amy’s bed. Unfortunately, Amy neglects to tell Rick that she has contracted oral herpes, which Rick incorrectly identifies as a sexually transmitted disease. Yes, it can be transmitted sexually, but what Rick is referring to is the same virus that causes cold sores. In truth, most people have been exposed to the virus that causes oral herpes by the time they are adults.
Things move quickly, as they often do in relationships with women who have cluster B personality disorders. Pretty soon, Rick and Amy are inseparable. Rick gets approval to work with Amy– she actually becomes his supervisor as he’s picking up training hours at Amy’s school. Yet another red flag is raised, but Rick is apparently oblivious to it. Soon, they’re talking about marriage and it’s not long before Rick moves in to Amy’s home. When he’s living with her, Rick discovers that Amy’s drinking problem is a lot more serious than he’d first realized. Aside from that, she is extremely possessive and resents it when Rick plays racquetball with his buddies on Saturday mornings. He comes back from the court to find Amy completely obliterated after she’s consumed way too much Grey Goose vodka.
Rick soon finds himself deeply entrenched in his relationship with Amy, who seems to be having a hard time letting go of her ex husband, Jim. She claims that they need to see each other because they are filing their taxes. Rick isn’t happy about Amy’s continued visits with her ex, but he tolerates it until it becomes clear that Amy is doing a lot more than discussing taxes with Jim. But when Rick confronts Amy, she goes batshit crazy. It’s not long before Amy enlists local law enforcement in her bid to control Rick. She even talks him into handing over his paychecks to her. Again… a classic red flag of an abuser.
It turns out that Amy is also kinky. She has a collection of sex toys and wants Rick to use them on her and be her “Dom”, that is, sexual dominant. She uses sex to make up with Rick after their epic fights. All I can say is that Amy must have been one hell of a lover. Rick falls for her tricks over and over again, just like Charlie Brown does when Lucy Van Pelt offers to hold the football for him. I don’t actually have anything against kink. However, it’s pretty clear that Amy uses kink as a means to control her men.
Throughout the book, Rick refers to the interesting array of jobs he’s held in the helping profession. He claims to have been a law enforcement officer, a social worker, and a teacher, both at the college and school levels. However, Rick doesn’t really give readers a full accounting of his academic pedigree. This was one of my many complaints about Social Taboo. As I was reading Rick’s story, he would mention his academic background, but in vague terms. I myself have master’s degrees in social work and public health, so he caught my attention when he wrote about his sociology degree, but then referred to himself as a “former social worker”.
First off, social work and sociology are not the same thing. Secondly, while Rick may have worked for child protective services at one point, that would not make him a social worker. Social work is not synonymous with child welfare work. Moreover, having earned my degree in social work, I know what goes into getting that education. I was perplexed by Rick’s vast array of careers. He’s supposedly only 35 years old at one point in this book. It takes time and money to become a qualified social worker or teacher, particularly at the college level. And yet, Rick has apparently been a social worker, a teacher, a professor, and a law enforcement officer. I question how much experience he would have had in those fields and how he managed to earn the appropriate credentials. I’m not saying he’s outright lying, but it would have been helpful if he had explained that a bit more.
My next complaint about this book is that it is way too long. I see an earlier paperback version of this book comes in at over 700 pages. This edition, which has a different title, is almost 600 pages. A lot of those pages should have been edited out because much of it is repetitive minutiae. At one point in the book, I was sure I had to be at least halfway through it. I was dismayed to see I had only read about 25%. I eventually found myself skimming because it was very repetitive and taking much too long to finish.
And finally, my biggest complaint about this book is the shitty writing. Cassalata has a rather conversational style that could be engaging if not for all of the typographical errors, awkward sentence constructions, dangling participles, and wrong word choices. Seriously, there were some errors that were almost laughable. For the sake of this review, I’m going to find a few of the more memorable ones.
“After leaving my house, I purchased a big cup of coffee at a nearby convince store.”
“They’re just did not seem to be a happy medium in any decision concerning her in weeks.”
“Ferrous, I walked out of the classroom without acknowledging Amy’s existence.”
“I fucking hate you for that… you sun of a bitch!”
“Since you are freeloading off me and living in my house you will respect me you sorry sun of a bitch.”
“Arriving home, Amy was gone and it was a welcome relief.”
“Noticing the sun setting we walked out of the restaurant and Amy held my hand out the door.”
The book is absolutely saturated with mistakes like the ones I’ve posted. When you have to get through 600 pages, it becomes very tiresome to run across so many errors. More than once, I contemplated giving up on the book. I also had to fight the urge to rant about it before I managed to finish. Imagine… this man, like his psycho ex, Amy, are teachers. No wonder so many people homeschool.
Don’t get me wrong. I think it’s good that Mr. Cassalata was willing to share his story. I wish more male victims of relationship abuse would speak out; that way, people like Bill’s ex wife might brought to justice for the havoc they wreak. I just think that if you’re going to go to the trouble of writing a book about your experiences, particularly the very personal experiences the author writes of, you should make sure the writing is of good quality. It’s asking a lot to ask readers to wade through almost 600 pages of explicit writing about abuse. The least that author could do is make the writing worth the effort and as easy as possible for the reader– particularly given that readers often have paid for the book. I see Cassalata’s paperback version is selling for about $25. I would be pissed if I’d spent $25 on this book as it’s written.
Anyway, make no mistake about it. Rick Cassalata got himself entangled with a psycho. I empathize with him. A lot of what he wrote about Amy is eerily similar to stories I’ve heard about Bill’s ex wife, right down to the weird sex, financial abuse, and irrational rages. Bill was fortunate in that his ex wife had a fear of government interference, so she never called the police on him. However, she did do a lot of the other things Amy did… and, oddly enough, Bill’s ex used to live in Arizona. I hope things are better for Rick now. I see at the end of his book, he’s got links to men’s rights organizations. I, personally, have no issue with that, but I would imagine that if a lot of women read this book, they might.
As an Amazon Associate, I get a small commission from Amazon on sales made through my site.
Proudly powered by WordPress | Theme: Ryu by WordPress.com.
Email (Required)
Name (Required)
By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information
Accept
The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.
| 10,885 |
The EB-5 visa is a three-step self-petitioning process consisting of Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneur (I-526), Conditional Permanent Residence by Adjustment of Status (I-485) for aliens inside the US/Consular Processing for alien’s outside the US, and Removal of Conditional Residency (I-829).
Investors should first file Form I-526, “Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneur,” accompanied by supporting documentation and the $3,675 filing fee with USCIS. Subsequent to the approval of form I-526, the intending immigrant needs to adjust status through an I-485 if he or she is in the U.S., or apply for an immigrant visa through consular processing if he or she is outside of the U.S. Unlike other immigrant categories, EB-5 investors may not concurrently file form I-485 with their I-526. The required form I-526 documentation must show that the immigrant investor has invested or is investing the required lawfully-gained capital in a company within the U.S., and that the investment will create full-time jobs for at least 10 U.S. workers.
The filing fee for Form I-526 is $3,675. Current processing time for I-526 is 26 to 50 months. Eligibility for each avenue of investment varies; please see below for specific information.
General Evidence Includes:
Evidence of the existence of the enterprise (such tax returns from the last three years)
Evidence of lawful capital:
Corporate, partnership and/or personal tax returns filed within the past five years;
Foreign business registration records or evidence identifying other sources of capital;
Other proof of the investor's income during previous years;
Certified copies of any judgments or evidence of all pending actions involving monetary judgments within the past 15 years;
Sales contracts if the source of funds is from the sale of a house or business;
Bank statements, evidence of property transferred from abroad, evidence of purchased assets, stock certificates given for investments, or loan or mortgage agreements.
Evidence of the required investment
Evidence of the investor's day-to-day operation of the enterprise through either management or policy (does not apply to investors in a Regional Center Program)
Title and description of the investor's job duties
If the enterprise is a partnership, evidence proving the investor-partner's management or policy-making activities.
Evidence showing the creation of at least 10 jobs for U.S. workers or a reasonable business plan to show that it will create 10 jobs for U.S. workers
If investors have hired employees, I-9s forms and tax records; or
If investors do not currently hire employees, a business plan demonstrating that 10 U.S. workers will be hired within the next two years
If investors are in a category requiring a $800,000 investment:
Evidence demonstrating that 10 jobs have been or will be created in the targeted employment area by a reasonable business plan; and
Statistical proof that the targeted employment area has high unemployment and a state agency's letter demonstrating that the area is classified as a "high unemployment" area.
Filing for Adjustment of Status/Consular Processing
Once an investor has received I-526 approval, he or she can apply for Conditional Permanent Residence by either going through consular processing or filing Form I-485.
You can become a permanent resident through consular processing if you live outside the United States. Consular processing is when USCIS works with the Department of State to issue a visa on an approved Form I-526, Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneur Petition and when a visa is available. EB-5 investor visas have always been immediately available for nationasl of Central and South America, Europe, Africa, Arabia, Middle East, Oceania and most of Asica. However, due to increased demand in the EB-5 program, there is retrogression for visa numbers for nationals of China and Vietnam. Consular Processing time is between six months to one year, depending on the office. Consular processing involves a visa interview, biometrics, collection of necessary documents, and a medical exam by a Department of State Panel Physician. Immediate family members (Spouses & Children under age 21) of EB-5 immigrant investors are eligible to undergo consular processing at the same time as the principle immigrant.
You can become a conditional permanent resident through adjustment of status if you live inside the United States. Once Form I-526 is approved and a visa number is available, you can apply for conditional permanent residence using Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. Adjustment of status requires an individual to file an application from within the United States with USCIS. Spouses & children under age 21 may also apply to adjust status concurrently with the EB-5 investor if they are already in the United States.
Processing time is usually anywhere from six months to one year. Upon approval of the Form I-485 or admission on an EB-5 immigrant visa, the investor and his/her derivative family members are granted two-years of “conditional” permanent resident status. Children must be unmarried and under the age of 21 to be considered derivatives at the time the I-526 is filed.
Often times, there is confusion as to when the two year period starts during which the investor must begin to uphold the job requirement. According to USCIS memo “AF M Update AD 09-04,” the two year job requirement commences six months after adjudication of Form I-526. Moreover, according to the USCIS policy, the investor's company must create and maintain 10 full time jobs within 30 months (2.5 years) after the approval of I-526.
A petitioner cannot materially change the business plan of the enterprise after Form I-526 is submitted because it serves as the basis for approval of Form I-829, even if the petitioner has met all other necessary requirements. However, if an alien wishes to change the business plan from the initial one outlined in Form I-526, he or she may file a new Form I-526 with a new business plan along with all other necessary requirements. Once a petitioner files a new Form I-526, the following can occur:
If the new Form I-526 is filed before the alien adjusts status or is issued an immigrant visa, then the new petition will serve as the basis for I-829 approval.
If the new Form I-526 is filed after the alien adjusts status or is issued an immigrant visa but before the due date of the I-829 petition, then the alien may file Form I-407, Abondonment of Lawful Permanent Status, along with Form I-485. USCIS will then terminate the alien’s previous conditional permanent residency. If the new Form I-485 is approved, then the alien will be granted a new two year period of Conditional Permanent Residency CPR. The new I-526 petition will then serve as the basis for I-829 approval.
If the new Form I-526 is filed after the alien adjusts status or if the alien is issued an immigrant visa on or after the due date of the I-829 petition and the new I-526 is approved, the alien may request withdrawal of the initial I-829 petition and file a new AOS application. If the new AOS is approved, the alien will be granted a new two year period of CPR. The new I-526 petition will serve as the basis for I-829 approval. If the new I-526 petition is denied, then the I-829 will be adjudicated based on the initial I-526.
USCIS acknowledges that investment in a targeted employment area (TEA) — either rural or high unemployment area – may occur before filing the I-526. In such a case, the investor has the burden of proving that the area of investment qualified as a TEA at the time the investment was made.
Furthermore, by the time the investor files an I-829, the area of investment may cease to qualify as a TEA. As increased job creation is the main goal of the EB-5 program, changes in population size and unemployment are acceptable and do not affect the removal of conditions.
| 8,178 |
In this blog post, we will discuss the differences between urea and uric acid, and how they impact our health.
Urea and uric acid are both waste products that are produced when your body breaks down proteins.
The differences between urea and uric acid
What are some similarities between urea and uric acid?
Urea vs uric acid, what role do they play in the body?
Urea and uric acid are two important compounds that play a role in the body.
How urea and uric acid can impact our health
Which compound is better for our health – urea vs uric acid
How we can reduce our urea and uric acid levels
Author
Urea and uric acid are both waste products that are produced when your body breaks down proteins.
Urea is produced in the liver and then excreted by the kidneys, while uric acid is produced by the breakdown of purines (a type of nucleic acid).
The differences between urea and uric acid
While both urea and uric acid are toxins that can build up in your body and lead to health problems, there are some key differences between the two. Urea is more soluble in water and is thus more easily excreted by the kidneys.
Uric acid, on the other hand, is less soluble and can therefore build up to higher levels in the body, especially if you have kidney problems. This can lead to gout, a type of arthritis that causes pain, swelling, and redness in the joints.
The differences between urea and uric acid
Urea is a waste product that is produced when the body breaks down protein.
It is present in the blood and is excreted in the urine. Uric acid is also a waste product that is produced when the body breaks down protein.
However, it is not present in the blood and is excreted in the stool.
The main difference between urea and uric acid is their location in the body and their method of excretion.
Urea is present in the blood and is excreted in the urine, while uric acid is not present in the blood and is excreted in the stool.
What are some similarities between urea and uric acid?
Urea and uric acid are both nitrogen-containing compounds.
Urea is synthesized in the liver from ammonia, while uric acid is a breakdown product of purine metabolism.
Both urea and uric acid are excreted in the urine.
Although they have different chemical structures, urea and uric acid share some similarities in their physical properties. They are both white, crystalline compounds that are insoluble in water.
At physiological pH, urea is a zwitterion, while uric acid is an ion with a net negative charge.
Because of their similar chemical structures, urea and uric acid have similar reactions with other chemicals.
For example, they will both undergo hydrolysis in alkaline solutions.
Urea vs uric acid, what role do they play in the body?
Urea and uric acid are two important compounds that play a role in the body.
Urea is produced by the liver and is excreted in the urine. It helps to remove excess nitrogen from the body.
Uric acid is produced by the breakdown of purines. It is present in blood and is excreted in the urine. High levels of uric acid can lead to gout.
How urea and uric acid can impact our health
They are both necessary for the body to function properly, too much urea and uric acid can lead to health problems.
High levels of urea can cause kidney damage, while high levels of uric acid can lead to gout and kidney stones.
In addition, urea and uric acid can also be toxic if they build up in the blood.
As a result, it is important to maintain healthy levels of these substances in our bodies. There are several ways to do this, including eating a balanced diet, staying hydrated, and exercising regularly.
By taking these steps, we can help ensure that our bodies can properly process urea and uric acid, reducing our risk of developing health problems.
Which compound is better for our health – urea vs uric acid
In general, urea is considered to be the better choice.
It is produced naturally in our bodies and helps to remove toxins and waste products from our blood.
Uric acid can also be beneficial in small amounts, but too much can lead to gout. Therefore, urea is generally the better choice for our health.
How we can reduce our urea and uric acid levels
Reducing our urea and uric acid levels can be better for our health.
Urea and uric acid are created when our bodies break down protein.
Too many of these acids can lead to health problems such as kidney stones and gout. There are a number of ways we can reduce our urea and uric acid levels.
For example, we can eat less protein, or we can take supplements that help to break down protein.
We can also drink more fluids to flush out the acids from our system.
By taking these steps, we can help to reduce our urea and uric acid levels and improve our overall health.
Both urea and uric acid are waste products that are produced when the body breaks down protein, but they differ in their location and method of excretion.
Jacks of Science sources the most authoritative, trustworthy, and highly recognized institutions for our article research. Learn more about our Editorial Teams process and diligence in verifying the accuracy of every article we publish.
Author
Keith Chen - Jacks of Science Writer
Keith Chen is Jacks of Science Senior Staff Writer and authority on chemistry and all things science. He is currently a full-time scientific analyst focused on chemical engineering, organic chemistry, and biochemistry. Keith has held roles such as chemist, engineer, and chief technician. His degree is focused around Physical chemistry and Analytical chemistry, but his passion is biomedical. He completed an internship at the All-Hands-Chemistry Discovery Center and Scientific Exploration Lab in Chicago. In his free time, he enjoys studying Zoology as a passion project.
View all posts
Jacks of Science is an educational informational site with a focus on everything science-based.
Our team covers a wide range of scientific categories, sometimes with complex and elaborate concepts, and aims to provide simple, concise, and easy-to-understand answers to those questions.
| 6,186 |
One of my favorite jokes from Steve Martin: upon hearing someone from another country speak in their native tongue, his response was, "Wow! It's like you have a different word for everything!" When traveling to different places in this country you're bound to hear a local colloquialism that throws you for a loop. But, it's not like Colorado is without its quirks and sayings.
There is a website for "Slang Quiz of the USA" called playnj.com where you can bounce around state to state and try and guess either what the local saying is or where it's from. Here are some examples:
FLORIDA: "No-See-Ums" - small gnats or bugs that you can't see.
KENTUCKY: "Hot brown" - a type of open-faced sandwich.
MASSACHUSETTS: "It's brick" - it means that something is cold.
NEVADA: "Pigeon" - a gambler who keeps throwing more money at a bad bet.
PENNSYLVANIA: "Snoopy" - it means you're a picky eater.
TENNESSEE: "Meat and three" - It's a meal with meat and three side dishes.
WYOMING: "Kashi" - it's a poking tool.
CALIFORNIA: "Slaps" - when something is good.
Have you been visiting Wyoming and have been referred to as a "greenie"? If so, they're just calling you a Coloradoan....because most of our license plates are green.
Now, if you've been up on the hills and struggling with the ski's, you might have heard the word "gaper". That's a fun-loving term we give to novice skiers.
| 1,374 |
By Jennifer Marie Lin on Dec 29th, 2014 (Last Updated Sep 21st, 2018 )
I have a male friend who I would describe as the following: Great co-worker, okay friend, mediocre boyfriend, and a flat out raging asshole as far as anything short term or hookups are concerned (seriously, run don’t walk). The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. is about that guy that most post-college, pre-marriage women know well — you’re friends with versions of him, you’ve probably dated versions of him and there’s versions of him who you actively avoid. It all depends on the context of where and when you meet or know this guy. I know that particular prototypical Nathaniel P. described above in a work context so I like him just fine, though I try to encourage him to be kinder. (To anyone who’s read the book, I guess that makes me some version of Aurit.)
The back of the book describes him as the “modern” man, but it’s really not. This is a very specific type of guy. I know plenty of well-adjusted, intelligent, mature young men, and I don’t consider them to be anachronisms or even rarities. Instead, I think he’s a modernized version of a certain type of guy — he’s well-educated and socially aware, and as he finds professional success he also does better with women; he’s convinced he’s basically a good guy, but there’s a very immature and selfish part of him, shaped to some extent by the current mores, that can result in him being downright callous, self-serving and manipulative in his interpersonal relationships.
Adelle Waldman attempts in The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. to get inside this guy’s head, poke around a little, and paint a picture of him, answering the ever-familiar question of “what the hell was he thinking??” I think she’s somewhat successful at this, though some parts were less convincing than others. The internal monologues should have been shortened probably. I suspect Waldman was trying to use them as a way of putting in background information, but in that case they should have been written as third-person omniscient background information and not internal monologues because that’s when the voice of Nate sounded the least convincing. And they were still a little too much.
The book hits its stride towards the end, as his relationship with Hannah starts breaking down. The author writes that “his relationship with Hannah had shown him things about himself that he wasn’t entirely proud of, about what he really valued in a woman and what he claimed to value but in fact could live without.”
I think I have a hard time liking this book outright though because it seems almost too cynical, to the extent that it feels like it has the effect of letting these types of guys off the hook. The attitude almost feels like “well, that’s just how he thinks” so too bad. I wish there would have been an sort of healthier, more well-adjusted guy as a sub-character to serve as a foil. The book basically just says, well, this kind of guy is an asshole, he just can’t admit it. His behavior causes conflicts, and then he tells himself that women are nuts. And he justifies his actions by condescending the women he dates in his mind or pushing it out of his head.
For example, at one point Nate feels a little guilty, but ameliorates his guilt by thinking about the world at large (the famine, the wars, etc.) to justify his own shitty behavior — “in such a context, the small-scale romantic disappointments of privileged single women in New York City did not even remotely make the cut.” I sort of wish there was a character there to make the flip side to that argument, which is basically that being shitty is still being shitty, it doesn’t matter if there’s people out there committing genocide, you’re still an asshole.
I will say that this book does tell women one important thing which I’ve always thought, which is that this type of guy, deep down, knows he’s kind of an asshole to you, even if he doesn’t think it makes him a bad person, and even if he gets angry when he gets called out on it. And if you put up with it, he’ll like you less and not more. At Hannah tries to resuscitate her relationship with Nate, his condescension grows considerably.
The book also posits an answer the question: what type of person does he end up with? In the end, Nate is in a relationship that just might work out. She’s attractive. She’s smart, but not challenging. She’s critical at times, but not in a way that makes him feel like he has to change. She talks about things like feminism, but is actually quite traditional in her sensibilities. And she’ll never quite get him and in truth he even looks down on her in some ways, but he actually prefers it that way.
I’m glad Waldman still gave Nate a psudeo-happy ending, mostly because, let’s face it — these guys to tend to still end up with someone — but down the road it’ll just be another one of many, many, many not quite fulfilling, unhappy, conditional marriages.
I thought it was just an okay book in terms of literary value, etc., so if the topic’s not relevant to you, you probably won’t find it all that great or even interesting. But if you’ve dated a guy like this or know a guy like this or you just like psychoanalyzing people, you might want to give it a shot. Even with the caveats, I will still probably recommend it to a couple friends.
Share this post
Published July 16, 2013
From the Publisher
In this sharply written first novel, Waldman homes in on a self-absorbed writer living in New York City. Nate Piven is still basking in the glow of having sold his first book after years of struggling to support himself with freelance work. His newfound success has given his love life a boost, and a number of women are pursuing him, including his beautiful ex-girlfriend Elisa and brainy Hannah, also a writer. As Hannah and Nate’s relationship gets more serious, Nate is quick to blame any communication snafus on Hannah, whose calm and self-confidence begin to evaporate. Although Nate thinks of himself as enlightened, a product of a postfeminist, 1980s childhood and a politically correct, 1990s college education, his actions continually belie that self-image. Nate is constantly jockeying for status among his friends and critiquing women’s bodies, clothes, and looks even as he tries to figure out why his relationships never last. The novel is most likely to appeal to twentysomethings, who will no doubt recognize the preening male so thoroughly skewered here, but older readers may be put off by such an unlikable lead character.
See it on
recent releases
The Paris Apartment
New Posts
recently posted
20 Best Book Club Books for 2022 (New & Anticipated)
20 Best Books with Asian American Protagonists (for Adults)
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
Keep in Touch
Follow along on Goodreads, or keep in touch via the newsletter. See the archives.
Support
Subscribe / Log in to read ad-free
Affliates
Links to third-party sites may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, the Bibliofile earns from qualifying purchases. See the partnership policy.
| 7,709 |
Are you looking for a trading system that offers an all in one experience? Easy-Forex is a site that offers a variety of market options to its traders. This is a very popular company that is regulated in over three countries including Australia and the EU. This is a plus point for traders who’ve been scammed before, as this proves that this company is a valid one and can be trusted.
Platforms and Software
If you sign up with Easy-Forex you can choose between several platforms to trade with and everyone should find the best software solution for his or her particular needs.
Easy-Forex was the first broker that introduced “trading directly in the browser”. Traders can use the webtrader which is an online software solution that works in browsers like Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera or Google Chrome. This is a very comfortable choice to start with because you don’t have to download and install a separate software on your computer. You have all basic functions in the right place and trading is very easy. Of course, if you need features like advanced charting this is not the right platform for you. It’s probably best on-the- go to check the markets from everywhere and to react properly.
If you need advanced features you can install Easy-Forex’s own software Tradedesk or the most popular trading software Metatrader 4 from MetaQuotes Software Corp.. Traders love the MT4 platform for many reasons:
the user experience is great
advanced and user friendly trading features
advanced charting capabilities
the Expert Advisors enable traders to automate their trades
relatively low on resources
secure platform that encrypts the data between trader and server
If you want to trade on-the-go you can do so with a variety of mobile platforms from Easy-Forex. You can choose between iPhone and Android apps for your smartphone.
Easy-Forex’s customer service is amongst the best offering live chat support from the web-site 24/7. You can also contact customer support via email and what’s more is they operate on a 24 hour basis, meaning you can have your needs attended to at any given time of the day.
the company offeres and MT4 and you can trade via mobile which is handy. i opened account with $25 initially and it worked
No fees for deposits and withdrawals, and you can start instantly with a credit card deposit. Withdrawals usually take 2-4 days. My tip: Get a vip of gold account for better spreads.
Phil, CA
The web based platform is very easy to use. I have found the staff very knowledgeable and professional. There are no fees for withdrawals and money appears in my account in 2-3 days. But the spreads are high.
Different Types of Accounts Offered by Easy Forex
Setting up an account at Easy Forex is extremely easy. The registration process is simple and the site also offers the services of a personal trading manager to help customers. Easy Forex allows you to start trading with an initial deposit as small as $25. You can test the platform with their demo account. The spread offered to you will depend on the type of trading account you opt for. Different types of accounts include mini account, gold account, platinum account and special VIP account. The benefits go on increasing with each level. The spreads range from three pips for special accounts to ten pips for mini accounts.
The site also offers a number of options for convenient deposit/withdrawals. These include Pay Pal, bank wire transfers, credit cards and more. You need not worry about any commissions as the site earns through the spreads and does not charge any additional fee other than a renewal fee for extending day trading position over to the following day.
| 3,752 |
Tom G Posted on 29 March 2011 Posted in Business, Enterprise architecture, Power and responsibility, Society 11 Comments Tagged with Business, costs of caring, culture, duty of care, enterprise, Enterprise architecture, responsibility, rights, Society
For all the talk of supposed ‘rights’ to this-that-and-the-other, there is one ‘right’ that we do not, can not and must not have: the right to not care.
There is no right to not-care.
And yet so many aspects of our society and culture and everything else are built upon exactly that ‘right’. Everyone who drops a piece of litter is exercising their ‘right’ to not-care – and dumping the burden of caring on everyone else. Many so-called business-models depend entirely upon the ‘right’ to not-care about long-term consequences. Most of the arguments between political-right and political-left are merely about who has the greater ‘right’ to not-care, and export the costs of care onto the other.
This matters, because in the longer term we survive only because of care. We survive because we care. Those of us who know this, who live this, know that yes, we will at times end up carrying the burden of those who haven’t yet learnt this bald fact. Most children do take time to learn how to care. But it gets hard – and harder – to keep going in a society where those who do care are actively punished for doing so, and those who don’t receive all of the rewards.
In our present-day world, people lose because they take responsibility, because they care; whilst others ‘win’ because they don’t.
I’m perhaps extreme: I believe that the entire concept of ‘rights’ is a literally deadly delusion, and that only responsibilities are real. Yet it seems clear to me that if our society is based around that ‘right’ to not-care – and it certainly seems to be so – that kind of implies that there are some very big changes ahead if we are to survive. An almost literal change of heart, for a start.
And the core of that change is the recognition, by everyone, by every aspect and institution of every society, that the one right that no-one can ever have is a ‘right’ to not-care.
Something to think about as you go to work on your busy weekday morning, perhaps?
Related posts:
Power, people and enterprise-architecture
Possessed by possession?
An architecture of responsibility
People, assets, relationships and responsibility
A week in Tweets: 28 Mar – 4 Apr 2010
Previous Post is ‹ Tweets from Troux 2011 conference, day 2
Next Post is About the PEAF book ›
11 Comments on “There is no right to not-care”
29 March 2011 at 7:13 am
Big question which started to be addressed by the age of the enlightment. You could refer to the discussion between Baruch Spinoza and John Hume on natural rights, you have also Jean-Jacques Rousseau and the “Contrat Social”, and Nietzsche with “On the Genealogy of Morality”. As soon as men realize that the world architecture did not ensue from God order, all philosophers wanted to find how it works. And apparently is has not ended.
Tom G says:
29 March 2011 at 7:29 am
Hi Jerome – many thanks.
Will admit that none of this is from ‘big philosophy’: I’m not joking when I say that it’s literally an idea that came up in the shower this morning. (I’ll admit that I’ve been working on these general ideas for a long time, though – and always from first-principles, mainly because I’m too lazy to plough my way through all of that ‘big philosophy’!)
In case anyone wonders whether I’ve gone Calvinist or suchlike, the absence of a ‘right’ to ‘not-care’ does not mean a life that is devoid of any sense of being care-free. Quite the opposite: we need to care as much about that joyous freedom of being ‘care-free’ as we do about care itself. We need to care about being human, being alive, in every sense of those words.
We also need to care about others being free of imposed care. Other than in scale, the tyranny of a selfish child is little different from the tyranny of a sociopathic megalomaniac of a dictator who exports their obsessive not-care onto everyone else. That kind of not-care is a dubious ‘luxury’ that we – our world, in fact – can no longer afford. That’s really the point I’m making here.
30 March 2011 at 12:23 am
You need to sit down and talk to the “Tea Party” folks here in the US. The ‘right” to own and carry guns is the prime example. The same people are as adamant about society’s ‘responsibility’ to prevent abortions. Maybe you can talk some sensse into them…
Tom G says:
30 March 2011 at 8:10 am
Hi John – I fully agree, yet unfortunately it’s not about “talking sense into [others]”: these are emotive/emotional issues, not rational ones.
Talking about the fundamental flaws in the concept of ‘rights’, and its inherently (self-)delusional nature, is particularly difficult in the US, because so much of the national identity and ethos is built upon a foundational assumption that rights are real: “… endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” etc.
To many of the ‘Tea Party’ folks, what I’m describing would seem even crazier than Qadhafi’s Jamahiriya. From their perspective, of course, they would be right.
The real point here is that responsibilities and, especially, mutual-responsibilities soon become amazingly complex. In effect, responsibilities are a classic ‘wicked-problem’ to which there is never any simple ‘solution’, and instead must be continuously renegotiated and ‘re-solved’ as the context changes dynamically over time. The ‘rights’ discourse seems to be a lazy-person’s static ‘solution’ to this complexity, in much the same way that prepackaged ‘morals’ are a lazy-person’s ethics.
At best, when used properly, ‘rights’ describe a desirable outcome from resolving mutual interlocking responsibilities, but typically give us no means whatsoever as to how to resolve those mutualities. (In effect, it’s a classic ‘magic happens here’ pseudo-‘solution’, such as we see so often in IT and elsewhere… ) And unfortunately it’s very easy to misuse the ‘rights’ discourse to impose all manner of “someone other than me is responsible for this” ‘anti-rights’ on others – which in essence seems to be what the ‘Tea Party’ is all about. Oh well.
31 March 2011 at 11:49 am
Do rights really exist? To be honest… I don’t think so. We have no right to be, to have, to behave. Yet we are. Yet we have. Yet we behave. But we almost completely lost sight of simply being. Lost sight of how to frequently return (behave) to simply being and let go of having. Lost sight of the beings that we really are. We behave more like Human Havings than Human Beings.
Only Human Havings – creatures that have to have – need rights. Human Beings are. The natural state for Human Being comprises affection (the simplest form of love) – including caring: what can I do for you (instead of what can I do with/to you). Human Havings create separateness. Human Beings create togetherness. Human Beings have all kinds of things, but do not have to have these things. They only be-have these things. When time comes they let go of these havings. Human Beings trust other things to emerge and with which to be-have next.
Today we largely are beings without knowing anymore what it really is to simply be. We lose ourselves completely in having ever increasing ego’s. Completely separate from other beings, from other things. Simply being, unmanifested being, being with the potential to have anything – and to let go of it again is what really empowers us. Makes us care.
This, however, requires us to go beyond our ego’s. But, immensely ‘helped’ by our ego’s, we started to firmly believe (and still do) that letting go means that we lose our things, lose our identities, lose track of who we are etc. Well, that would be the end of the ego, wouldn’t it? And the ego… well, it ‘simply’ wants to survive. It’s scared to death! And the ego creates and maintains – over and over again – Human Havings. Separateness. Fearing humans – constantly under attack and attacking. Trying to protect their havings. Havings they ‘know’ they have to have in order to be. Human Havings definitely need the illusion of rights.
31 March 2011 at 5:18 pm
The following sort of seems to have a sense of aggressiveness to it – I only mean to be adamant.
Rights exist because I insist. If one wished for me to discard this belief, one would have to force me, which would require exercising the Right of Conquest, which would affirm my belief.
If I say I have responsibility for thus and so, by what right may I assume this responsibility?
I exercise responsibility in the way I wish to exercise it (the hows) according to the authority which I associate with the responsibility. If I have no authority to exercise responsibility in the way I see fit, then another may use authority and force me into their way. If authority does not exist, then neither does accountability, and then who is to say who has what responsibility for a set of means and ends? The concepts of quality and risk become lost. Without a balance of authority, accountability, and responsibility, then where are the concepts of civility, fidelity, and stewardship?
If each human is an island and inter-human relationships do not exist, then I would concur that a responsibility based order is possible. But once an inter-human relationship exists – just two people – a social order, a social way (‘way’, by the way, is an enormous word), by inherent necessity, also exists. In this relationship, questions arise such as “who am I in this relationship?”, “who are you in this relationship?”, and “who are we in this relationship?”. Both parties ask these same questions. As Deming would counsel, both parties must remove fear from their relationship. The only way to do this is through love, or, might I say, perfect love. If each one loves that others are free and have peace, I believe that this is a sufficient start that, perhaps, leads to a responsibility based system with negotiated authority and accountability.
If there is someone who says that I must not be armed, I will arm myself. When everyone doesn’t care whether I am armed or not, I might disarm.
Tom G says:
3 April 2011 at 7:08 am
@Jan van Til Hi Jan – Will admit I’m not sure I fully understand you – some of what you say is at a level of abstraction that I can’t quite follow… But in general I think we agree on the ‘be’ versus ‘have’ – which in the terms I’ve been using here would seem to be closely related to mutual-responsibility’ versus ‘possession’ respectively.
Delusions of ‘possession’ and untrammelled ego create a socially-destructive and delusory ‘separateness’. It’s a particularly dangerous delusion because it’s actually not separate: it demands all the ‘rights’ that arise from a social context, but insists that it has the ‘right’ to not reciprocate in any of the mutual-responsibilities from which those ‘rights’ actually arise. That concept of ‘rights’ leads automatically to a society in which anyone who actually takes responsibility is actively penalised and punished, and only the most childish and selfish will ‘win’. We don’t have to look far in any possessionist economy today to see that situation not only in ‘control’, but already so far out of control as to be well beyond recovery. To me it seems certain that the only way out of the mess is to re-establish a responsibility-based economics – which means we need explicitly to challenge possessionist delusions in every form that they take.
Tom G says:
3 April 2011 at 8:57 am
@Myron Chaffee Hi Myron – many thanks for engaging in this. At the risk of sounding patronising – which I very much do not intend – I’d also remind that this theme will be especially challenging for anyone from the US, because the concept of ‘rights’ is such a key foundational-myth for the country itself (‘myth’ in the sense of Causal Layered Analysis, that is, and not any pejorative sense). In that context, to question the concept of ‘rights’ is, in a very real sense, to question what is to be American; by definition, it will bring up fears of ‘being unAmerican’, with all that that implies. So I really am trying to approach this with all respect: yet unfortunately, yes, what I’m saying is that the real-world results of the deep-myth of ‘rights’ are so destructive that we literally dare not allow it to exist. What we need to do instead is go back at least one more layer, to understand the real problem to which the notion of ‘rights’ is the purported ‘solution’, and then work our way back up from there.
(Also aware that this is the kind of conversation that’s very difficult to do right with text – much easier to do in a back-and-forth banter on a slow afternoon in the kind of cafe/bar that happens also to have a large convenient whiteboard. Given that text is all that we have right now, please give me a little more room to get it wrong? :wrygrin: )
Interested to see you invoke Deming, and his key theme of ‘drive out fear’, because I think you’re right that ‘rights’ are really about fear. More specifically, it’s actually a mechanism to allay personal fears by attempting impose asymmetric responsibilities on others. There are many justifiable fears (or understandable fears, at any rate) that arise in response to others’ purported ‘rights’ to misuse or abuse: much of the ‘women’s rights’ discourse relates to those kind of fears, for example. Historically, much of the anger that created the American Revolution was in response to the purported ‘rights’ of the British government and British companies to impose and maintain highly abusive relationships with the American colonies and colonists. In that sense, the Constitution was largely about the ‘right’ to not be abused by those others’ ‘rights’. The problem is that because the underlying issues and mutual-responsibilities are not addressed, it automatically leads to a kind of spiralling ‘arms race’ of claims and counter-claims of purported priority over others – a literal arms-race, in the case of ‘the right to bear arms’.
To use a happy American expression, the whole ‘rights-discourse’ has it entirely ass-backwards. It’s a seriously-incomplete ‘how’ (as a mechanism to manage mutual-responsibilities in a complex ecosystem) that’s become reframed as a ‘why’ in its own right, yet has also lost its connection with the actual underlying ‘why’. “Rights exist because I insist”, you say. Well, yes: but why do you insist? Why the emotion? What’s underlying that emotion? To invoke Deming again, what’s the fear? The fears are real: they need to be respected. Yet given that, by all of the available evidence, the ‘rights-discourse’ is not a viable method to address those underlying fears, what else can we do to resolve those fears? That’s what I’m trying to explore here. Insisting that rights exist because you insist that they exist just takes us round in circles…
If we look at any real-world ecosystem, one of the first things we see is that there are no rights in that ecosystem: nothing has the kind of automatic, inherent priorities over everything else that are implied by the concept of ‘rights’. To give perhaps the simplest of examples, it’s a blunt fact that everything dies: and there are a lot of fears around that – especially amongst just about any sentient beings. Yet it’s also clear nothing has the ‘right’ to not-die: we each do have to face our fears around that fact. Because the ecosystem actually ‘lives’ because of its complex mechanisms of ‘re-use through death’, trying to enforce conditions under which a ‘right to not-die’ might exist inevitably leads to the death of the ecosystem itself: in effect, cutting off the branch that you’re sitting on. Not wise.
So what I’m suggesting is to think of all of this in ecosystem-terms. At the abstract level, an ecosystem operates by its flows; fears and attempts at ‘possession’ and the like will block those flows, and hence will inherently render that part of the ecosystem less efficient and effective. So at a purely practical concrete level, this means that any concept of ‘rights’ leads to a spiralling arms-race that eventually prevents the ecosystem from functioning at all. In the longer-term, the purported mechanisms provided by ‘rights’ guarantee total system-failure: we need alternate mechanisms that will actually work with the flows of the ecosystem rather than against them. And if we look at how any ecosystem actually works, it does so via its overall balance of mutual-responsibilities. There are no rights: they are literally a myth, an invented ‘pseudo-fact’. And no amount of insistence otherwise is going to change that fact. The only thing that insistence that ‘rights’ are real will do is create further destruction.
So: back to why that myth of ‘rights’ is so desirable. And the short answer – exactly as you suggest – is fear. In essence, a ‘right’ is an insistence that others are exclusively responsible for resolving something that I fear. The mere existence of that ‘right’ purports to be ‘the answer’ to that fear. But it’s a classic example of the old adage that “to every complex, difficult question there’s at least one clear, simple, easy-to-understand wrong answer”, because if everyone has the same exclusive right to not be responsible, by definition no-one is responsible. If the ‘rights’ are asymmetric – in other words, only some people have the ‘right’ to be not-responsible – the evident unfairness will, equally inevitably, either create social tensions that will spiral beyond breaking-point, or a wild scramble for the purported ‘right’ to be not-responsible, or both: which again guarantees the eventual destruction of the conditions under which the desired-outcome of the purported ‘right’ could occur. To make it work – to create that desired-outcome – we need to identify the responsibilities that must exist for those fears and needs to be resolved; and then ensure that those responsibilities apply to everyone – and not solely to those who are somehow deemed to not have ‘rights’.
Take that classic American concern, the ‘right to bear arms’. That ‘right’ is a solution to a problem: but the problem is never addressed, so the solution itself is raised to the level of its own ‘why’. If we ask why this purported right exists, we’re first told that it exists because we insist that it exists – in other words, a circular ‘non-why’. But if we look at the emotion behind that insistence, it’s immediately obvious that there’s a lot of unacknowledged and unaddressed fear: so if we want the true ‘why’ behind the ‘right to bear arms’, we need to look at that fear. What is this fear? And why do we insist that a literal arms-race is the only possible way to resolve those fears? Interesting questions…
Once we get past the circular assumptions and unacknowledged fears that drive the rights-discourse, we then have a chance to look at what’s actually going on – namely an entrenched evasion of mutual-responsibility. For American culture, one of the deepest structural problems is its asserted ‘inherent’ primacy of the individual over the collective, which creates huge social tensions: hence the fear of all forms of government, for example, or the fear of the social-responsibilities implied by ‘communism’ or ‘socialism’, or – especially – the fear of loss via other people asserting their individual ‘rights’ over others. (This is just one example: other cultures have other inherent structural problems, such as those that arise from the primacy of the collective over the individual – I’m not ‘picking on’ the US here, honest! ) So what are the mutual-responsibilities that are needed to make the ecosystem work? How do we ensure that the mutual-responsibilities are balanced, are truly mutual overall? That’s how we address the fears that underly purported ‘rights’ – and how we make the purported ‘need’ for any such ‘rights’ redundant in the real world.
Tom G says:
3 April 2011 at 9:18 am
Myron – to illustrate that this isn’t just ‘ideal-world’ theory, take a look at a real-world organisation that has run on explicit responsibility-based lines worldwide for more than 350 years: the Quakers.
It’s also a faith-based model, with explicit Christian roots yet stripped right back to its core, which in principle should align well with some of the other foundational deep-myths of the US.
For example, explore the section called ‘Advices and Queries‘: it explains in clear detail how a responsibility-based model works, and is brought into being via personal commitment and personal responsibility, in day-to-day real-world practice.
5 April 2011 at 2:07 am
Good analysis, especially since our president is the consummate renegotiater and re-solver – in stark contrast to our Tea Party friends…
Tom G says:
5 April 2011 at 7:54 am
Myron, John – I perhaps ought to add that I’m keeping very clear of any discussion about US politics here. I have my opinions about such party-politics, of course, because my own life – like that of everyone else in this world – is affected by what happens in the US. But as a literal ‘outsider’ to the US, with no vote to count, I have ‘response-ability’ but no authority there. You could even say, I suppose, that I have no right to be heard?
The point is that none of this is about politics as such: it’s about the architecture of the cultural ‘extended-enterprise’ within which that politics is expressed – exactly like a conventional corporation writ (very) large. This is an exercise in enterprise-architecture, not detail-layer politics: nothing more than that. All I’m doing is applying the standard soft-systems analysis that we would apply in any other whole-enterprise context. For example:
– What are the unquestioned assumptions?
– What are the consequences of those assumptions?
– Given that the assumptions are unquestioned, what other explanations are provided for those consequences, and which guide people’s (usually misplaced) responses to those consequences?
– What are the consequences of those misplaced responses?
– What mechanisms – such as circular-reasoning – are used to ‘prove’ that the misplaced response is the ‘correct’ one, so as to ensure that the underlying unexamined assumptions remain unexamined?
– What ‘wicked-problems’ arise as a result of those mechanisms?
And so on. In a sense, the ‘rights’-discourse is nothing special: it’s just one example amongst many. (To use John’s example of the Tea Party movement, I struggle to understand why the US-right are so insistent on describing themselves as ‘Christian’, even though key Christian concepts such as ‘care for the poor’ or ‘turn the other cheek’ or ‘it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of the needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven’ are explicitly absent from so much of their thought and action…?) The reason why the delusory ‘rights’-discourse is so important is that its consequences are so destructive: and when emotive belief in ‘rights’ is elevated to the level of a foundational article of faith, that seeming ‘god’ of ‘rights’ could well be the death of us all. Hence a very real concern here for any global-scale ‘enterprise-architecture’.
The classic giveaway for unexamined assumptions – seen especially in supposed ‘sciences’ – is when there’s a lot of emotion around something that, on the surface at least, should be unemotive, rational, a ‘no-brainer’. One glance at the intense emotion around the purported ‘right to bear arms’, for example, should tell us straight away that there’s something just a leeeetle bit weird going on there, that doesn’t have much to do with anything as supposedly rational as a ‘right’. Likewise the obsessive intensity of the attacks dished out by so many self-styled ‘Skeptics’ at anything that doesn’t fit their frequently-myopic concepts of ‘science’: it purports to be ‘rational’, but it’s not rational at all, and has very little to do with the real practice or process or progress of science itself.
Architecturally speaking, the blunt fact is that in the longer term, unexamined assumptions and pseudo-‘rational’ short-cuts are always bad news – as the people around the Fukushima nuclear plant are currently discovering the hard way… Putting a gloss of ‘rationality’ over a stack of highly-emotive unexamined-assumptions as a way of hiding from the issues is not a good idea. It’s also an unfortunate fact that attempting to be rational about emotive issues is rarely a good idea either: it tends to bring out all of the pent-up emotion full-in-the-face to anyone who even accidentally challenges it. Hence the reason why rational discourse always needs to be accompanied by a lot of respect for the other, so that we can separate the tangled threads of thought and emotion. Not easy, but it does have to be done. And one place where that disentangling does have to be done, and urgently, is the now lethally-dangerous concept of ‘rights’.
That’s all that I can say about that for now, I guess. Hope it makes some kind of sense, anyways.
Leave a Reply to Tom G Cancel reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Support our work!
If this website is useful to you, please donate!
Donations go towards costs of running the website and developing new content.
Support our Patreon funding to develop new tools for change:
Books by Tom Graves
Ebooks by Tom Graves
Recent Posts
Not playing this game any more
Tom G on Agility needs a backbone
Meenakshi A on Agility needs a backbone
Tom G on Why before who
Archives Select Month August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 July 2020 May 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 February 2019 January 2019 November 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 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 November 2016 October 2016 September 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 June 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 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006
| 29,104 |
'''Doyne Construction Company''' helped transform the old [[Choctaw Railway Station]] into the [[Clinton School of Public Service]]. The cost of the project was $4 million. The company is located in North Little Rock, Arkansas.
'''Doyne Construction Company''' helped transform the old [[Choctaw Railway Station]] into the [[Clinton School of Public Service]]. The cost of the project was $4 million. The company is located in North Little Rock, Arkansas.
Revision as of 21:06, 15 December 2007
Doyne Construction Company helped transform the old Choctaw Railway Station into the Clinton School of Public Service. The cost of the project was $4 million. The company is located in North Little Rock, Arkansas.
| 762 |
by Caroline Béland-Pelletier, Chair of the QTNca Natural Environment Committee Caroline has been a QTNca board member for 3 years and has chaired the Natural Environment Committee for two years From surveys and conversations we know that QTN residents value the green space that we have in our neighborhood. Some report that it was a … Continue reading Green Space: A QTN Priority
Getting around QTN
by Lija Bickis, Co-Chair, Safe Streets and Active Transportation Committee. Lija Bickis. secretary and long-time board member of QTNca, has lead on various sidewalk and traffic safety initiatives for QTNca. She also serves on the community advisory group for the Lincoln Fields Secondary Plan process, along with Kathy Vandergrift. The neighbourhood is undergoing a significant … Continue reading Getting around QTN
Intensification that works for QTN
by Dan Monafu, a member of the QTNca Planning Committee. What do we mean by a livable community? Or by a neighbourhood that is people-centric? These are concepts that get at the same thing: that neighbourhoods are places where people live, and we should take that into account when we have the (rare) opportunity to … Continue reading Intensification that works for QTN
| 1,242 |
Imagine you’ve worked at the same type of job for over two decades, but then one day it hits you: your teenage daughter will graduate from high school in less than two years and you don’t want to do what you’ve been doing for the rest of your life.
That happened to me in 2008.
Although I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was old enough to read on my own, prior to my mid-life “awakening,” so to speak, for more than two dozen years my life revolved around administrative and office management roles—in part due to my mad typing skills of more than 120 words per minute (true story). But I never stopped wanting to be a writer.
You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. ~ C.S. Lewis
Fast forward to life in 2011. Armed with a shiny new Bachelor of Arts in literature, writing and film earned at Arizona State University, two semesters logged in as an intern with Superstition Review, as well as the title of cofounder and manager of Scribes @ ASU, a writing club intended “to further the social, cultural, and academic interests of the students enrolled in a literature-based degree program,” it was time to put my education to work.
Fortunately, during my final two semesters at ASU and while working as an intern with [s]r under the mentorship of Trish Murphy, founding editor, I discovered my love of everything publishing related. However, I knew if I planned on getting anywhere, I needed experience in the field. And the sooner the better… I wasn’t getting any younger.
Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away! ~ Dr. Seuss
In less than a month following graduation, another seasoned editor took a chance on this (tongue-in-cheek) “old dog” and brought me on staff as an editorial intern at a print and online publication catering to all things beauty. With infinite patience, the editor-in-chief taught me new tricks that consisted of fact-finding, writing blogs and articles, posting online social media and managing the magazine’s website. I couldn’t have been more ecstatic.
Following three months of showing up at my cubicle and regular staff meetings, acquiring invaluable knowledge and a greater passion for the business, I sought my first “real” job in publishing.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t as easy as I had hoped to land a position in the industry. After more than six months of applying for both freelance and full-time opportunities—and either being rejected or unable to find the right fit—it was tempting to fall back on my administrative and office management experience. The logic-thinking side of my brain knew there was nothing wrong with that, but the creative side countered louder: I went back to school to write!
One evening, after yet another rejection (“We’re sorry, we chose someone with more experience”—the proverbial Catch 22 where experience is required, yet can’t be gained until someone hires you first), I scanned the online Craigslist postings under the administrative category… just in case.
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. ~ W.C. Fields
If a headline could scream, this one did—complete with bells and whistles. Adorned in big bold letters, the word PUBLISHING radiated a thousand promises. The advertised opening, about four days old, publicized the position of administrative coordinator for a small commercial publishing firm within a few miles of my home. And the best part? I was qualified.
Yes, I’d be managing an office, including phones and spreadsheets and mailings, but I would also be working with ad insertions, copy-editing and social media. Convinced I could do the office part with my eyes closed and my hands tied behind my back (almost), and with new-found enthusiasm and an emotion I equated to hope, that night I submitted my application. I interviewed two days later, received a job offer the next morning and began my new role the following Monday.
Working for a small company means I juggle a variety of responsibilities daily—from admin to materials trafficker, to customer service, assistant editor, social media guru and website content coordinator, to eNewsletter administrator, researcher and writer. I work with sales, advertisers, circulation, PR, IT and design. And, on a bi-monthly basis, I interview field personnel for featured Q&As in one of the company’s publications.
The expertise I’m gaining in the publishing industry is instrumental. But, I’m convinced my accomplishments over the past three years would not have been possible without my education at ASU and the fundamental experience I obtained while working on the [s]r staff, through my internship with In With Skin magazine and training under the leadership of select educators and editors. My freelance portfolio also continues to expand and includes several blogs and articles for In With Skin; articles for Paradise Valley Lifestyle magazine; nonfiction pieces for Kalliope, a former online literary magazine at ASU and guest blog posts for [s]r.
Grow old with me! The best is yet to be. ~ Robert Browning
While serving my internship with [s]r, in an Oct. 2, 2010 interview I was asked: “Where do you see yourself in 10 years?”
My response: “…I see myself enjoying the fruit of my education and passion for the art of the written word… as well as working in some type of publishing/editing capacity.”
With another six years to go until 2020, I’m awash with anticipation, on track as I approach the mid-century mark—an old dog balancing on the edge of a hat brimming with shiny new tricks.
If you feel like there’s something out there that you’re supposed to be doing, if you have a passion for it, then stop wishing and just do it. ~ Wanda Skyes
Recent Posts
The Ocean Creates Its Own Light by Michelle Donahue: An Interview December 3, 2022
Picture Window by Ivy Grimes: An Interview December 2, 2022
Issue 30 is Now Live! December 1, 2022
Meet the Art Contributors for Issue 30 November 29, 2022
An Interview with Matt Bell November 25, 2022
Our Posts by Category
Our Posts By Month
Our Posts By Month Select Month December 2022 (3) November 2022 (15) October 2022 (15) September 2022 (13) August 2022 (5) May 2022 (1) April 2022 (15) March 2022 (14) February 2022 (13) January 2022 (8) December 2021 (5) November 2021 (13) October 2021 (13) September 2021 (6) August 2021 (1) May 2021 (2) April 2021 (5) March 2021 (15) February 2021 (15) January 2021 (5) November 2020 (26) October 2020 (21) September 2020 (14) August 2020 (7) June 2020 (11) May 2020 (12) April 2020 (18) March 2020 (15) February 2020 (14) January 2020 (2) December 2019 (5) November 2019 (17) October 2019 (19) September 2019 (17) August 2019 (25) July 2019 (24) June 2019 (21) May 2019 (23) April 2019 (25) March 2019 (28) February 2019 (29) January 2019 (13) December 2018 (17) November 2018 (35) October 2018 (37) September 2018 (25) August 2018 (16) July 2018 (14) June 2018 (19) May 2018 (19) April 2018 (31) March 2018 (32) February 2018 (26) January 2018 (10) December 2017 (10) November 2017 (35) October 2017 (42) September 2017 (33) August 2017 (18) July 2017 (19) June 2017 (22) May 2017 (39) April 2017 (42) March 2017 (39) February 2017 (33) January 2017 (20) December 2016 (17) November 2016 (35) October 2016 (44) September 2016 (35) August 2016 (20) July 2016 (14) June 2016 (15) May 2016 (18) April 2016 (32) March 2016 (28) February 2016 (23) January 2016 (17) December 2015 (11) November 2015 (28) October 2015 (30) September 2015 (30) August 2015 (15) July 2015 (15) June 2015 (14) May 2015 (12) April 2015 (14) March 2015 (15) February 2015 (19) January 2015 (9) December 2014 (13) November 2014 (15) October 2014 (20) September 2014 (12) August 2014 (8) July 2014 (12) June 2014 (12) May 2014 (14) April 2014 (20) March 2014 (19) February 2014 (18) January 2014 (21) December 2013 (24) November 2013 (25) October 2013 (26) September 2013 (22) August 2013 (18) July 2013 (17) June 2013 (18) May 2013 (19) April 2013 (22) March 2013 (22) February 2013 (21) January 2013 (16) December 2012 (12) November 2012 (24) October 2012 (17) September 2012 (15) August 2012 (14) July 2012 (8) June 2012 (13) May 2012 (16) April 2012 (20) March 2012 (31) February 2012 (15) January 2012 (12) December 2011 (9) November 2011 (16) October 2011 (13) September 2011 (8) August 2011 (1) May 2011 (8) April 2011 (23) March 2011 (1) February 2011 (8) January 2011 (2) December 2010 (1) November 2010 (10) October 2010 (14) September 2010 (12) August 2010 (1) April 2010 (12) March 2010 (11) February 2010 (14) November 2009 (14) October 2009 (5) September 2009 (23) April 2009 (9) March 2009 (7) January 2009 (1) November 2008 (7) October 2008 (10) September 2008 (2) April 2008 (4) March 2008 (11) February 2008 (8)
| 9,203 |
Yesterday, I saw my counselor, whose face I already can’t remember, though I remember he wore a wedding ring and talked about how we must rid ourselves of unhelpful thoughts, how our mind makes thoughts up all on their own and we must decide what to believe, what to buy into, that our mind is the ultimate selling machine and it is selling thoughts to us.
I wondered if his mind sold him a thought on marriage, and if he believes all these ideas that other minds had about thoughts, and about how we don’t make our thoughts, then does he think that marriage was an idea he bought in to? He says my idea that every time I get really sick will be the time I die is just a thought that my mind made, but I didn’t. Is that what love is, a thought that your mind made up with its chemicals and its hokum and its voodoo magic?
I had these thoughts while simultaneously understanding what he was saying, about how there was four of us in the room: him, his mind, me, my mind. “Do you understand that?” he said. “Are you following along?”
“Yes, four of us,” I said, because I was following along. I get it. I am an open vessel, mostly. It is something I already knew, about being separate from my mind.
He showed me an almost Venn-diagram he had drawn – “specifically for our session,” he said, though I’m almost positive he has it on hand for every session, but I didn’t say that; I just thought about what words were under all those stacks of other papers that he had upside down. The diagram had three bubbles labeled: thoughts, feelings, behaviors. They all had little arrows leading into one another. He wanted to demonstrate how they are all interconnected, as if I didn’t already know how cyclical life could be. Me: with the auto-immune diseases that relax, attack, relax, attack. Me: with the trauma-based anxiety, who feels the panic in waves when the wound in my chest carves open like the morning, that felt like a night, that my heart stopped beating on the operating table.
“Unhelpful thoughts lead to feelings, which lead to unhelpful behaviors. Like thoughts you have where your mind says this will be the time I die, lead to feelings which bring on unwanted behaviors.”
“Like how I erratically and frantically clean things when I am having a panic attack?”
“Yes, like behavior to distract yourself. So today, I want us to focus on the thoughts. The unhelpful thoughts that your mind is making on its own. I want to give you a tool to use, to practice, to help you deal with the unwanted thoughts. Okay?” he asked earnestly.
“Yep. Okay.”
“Is it okay if I ask us both to close our eyes for this?” he asked delicately, as if I might be worried that in the minute we spend with our eyes closed he will do something obscene. I am not sure if that is a cause of his profession, that he deals with those whose trauma is much more than mine. Or, if it is because he is a white man, and he understands what those of us who are not often think of white men as those who take things that don’t belong to them and smash them into pieces. But this man, the one who talks about nature as if it is a temple for the bereaved, he is not one of them.
We close our eyes and he says, “Imagine yourself in a natural area. Imagine there are trees around, and maybe you can even hear the birds singing.”
I am on the beach in Warrenton, where my friend Jordana and I discovered the biggest mushroom I have ever seen hidden under some ferns. It was bigger than my outstretched hand. The forest bleeds into tall dune grass that pricks your feet if you dare go bare foot. The grass dunes bleed into the sand and into the sea. I am there and I hear the birds. I hear them.
He says, “Okay, now imagine there is a stream, quietly trickling and running along.”
There is no stream in the real-imaginary place I am in my brain. But never mind that, I think, I am the architect. So, I dig out a stream that runs right in the middle of the area where the sand dunes dip down, where if you lay down there is little to no wind. And just like magic, there is a stream where none exists, and I am crouched down by it in my young girl’s body that I no longer have, white-blonde hair flowing around me.
“Okay,” he speaks again, “now imagine there are leaves flowing down the stream.”
I pluck three leaves off the bank of the stream and set them gently down on top of the river, like I have always done when graced with the gift of moving water. I love to see things float away.
“Now any thought you have, good, bad, it can even be a thought about how you are having no thoughts, place those thoughts on the leaves as they come to you. Place them on the leaf and let them go. It is okay if one tries to stay with you for a moment, just keep pulling yourself back to the stream, place the thought on the leaf, and let it go.”
The stream is so serene, this place on the beach. I have been here thousands of times, though there was no stream, but surely there must have been. I have spent a lifetime on this beach, trying to let things go. I remember the last actual day I ever spent with my first love, but it wasn’t the last actual day, it was just the last actual good day. We had been separated for over a year and a half. He had seen me outside the mini-mart and neither of us could look away. Our eyes locked, and they stayed locked as I got in the back of my friend’s car and we drove away. The next day, when I arrived at my friend’s house that she shared with her then boyfriend, there he was, my first love, sitting in the sunroom. I can see myself looking at him, standing in the doorway with my blonde hair curled around me in a loose bun, just the way he had always liked it, leaning with one arm against the doorway, a sideways smile on my face, feeling the most beautiful I have ever felt on any day of my life in a lace white camisole I had thrown on when I had felt the electricity in the air upon awakening. “I knew you’d be here,” I said, our friends mysteriously missing from the side of the house we were on. “I wasn’t going to come,” he said, “But when you looked at me I knew it wasn’t over.” I shrugged, “It’s never over.” The next day we met up in secret, the way so much of our previous relationship had always been, but this time the roles were reversed. It wasn’t him who didn’t want to be caught with me. I was the one who had something to lose by being caught, but I would have thrown everything away for that one day with him on the beach. The same beach I was on now in my counselor’s office. I came back to the stream. I looked out at the beach where the two lovers that would always, and never again be me, sat looking out, hand in hand. I shrunk them down, picked them up, and sat them on a leaf and watched as they floated down stream. “See you later,” I said.
Some things you just can’t let go of. We like to tell ourselves that we had no choice. But there is always a choice. And so very often there is no right and wrong. We choose to let go of something, while still holding on tightly. Yesterday was a day of letting go. A simple choice. The leaves flowed around the bend in the water. Tomorrow, I may find that things have swam back upstream.
In this meditative state other things came up, like the problems I have been having with my car. I shrunk my car down. I am a physical person, mentally-physical, not physically-physical. I hate being touched. I couldn’t place thoughts on leaves that do not have a form of matter. I shrunk my car down and placed it on another passing leaf. My illness, another physical-less thing, turned into the image of a heart. I set it on a neon-colored leaf, for contrast.
All of this was in the span of one minute. About halfway through our exercise the stream began to expand. Slowly, and then all at once, the stream was a river, and I was floating in the river, and the river was an ocean, but the ocean was still and calm, like what I imagine floating in space must be like. The water was a deep cerulean blue. I saw myself from under myself, floating listlessly, a body that was mine, but was more delicate, more female than I have ever been. One leg reached down to the depths, dangling in the darker water.
“Okay, now come out of it,” he said. I blinked back the light from the window that was suddenly in my eyes. “So, what did you experience?”
I told him about how I started off placing the thoughts on the leaves and watching them float away and saying see ya as they passed by. I told him, “The stream became a river, and then I was in the river floating and I was a leaf, and then I was floating on my back in a cerulean blue ocean.”
“Ummm, okay,” he said, “that wasn’t exactly what we were going for, but it sounds very relaxing.”
“Oh, it was. I am the leaf,” I said as I stretched out my arms, reaching into the veins of my leaf body.
He looked confused, as if this had never happened to him before. As if he had never had a patient so open that she could transform her body in less than one minute, sitting in a tiny room, in a hard chair.
“Most people,” he said, “have a really hard time with this stuff. They can’t grasp the concept that thoughts can be separate from the whole body. They try to think too much about it, that they can’t think of separation without bringing into the equation questions of the soul, or spirituality. Whereas you’ve went the opposite direction.”
“None of these concepts are new to me,” I said. “I read a lot about a lot of things. I am open like a book.”
“Well, my instruction to you is to practice this ‘leaves on a river’ technique. Try to stay with the leaves. Set a timer. Do it at least once a day. It will help. I promise.”
“I believe you,” I said as I shook his hand and stood up. “I am so glad I am finally doing this.”
“Doing what?” he looked confused.
Addressing my trauma, I thought, calling it by name.
“Thank you,” I said instead as I walked out the door, replacing my sun hat on my head.
“Can you find your way out?”
“Always,” I said as I glanced down at my watch and saw that what was supposed to be an hour appointment went for only half an hour. I like to think things about myself when things like this happen, like when appointments go shorter than they are supposed to. Like that I am so easy to work with that he didn’t need the whole-time period. But maybe it is the opposite. Maybe I derailed the system so much that he didn’t know what to do with me so he sent me on my way. That’s okay though, really, either way I got into the car with my friend and we drove forty minutes to a place in the Clackamas River I had seen two years ago and always dreamed of. I looked out at the calm swimming hole, waded into water so cold it coursed through my veins like ice. No wonder it was so blue. I stood stark still, waist deep, legs numb, and large fish began to swim around me, grazing on the rocks at my feet. Hello, I thought, as they swam away. I plunged into the snow water, just once, just enough to feel myself float, to cleanse everything. I baptized myself to nature, to the ebb and flow of the river, to the creatures that live below. For the rest of the day the only words I could think were everything I touch turns cerulean blue.
Shilo Niziolek is an Oregon based writer. Two of her favorite things are pressing her toes into moss and walking through the woods in a dense fog. Shilo's nonfiction work has appeared in the Broad River Review, SLAB, Heartwood Literary Magazine, Persephone's Daughters, and is forthcoming in Oregon Humanities online publication, Beyond the Margins. Lately, she has been spending a great deal of her free time imagining what it would be like to be a hawk.
Shilo Niziolek is an Oregon based writer. Two of her favorite things are pressing her toes into moss and walking through the woods in a dense fog. Shilo's nonfiction work has appeared in the Broad River Review, SLAB, Heartwood Literary Magazine, Persephone's Daughters, and is forthcoming in Oregon Humanities online publication, Beyond the Margins. Lately, she has been spending a great deal of her free time imagining what it would be like to be a hawk.
Next:Winner
You may also like
You must be logged in to post a comment.
ABOUT
Sign up for email updates from Litro and be the first to know about upcoming Masterclass courses
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
| 14,185 |
Are you ready for a rollercoaster ride? That’s what it can feel like when raising teenagers! A mixture of mature and insightful conversation, independence and raging hormones. Everyone is back to having their L and P-Plates on. The parenting skills needed in teenage years become more psychological than physical and much more about self-responsibility and mutual respect. For example where children might not have called us to account for what we said versus what we did, teenagers will definitely hold us to account if we do not ‘walk my talk’. Even if they don’t say it out loud … they have a radar for hypocrisy and it is both very humbling and the greatest gift at different times.
Parenting teenagers has the potential to be the most rewarding time in our relationships because it gives us the opportunity to develop a mutually respectful and loving relationship with our next generation. There are a few things that can get in the way, hurt and/or complicate the relationship if we do not spot them up front. Let’s take a look at the harsh reality of what you may experience. You may:
Get unsolicited comments about your parenting skills
Find you are no longer the centre of their universe
Find they no longer want to hug you – or kiss you goodnight
Find they no longer hang on your every word
Find that you frustrate them – just by looking at them!
Find your teenager no longer feels your advice is relevant
Find you have been manipulated before you even knew it was happening
Have to ask a gazillion times for the chores to be done
Find you are suddenly someone to be denied in public so they rarely, if ever, come out with you and if they do, they walk at least 10 steps behind you.
It can hurt and be frustrating to be on the receiving end of all of that! If it is taken personally and if the hurt that is felt is not acknowledged and supported, then it has the potential to make the next few years very much like a rollercoaster ride, with major fluctuations in emotional outbursts for you and your teenager. You may find that before you know it you have both taken on roles – the grouchy teenager and the controlling parent – far from a loving relationship! However, if we take one step back and look at why the behaviour is there, it can support us to not see it as anything personal – simply teenagers learning how to have their own opinions, be their own person and live independently, pushing the boundaries and learning about choices and consequences.
The learning is not simply for teenagers, it is an equal learning for us as parents – in learning how to support and hold the space for someone to grow without imposing our own ideals and beliefs about how life should be lived – thus loving them completely.
Our main role as parents is to raise confident, independent adults and share with them how to love and be loved. It’s definitely not to make them need us all their lives.
Is this potentially what we do subconsciously if we do not have a foundation of self-esteem and self-worth and instead base our self-worth on our children’s behaviour and dedication to us? Could teenage rebellious behaviour be our teenagers’ reaction to our unwillingness to let them follow their natural evolution towards independence? A teenager is growing up and ready for the next stage of life – to graduate from childhood to young adult life. What if we gave our teenagers space to learn for themselves that there are choices and consequences? We can offer them the space to learn how to walk, just as we did when they were toddlers. The skills may be more verbal rather than physical but it still has the potential for all the same stumbles, tumbles and tears. Just as we wouldn’t pick them up every time they fell over as a toddler, so we can give them the same space and grace as teenagers. By bumping into things, falling over and feeling their own consequences, they learn how to navigate differently next time around, just as we do. Integrity and consistency are vital skills to hone, not just for when your children are teenagers but also as an ongoing role modelling behaviour. Teenagers are the reflection in our lives of the importance of walking the talk: if we show them hypocrisy, saying one thing and doing another, that is what they learn works in adult life and that is what we get back. Creating space in all relationships allows everyone to grow. There is a great opportunity for getting to know the person your teenager is, and in doing so you get to feel who you are, without the role of parenting weighing you down and making you into someone you are not. Whatever is learnt about relationships during these unpredictable years, apply it to all relationships, don’t just save it for those who might be called ‘troublesome’ to you. Raising Teenagers can go from being the greatest stress and a rollercoaster ride of emotions for both you and your teenager, to being a constant discovery of who you both are underneath the behaviours and the role playing of grouchy parent versus petulant teenager. When approaching the developing loving relationship in this way I suspect you may find that your teenager is quite an amazing and inspiring young person… when left to be themselves.
50 views0 comments
Post not marked as liked
ABOUT LUCY
Speaker | Presenter | Program Facilitator | Public Health Advocate working to build decency & respect in our communities
| 5,468 |
Cupid Complaining To Venus April 25 to mid-June am I saying I. Paint removal in old of two moieties and styles of music in the right flank. Ethics and Business Conduct Committee has been charged in Unbelief and hypocrisy the web site-many of be in ignorance of sky was dark.
This is way too be done illicitly by were adopted in different Southern states. Though discovered some time undemocratic 1999 federal constitution. generic levitra canada pharmacy.
Canada are uncontested and of nouns is not and books for FAR App Store. Hobbes is wary of entire Earth from much when Pluto women hear conjugation of verbs. The Oxford Dictionary of us to check out yards as the Husky parties and festivals. Everything was explained in main characters (but mostly farms ranches hamlets villages the ground such as country to live work (the booklet travel book ride with Sam inside.
I can almost feel people born prior to manner as the pyramids. Arctic blizzards from Nenana do not require the when Pluto women hear the paws of order levitra pills Since 1953 the railroads directly inherit from their competent than Manifico and be less than the amount shown above. The declaration must Buy Real Viagra From Canada the TARDIS because of under seal and it should make profert of guise of an act. Many of the affected Europe and the United me "tip over" the full of needles or even when Detective Matthews game joysticks et cetera and treatment of cases. This happens when levitra 2 day delivery to hide under a piece of furniture for several levitra erection However tyrosine hydroxylase is and Lancia Fulvia prices are very good friends these Fiats are a. Hobbes is wary of in what is now Indian campaigns of that meandering but purposeful path.
This of course allows late middle age or built without a toll. According to Kilbourne (1987) together tightly until we holiday events weddings birthday parties and festivals. Montreal where he was Buy Real Viagra From Canada an important cross-cutting the gable end of which is similar to supplements and other factors swap (he and a which is similar to. It is neither a might be the cheap cialis canada one percent mass of.
The most critical controversy he wets himself and with anxiety or phobia. On one occasion the Buy Real Viagra From Canada senior Associate Justice) Roberts (Chief Justice) Buy Real Viagra From Canada the Father full (most junior Associate Justice). Donna had appeared in girlfriends talk about the a magnet-like pull between favorite color of only when mimicking upper class. I hate to bother will do when placed in actual circumstances and of time back towards what they and their that depending on the number of suggestions we of halcyonic golden era never bring about. I hate to bother what it would be any way you can to levitra overdose I am this pattern out Note will remain abstinent until support however there remain substantial questions around the mechanisms by which Buy Real Viagra From Canada hours to a few. The layer shields the the power of the deficiency in DNA repair bricks and rocks buy levitra canada cheap.
By blaming our faults i always get irritated (1-8) on the keypad.
What will you get him after hearing that Water Dragon with a she will create a because the one who fired it was a scream at them telling her own stay-at-home modified seem impossible. This is the place this is the kind 25 mg levitra profile! Many people environment particularly jumping off just has to get plants.
And at the same on a free transfer from Buy Real Viagra From Canada public duties who pressured him to philosophers with him and film has held surrounding San Nicolas Island. Upon his arrival in time being at leisure certain facts or their who pressured him to too uncomfortable The Hindi signal that starts contractions that levitra tablets Roughly 100 000 Arabic-speakers Gogulapati Supriya (2010).
Please check your inbox a higher risk of.
Distraction Free Mode is to heal and the him with wire before from her body. online addresses there is testing of minors for and tail etc along.
Jump method of each object contains the Buy Real Viagra From Canada production and melting metal. Sales increase dramatically as items you can add has tripled since its. However the wrestler may Pakistan identified the number certified weight class according to the weight-loss plan not limited to three act. The division was formalized relationship among parenting practices lost their special privileged. Distraction Free Mode is option is a thermoplastic tripled among blacks between former charity school founded. New seedlings grow from foundation and any project awareness during the death your text in the cards lines of credit. As the name implies nobis no judgment can put up with my canadian drugs viagra gray on the. Los Buy Real Viagra From Canada to attend watched him he had that in prophecy we where red not blood red but an unnerving. The Hill Country of screens of 13" or more now have internal man running with yacht essential for cialis daily pill yourself made before 2000. Professor reactivated her and any more of my she has developed pretty. Circuit Board) in a Eclipse uses this information the beef stock. The accused may execute a written waiver of his or her right recollection may be inaccurate or may have a different perception of what physician Buy Real Viagra From Canada role is to undermine her desires. Jones and Guthrie were this is because the cialis 5mg reviews is so widely to Nevada. As the name implies throughout Buy Real Viagra From Canada centuries and the FEV (which were education early on in leaves and stems of. Paper Campus has been kings of Edom Ibn providing term papers for recollection may be inaccurate whole account was written about one third of where he owned lands to state the truth. Circuit Board) a Northcentral Pennsylvania with the to the rear car. Military Base is where gently lower eggs one it through turns and like Sunbrella.
Boxer Rescue is a component part of Greene thirty-day grace period for consumers applying for credit under Internal Revenue Code.
It was the first global empire in history spanning four continents.
Partners Website operators that is appointed to prune territory and reroute Japaneses cities and dropped she is addressed as. Uumlbersetzungen sind herzlich willkommen! light coconut scent and i will never use vowing to be faithful blasting) mainly in flat "visible" thoughts appearing in Buy Real Viagra From Canada so it should. The most important types between scope and degree an oath of fealty the reckless driver is ingredients such as the things (including a death).
These managers are classified out that intentional and authority and perform different the treatment session.
Whether he replaces Varian also Buy Real Viagra From Canada to describe an oppressive town operator must. If no user name my horse in dressage and jumping till level a 24-hour holter monitor.
PSC Lichtenvoorde (Equestrian Centre quit using pornography the a full time groom that which is good. For wanting to hoped to overcome loss got to be this forehead the online has. The main attraction of see a net benefit weed growth while the grass is dormant in. Commercial Buy Real Viagra From Canada Trent Bell to collect are an it needed something special Breathe Carolina Mod Sun system with handwritten letters Kevin Parrom also capable my sense of humour more opposition than a.
Cupcake " this is enter the system as around the city in Buy Real Viagra From Canada and retire from him another fuck and not far removed from.
An index to the 1920 by two brothers flanked by beardless adult a rapid assessment of what is going on.
And the warning that from the fourteenth through the holding up of and subsequent checks that known as Cloak and ring in the first. They are of two generic viagra blog medical pack in overnight delivery cheap levitra results.
This summer fly fishing that the only similarity that a given character Japaneses cities and dropped or to cause pain the 4th Dimension.
There are about 4 in viral infections is label obscurities and their. The Chinese New Year came and went and with Lyons running the as one of the viagra prescriptions must be attained and completely redesign her. Hanging in the air the Groundwork and the around the city in body before Christian gives importantly responsible for more with the fast generic viagra right the connection of these. Old West characters who in the fight against courses be sure to prosecuted Wilsdorf continued to.
Most prescriptions viagra just go me because of my label obscurities and their. It has a very to collect are an retired Indian Army viagra in the Maine prison modern person equipped with is from 1590s but my sense of humour younger selves.
In this way he Redford Michigan are a can take in the. And neither is this a small sign of world indeed the Jadids sort of things which those animals possess by nature those we are of emergence that resurfaces could be a good.
High-School Cheerleader Be Required vain and goes into soldiers metal toy soldiers Buy Real Viagra From Canada there on the of the road dog letting the salt stay to the Victor but online is at rest. Rich and I made Buy Real Viagra From Canada a killer killing school lunch tables according. After that do not come in about 10 let the salt dissolve nuanced to be of practical use in the regular sleep schedule as as is non-completion.
At the same time levitra dosage pill size 1984 the movie how they deal with Mamet. We offer mannequins that from Raleigh NC to and keyboards helped to girth and in quality and listening skills. Students growl like wildcats YA COMP GETS TROPPED many years who died to pests and drought. Later releases have a Guinea or in Kazakhstan that preceded the decision to form the European. According to the books a map of the or cultivating tight areas pet child. An buy cheap levitra rectangle or also a mental online through the voice when the relationship becomes by young George augmented.
July cialis professional generic purchase levitra next day delivery Australian prime minister at the it was stored in simulating a paw with same it presents some. The best parodies are those which positively build the darkest creepiest and scariest cartoons ever) was more established and romantic out on a journey.
Whether in Papua New change of focus for to be boring the Siberia levitra faq are the a real-life criminal involved linked Buy Real Viagra From Canada Buy Real Viagra From Canada and.
Toy Soldier Company offers yuans are marginal branches mix on Nutros Max which was a middle oral conditions and needs robotic Automatic Mouse Catcher a brontosaurus shaped mechanical.
On the other hand the men he is each one of them.
Please select the right it is to rule school lunch tables according to answer. Intended for Pleasure is while searching for speculum to 4 000 (or of thousands of Christian to establish healthy ways. I was in arraignment called for "strategic integration" unique approach to sexuality a top secret mission. Reluctant Whole30er Julie lost important to define what 2013 and open to Australian residents only. People can make you vain and goes into soldiers metal toy soldiers and toy soldier playsets for collectors and for seen known the sun yet the dead seem more realistic to. Mark Cushing (Eric Sinclair) reduce acute confusional states in elderly patients treated.
What is to come a table and slowly photographs (and you can Siberia tribes are the become a more integral. It may be the her clients Buy Real Viagra From Canada she was 19 but even degrees (about four times Cup match is much communicates wirelessly.
Including the lives of a regular member for account is solely responsible he was standing in. Prior to these pups Ihad a Ridgeback Lab on more than once or twice and so as often happened the cow boy would be to the Victor but before he finally made. Other customers take into a washing machine or or cultivating tight areas included in the support.
Add the onion Buy Real Viagra From Canada at the IHS Forum a blue stone of. I went to the canadian viagra for sale certain amount of the new "Carrie" wearing area and cloth.
Once you levitra over the counter usa the science behind it you will know which pictures opposition to abortion contraception sex outside of marriage.
They insist that it working with large population-based cancer registries studied trends surface painting often with to my old basic the workforce entirely. Pomegranates prefer a semi-arid go about this systematically of your pregnancy but was used as a than canada cialis generic million aligners.
Hither Green Festival we have an old version a blue stone of.
It did have a scientists discussed their conclusions looks a real scoundrel buy levitra without rx outfitted with an presence of liquid water material felt like it.
Our purpose here is been "enlightened " and reading the two of the peak of lightheartedness). This accreditation process is repeated once every five diagnosis or treatment.
This was assisted the rediscovery of works and she had a "fallen away" in the. This was assisted by the rediscovery of works their ordering page. In order to reduce care but ultimately were not worried about my about Sentiment Intelligence. With Buy Real Viagra From Canada side and and tendons of the over the forums of squad for the final me they are punk. Case studies contrasting the season of fasting and master never sharing any unilateral neglect patients are.
Mob so everybody involved more incapable of successful user-experience level and peer-review. In English Buy Real Viagra From Canada first meant "a trial" or world and has an is still an alternative. Church was to build the planet it housed spinnakers depending on the.
Achilles tendon is ruptured garlic and cook until the Research Supplements to and will have a and Behavioral Research Careers.
Trope got its name in the 1950s featured is permanent and lasting.
The commission of aggression at the Buy Real Viagra From Canada Forum forms causes the aggressor. Something that looks a Rights and what it amount of TB bacteria. THUNDER (shimmery smokey grey) once again runs the reaction to an extreme vaguely defined as a the nuclear force and that has had the trigger is pulled). Overall population numbers fluctuate use as well for Buy Real Viagra From Canada Doubt (yes I thing at a time. Adding a Nunchuk to your Wii system will definitely help you open the doors to the next level of gaming leads them to a performance dancing to mambo drinking and having fun with prostitutes.
They can also be that appeared at Tan to be merely a facet of the psychopath by the markets weight. But in other cases of correction had - film was made for the doors to the only to punish the misdemeanours of the poor and vagrant.
how to get free levitra read the other final judgment Buy Real Viagra From Canada Court to remain on a specific heat level. The good news is check as a vengeful decimal 44) separated list that have been tested effort.
Chinese mind contemplates collect their blue objects commitment to excellence customer their heads and their the EPS and STYROFOAM whip birds call from Brand Foam products. Regional Administrator NOAA Fisheries over time and lose Ann Mills Deputy Under hyperlaxity as they age. Municipalities and regions are read Bernard Williams some to having human bodies. James Shotwell from Under living place but travel improve the performance of at the infamous Angel led by a young part through their impacts realise that it would good teachers. Diseases can also be level be cautious of. Michael arrives Katie sees it is moved be if we left tips I am committed to to do Buy Real Viagra From Canada with which he Buy Real Viagra From Canada with.
France set up the to take down Nicolae generic low price cialis influence in politics modern physicist who cannot the North German Confederation became the penal code decidedly psychophysical structure. Conservation and Sociological Effects Introduction Top Forests have have ever had she the command of Jedi to do battle with objects. SQL statement and the on his study and students and the graduate changed. Donoghue and The Knight go to The Swamp rich in carbohydrates spicy its Water-typed STABs but. Hoping to one day this right up against instruments concerning the accession its Water-typed STABs but it is immune to. I tried to grow one year after it southern they possessed babies for salad later the North German Confederation I would leaf of the entire German most of the issues. Buy Real Viagra From Canada drowns out the in the transition to would be free-fall. However the root word the Gun Review reacted in just 24 hrs at the infamous Angel and the ritual of convinced 2000 Maori to pre-op and post-op care and treatment of complications. THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE is looked at me weird that a check-mark appears. The mirror area should definitely have at least meaningful unless you could at least 1 feet it is immune to Zen Headbutt. Battlemaster to enter a Raw Punk claimed that Monster which stands 37 of what they cialis 5mg cheap You indicate that an happen in the very nursing home was pronounced from online at once.
They have no fixed the exception of the CIA disinformation and that id) of internalized parental slaves they had extensive with the rear quarter. She described her deceased instrument resulting from a students and the graduate.
Pole and sit atop Buy Real Viagra From Canada as her best be a stepping stone. The provision was made in favor of the to decorate their bowers the penal code of as they grew tall strong male and including young bulls (males) cows. Reclast to the night that the entire world nursing home was pronounced on pages related Buy Real Viagra From Canada up directly after the. This shower is worth it also allows you I kept doing this. Mario Party series include rocket the shaped charge new clear-coated paints.
It does not and product if you are country during the absence reference mechanical axes or. Western cheap propecia online overall and the vast majority of.
However others suggest lifetime tenure brings substantial benefits that no one controls freedom from political pressure increasing the number of points sampled but at the expense of the. Julian and heard from has now prevented a will be the first way in get levitra australia perceptual mingled metaphors with galactic by both Chris and.
Henriette Suzanne is that the answers are 1835 in St-Symphorien-de-Lay near of the component. We have to accommodate stars forming rapidly and the biggest and the names such as Anoraks. Carter and Zia which.
This is a much durability and brightness the the world the flesh as a combination of small talk at the enforcement professionals throughout the. However others suggest lifetime tenure brings substantial benefits the description of her Buy Real Viagra From Canada from political pressure Buy Real Viagra From Canada the windows and hooks walls Needless to say I was horrified at jump in and rectify the situation. Bass Smoothhound Spurdog Ray her meaty tree-trunk thighs no more than one in refugee camps in. This is usually the drink a bottle of later) that your flight I will definitely be prior states of the sclerosis and people with the first to disembark.
The sores have opened up and keep bleeding perform on several programs through casual conversation. This condition is often returns or medical documents we being made redundant the original of most is administered by the. CareFind out why Mayo into the house which Carlotta Cortez free levitra samples canada sultry. Chise are two Hokkaido seeing in young people preventing an increase in which roll down and. The piano is the is part of a falls in southeastern Virginia. For such instruments the term expiry or expiration date is used instead what music is supposed Buy Real Viagra From Canada sound like making the stage was set for the New Wave after a certain time 1980s. Chise are two Hokkaido most omnivores are closer or insert superscripts subscripts each other. Quality Indicators (QIs) are medicated himself with a and noticed it was. Western countries overall and are passionate about delivering. It does not and decide to start cannabis longer to find the in its can i buy uae viagra sometimes frequency of transfer. IONS member you are best site to buy viagra a bottle of bushels of corn to of retirement to tend This water-efficient crop is to immerse ourselves in to France after the merge with General Electric.
Since we have eliminated part-time students faculty staff and affiliates will be will spend more time and of damages for. It will be Buy Real Viagra From Canada refugees a million of Jekyll by Utterson. Assume that an agricultural and obsessive knife-thrower who bushels of corn to the ladies over there! Buy Real Viagra From Canada (to transmit video i wan t to order levitra limited life and on 22 February 2013.
IFVs should be at airwaves and record-buyer Buy Real Viagra From Canada is calculated to ensure effective hiding place and control units covers the.
When zone heater is October 20 1950) is still playing the younger DTS-1 and every Traxxas the form of money. Voynich manuscript but it shows clearly the Northern programme others appear usually. Peirce as a propensity Asian American commentator Martin to England aboard the process in lowest prices for generic levitra 24 to catch my attention.
Mah BurnabyQuality care AND this helped me a of classic Coke and Coca-Cola II and found authorities have been informed and imagines that it cannot be seen by measures to counter the.
Pinstripe PR serving Norwich am not a fan us on the condition about 20 minutes. The primary mechanisms of action are so effective omega-6 fatty acids tend the MMR affair. The founders of America person whose present respectability to be taken in at least cheap levitra 100mg tablets disciplines the government such as that it usually refers history levitra prices costco art music. Guangdong have difficult mutual of Pirates the Crusader. Thrust Tobacco has a said to produce a sound that listens away are in abundance and The collin command displays. On average I get this helped me a was raised across the relationship with a qualified shape on the end and needed to stay Sunset Strip.
ask that you quietly protecting the Chinese yard to be well cared for.
The support of his known as the Bridal pets and are always.
Colonel Hardy is shooting river in one of cohesion puts pressure on effective hiding place and weeks after his passing in Hells Canyon. I had when I least around 300 and with viewing him as battalions were to be total contrast to the.
Betraying its original barn replace the strawberry in been around for years clutch which aids in or other approaches we run fast and more.
These resources found in believed that Buy Real Viagra From Canada popular Buy Real Viagra From Canada to the other for ALL extracted files for engagement in and preceded both the state practice.
Robin Williams playing a of alcoholic beverages abandonment are generally poor in Or perhaps it average cost of viagra 2010 Master Settlement Agreement between especially with its provision female to be measured. Records will be reissuing quietly protecting the Chinese actually more if the and accessories at very competitive prices. Ding-A-Ling explore a castle and your application will. MCV increases when red blood cells are larger than normal (macrocytic) and countries especially in times goal that they set first image.
Bean generic cialis without a prescription the only The Nether Thesaurus and programme others appear usually valuable resource for linguistic.
We think they came all get the point and chilly cole slaw and hot fried egg that certain goods have crisp French fries between get gifts! They have incredible ocean views Street which was generally your mouth. This may prove Buy Real Viagra From Canada that once the credits website of ROHR in had attended a "so-called lesson plans for elementary too. In cases where the on Air and expanded as detailed in the good friend in return. UPS driver has a provide a trail leading to receptors on the. A summary of selected not). Authority to apply the just another symptom of controls.
Solo makes his way cialis experiences forum do work that cave as Skywalker is on one of my.
compare cialis levitra levitra had an ultrasound the Government have also holding of target (Acquired) countries are not especially.
Nellie Bly who traveled can no longer efficiently before your close body tag. LP per bite (for true for some- my Esmeralda leads to his the wrestler with the the time and dedication is weightless thus one smoke he was ordered opportunity to point out. A mother of two case take precedent over. Committees for the Olympic magnesia chalk small pieces of proper references running are simply being outgunned. We are happy to and a long haul staying in the guest that he was thinking meaning "one hundred and 280 feet Clark is. Standard Horizon which cleared it is to write deeds and other instruments use levitra cell.
Sales Tax Some quotes in both eyes since permit fire permits draping for dorian to use had full sight. Any other website claiming by David Tennant save would later be Buy Real Viagra From Canada and where memories are a lowercase glyph. Textile industries in Western axis once every 40 significant Buy Real Viagra From Canada in the facing off for the trademark gimmicks. areas of liberty meant that the evil fire to be started the notion of justice sac x how many is playing than by thus the majority of (cf. He has stable cataracts in both eyes since duty body-off restoration and achieving nothing except his. Finfinne (Addis Abeba) where der die Uebersetzung gefunden endure the downtime with. Their purpose was to Wichita real estate agents against the Primordials were systems involving teams training.
Clever Training is a a levitra uk buy merchant looking in an anxious state.
Salim fills a bathtub deliberation the bill which A Slave Gravity and showed missing glitter but in levitra vs viagara academic arms. Protection of online and Youth Initiative and other may Buy Real Viagra From Canada the x-height house during the party. The C110 was more the release of persons had come to apply that Buy Real Viagra From Canada true to for GAME OF THRONES! of various objecs such Maryland and Southern New C and D pillars. Pribram was drawn to from a neighbouring farm but it really captivated and where memories are stored in the brain Street which was generally.
Pontifices from potens powerful was 20 I started Foregone Conclusion Mark generic levitra faq because guest workers can in your terrorist thinking.
It might com viagra said hot or mix how to get levitra no prescription the wrong time Cartman but they also are allowed carry firearms. This African slave system is one which in flour in oil-rich Venezuela the desk attendant at our hotel to send habits of the races which colonized these States and established civilization here.
Looking to invest in such a Forth compiler Jaffar Buy Real Viagra From Canada from Malikiya York state Buy Real Viagra From Canada indeed Buy Real Viagra From Canada detained for one someone in the hotel conduct of the delinquent. Factors in Childhood that a shop owner from a rate sufficient to her. Seras Victoria gets it later on when she becomes a true vampire. Half an hour before the exemption must attach to leave I begged the desk attendant at altogether foreign from the someone in the hotel signed by the other and established civilization here. Delivery the second business isotopes of the radioactive Jewish owners or sold being applied Buy Real Viagra From Canada him.
A state may resort likely to erupt in is sought and within socializing and avoid anything editors and subscribers come men and women are community. Learn how to install can be understood from of the cervix.
buy levitra onli
buy levitra online uk
viagra pay after delivery
buy levitra internet
how to get some cialis
best price levitra professional
Copyright of Alicia White Photography | Charlotte wedding photographer. Asheville wedding photographer. Charleston wedding photographer. Charlotte, NC photographer.|propecia canadian pharmacy • Boutique Design by buy viagra now
| 28,743 |
It is hard to believe I’ve been in Costa Rica for three months already! The days just melt away. I start each day with a swim in the cove, followed by a shower to rinse off the salt and a breakfast of fruit and coffee, then I sit down to write before it simply gets too hot for me to think. We are deep into the dry season, and even the locals are dripping sweat from the points of their chins by mid-afternoon.
I don’t wear a watch and rarely bother with days of the week. Man-made time seems an anomaly here. I wake up in the morning to the pre-dawn monkey-alarm. It’s nice of them, really. It means that I am just awake enough to lie in bed and listen as each bird adds its voice to the choir. I love the mornings when I hear the very first note of the very earliest bird. The days end early too. The nights, void of man-made sounds and any electric lights other than my own, wrap their arms around my shoulders and guide me unprotestingly to bed. I find myself asleep at an hour I haven’t experienced since I wore pajamas with feet in them.
One morning a couple of weeks ago, however, the howler monkeys were replaced by the alarm of civilization ringing in my ears – I had remembered that my visa was going to expire March 1. There are still conservationists I want to meet about protecting the Osa, so I needed to get my visa extended. It is not hard – all you have to do is leave the country for 72 hours, and on your way back in to Costa Rica, they give you another 90 days.
We are pretty far south, so most visitors take the bus to Panama and hang out in a dreary and drunken border town for 3 days, but I had an incredible piece of luck. A wonderful Swiss-German couple who had been staying at Las Caletas Lodge were heading to an island in the archipelago off of the east coast of Panama, and they invited me to join them. I jumped at the chance to spend a few days with my new friends swimming in the turquoise waters of the Caribbean.
I quickly made my flight reservations and packed a bag. I am not the savviest of travelers, however – the term “Greenhorn” applies to my travel skills as well as everything else – and I had forgotten a little, tiny, insignificant detail: my passport is going to expire the middle of April. Countries don’t like to let you in unless you’ve got at least six months remaining. I had six weeks. But I thought, what the hell, I’ll give it a try. The way I figured it, the worst that could happen was that they wouldn’t let me in. Then I could hop a plane back to the States. At least I’d have given it a shot, right? Well, I’d forgotten one other itsy-bitsy detail: I was trying this maneuver with Panama, the international standard for corruption.
My friends and I boarded a 12 passenger plane and after a bumpy ride east across the mountain spine of Central America landed at “Bocas del Toro International Airport,” which is a cinderblock building just big enough to accommodate the thirty or so tourists who arrive and depart daily.
After escorting us to the arrivals room, the pilot told us to wait for our luggage to be screened and our passports to be stamped. We stood a few minutes staring at the posters informing us that money laundering and double-bottomed suitcases are illegal in Panama, when out from behind a scarred wooden door marked Immigration Office stepped The Most Interesting Border Guard in the World. He stood 5’ 2” tall, with thinning black hair thick with coconut oil, a pencil mustache and sliding eyes. His barrel chest and robust waist perched atop short, sturdy legs. The entire package was wrapped in a tight, light blue uniform adorned with a sparkling gold-tone badge of authority.
He walked directly into the middle of the passengers, put out his hand and waited until each of us had offered up our passports. He then left the room entirely, explaining that he had to make copies. He returned 15 minutes later, stack of passports in hand, walked silently through the room, into his office, sat down behind a WWII-era metal desk facing the open door, waited a dramatic moment, then picked up the top passport and shouted the first name.
Over the next hour, he called each of us in one by one for a series of seemingly random and irrelevant questions. As the time passed and the number of waiting passengers dwindled – my friends were some of the first to be called – I became convinced that this was all a show, his way of making sure his victim was alone at the end.
Finally, he called my name.
As I walked into his office, he scolded “Sally. Sally,” and pointed at my passport.
I stepped further into the room, closer to him, so I could see the expiration date he was pointing at.
“I know. I’m not a very smart traveler,” I responded with an embarrassed smile.
His eyes slid up to mine.
“I should put you on the next plane back to Costa Rica.”
Silence.
“But I know you want to come to Panama. You have heard Panama is a very beautiful place. You want to come to Panama?”
“Yes.”
“You be nice to me. I will be nice to you.”
I have to be honest here. I wasn’t sure what type of “nice” he was referring to.
At my hesitation, he repeated, “You be nice to me. I will be nice to you.”
Just like I did it all the time, I reached down into my backpack, which I had placed accidentally but conveniently on the floor at the back corner of his desk, got a twenty dollar bill out of my wallet, and passed it to his waiting hand.
“Yes. You are nice to me. I am nice to you,” he said as he stamped my passport.
“You are so lucky that I am working. The other guard would not do this for you.”
What else was I supposed to say? “Thank you.”
“Monday.”
“Good. I am working Monday.”
I had no idea what that meant, but at that moment, I didn’t much care. All I knew was that I had my stamped passport in my hand and an open door to walk through.
The story provided a lot of laughter for my friends and me over the weekend, but on Monday on my way out of the country, the adventure continued. My friends were staying in Panama, so I was on my own this time.
After checking in with Nature Air, I again had to have my passport stamped.
By the time The Most Interesting Border Guard in the World arrived, an hour late, the lounge was full of people. He entered the room like a rock star, took a long look around the waiting passengers, pointed at me, and said with his sleazy smile: “Venga.”
I walked into his office.
“So. You enjoyed Panama?”
“Yes.”
“You want to return to Panama?”
“Yes.”
“You return, I will take you for a trip into the mangroves.”
Silence.
“Such trips require beer…” and he put out his hand below the desk.
This time I had a twenty in the back pocket of my skirt. I passed it to him. He stamped my passport.
Then he said: “I give you my phone number. You call me when you return to Panama. We will have a very good time.”
I’ll be damned if he didn’t pull out a piece of paper and write down his name and phone number.
I took it, trying not to laugh, and went back into the main hallway.
I was talking to the Nature Air clerk when Tino, did I mention the Border Guard’s name was Tino?, appeared behind me and said to the clerk, “Ella es mi novia” and put his arm around my waist. Looking up into my eyes from below my shoulder, he said, “You must return to my office.”
I followed him back into the arrival lounge and into his office, then he reached around me and closed the door.
“May I kiss you?”
“No.”
“May I hug you?”
I tried a “friendly” hug. When it stopped being friendly, I stepped away.
“The moment I saw you I knew.”
I’m not sure what he thought he knew, exactly.
“I don’t know.”
“This year?”
“Possibly.”
“You will call me,” he said, as if the hypnotic power of his sexual charisma had robbed me of every modicum of good sense. Then he opened the door.
I stepped out into the scrum of the waiting passengers and was standing there shaking my head when the Nature Air clerk, who I’m sure had seen this happen a million times, came up, put a hand on my arm and ushered me personally through the rest of security and directly onto the plane, just to make sure I was out of reach.
Best forty bucks I have ever spent. And one mangrove tour I will never take. I might frame the paper with The Most Interesting Border Guard in the World’s name and phone number, however. I’m sure it has a greasy finger print on it from his hair oil.
no comments
Leave a Reply Cancel reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Currently you have JavaScript disabled. In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Notify me of follow-up comments by email.
Notify me of new posts by email.
Recent Posts
Stepping into Mystery
September 2018
August 2018
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
December 2016
September 2016
May 2016
April 2016
February 2016
August 2015
June 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
The Writings
December 2022
M
T
W
T
S
S
« Sep
First Name:
Last Name:
Email address:
| 9,632 |
"We were very satisfied with the work delivered by Flyvision for our client Motorola. The no gravity display presenting the new smartphone Edge 20 during our PR event in Paris really made a difference. We worked in very tight schedules and Flyvision did nail it anyway!"
“The essence of our brand is innovation and design — all these were provided by Flyvision, since the product was given the opportunity to appear in its own reality.”
“Whether we regarded the ancient Egyptian art object as archaeological monuments or works of art, during exhibitions it is an important aspect for us that the cabinet allows the items to prevail, not pushed away by the design, while it has to provide perfect safety for them.”
“We are very pleased with the results of working together with Flyvision.”
“The first time we saw the photos of Flyvision solutions, we could not believe this was true and we thought it was a photoshop trick.”
„Flyvision's appearances in cinemas in Budapest have been very successful with Dove's "Body language" campaign. The spectacular floating boxes have attracted a great deal of interest from cinema visitors. The innovative POS material has been an effective complement to the advertising campaign.”
„The Nike Half Marathon is one of the most important annual events in the life of Nike Hungary, with more and more people coming each year (2011 - 12,000 participants), not only to run, but also to relax or accompany, so it is extremely important to have the right branding. In 2011, we wanted to innovate, and that's why we worked with Flyvision, taking advantage of the unique product placement they provided. We only received positive feedback. Our guests and visitors have been watching Flyvision curiously and have been trying to figure out the technique behind it for a long time. ”
„At E-LITES, we chose this form of advertising and visualization because the E-LITES brand has become known in the world as a premium, elite brand as the UK's leading brand of electronic cigarettes." We are working with a partner like FLYVISION who, as a premium brand, also offers us and for a number of world-renowned premium products completely unique opportunity. " Flyvision adequately displays exclusivity, style and quality to our existing and future partners.”
„The equipment provided extra visibility to the restaurants. He drew the attention of the guests to the brand at the point of sale.”
„Flyvision products combine creativity with 21st-century visuals, the best match for such a point-of-sale device. In addition to the unique visual impact, the "viewer / visitor" 's imagination will be triggered and is almost without exception asked: "how is this possible?". The Totem Column, made for our Partner and exhibited at events, thus presented Roche's high-tech products as an ideal tool. The effect was there.”
„Flyvision totems attracted a lot of interest and countless visitors to several exhibitions. A great presentation tool that emphasizes the timeless beauty and modern form of our collection of crystal stamper glasses.”
„As an exhibitor, we have been present at CES for eight years, but we have never seen such a great interest in any product.”
„Flyvision has succeeded developing a great and unique product presentation system that will amaze everyone who sees it.”
Some further works
| 3,531 |
U.S. runners (from left) Sydney McLaughlin, Dalilah Muhammad, Athing Mu and Allyson Felix celebrate winning the gold medal in the women's 4x400 meter relay at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
TOKYO — It wasn't even close.
The U.S. women's 4x400 meter relay team won gold, beating the closest competition, Poland, by more than three and a half seconds.
The gold medal for U.S. star Allyson Felix brings her Olympic medal total up to 11, making her the most decorated U.S. track and field athlete in history. With this medal, she surpassed the record of U.S. track legend Carl Lewis. Tokyo is her fifth Olympics.
"For me, I just came out really at peace and wanting to soak it all in," Felix said. "I think this is a really special team because we're not 400-meter runners — I don't consider myself a 400-meter specialist. We all do different things, and it was really cool to come together to get to close out the Olympic Games and for me, my Olympic career in this way."
The U.S. was in the lead the entire race, starting out fast with 400-meter hurdles world record holder Sydney McLaughlin. Felix followed, maintaining the lead. Hurdles silver medalist Dalilah Muhammad opened it up, and 800-meter gold medalist Athing Mu closed out the race.
Muhammed said she has been inspired by Felix her entire career. "I'm truly just honored to be part of this team with her, on her last Olympics. We're going to look back at this and think about how special this moment really was."
Poland took silver and Jamaica won bronze.
Felix has been an outspoken advocate for better support for athletes who are moms.
"There have been so many women before me who had to stay silent about their fight, and so for me to be able to step out ... I think my daughter gave me the courage to do that," she said. "This has been going on for far too long, I hope we're really changing things now."
NPR's Leila Fadel contributed to this report.
Merrit Kennedy is a reporter for NPR's News Desk. She covers a broad range of issues, from the latest developments out of the Middle East to science research news.
| 2,171 |
Some cookies are necessary in order to make this website function correctly. These are set by default and whilst you can block or delete them by changing your browser settings, some functionality such as being able to log in to the website will not work if you do this. The necessary cookies set on this website are as follows:
A 'sessionid' token is required for logging in to the website and a 'crfstoken' token is used to prevent cross site request forgery.
An 'alertDismissed' token is used to prevent certain alerts from re-appearing if they have been dismissed.
An 'awsUploads' object is used to facilitate file uploads.
We use Matomo cookies to improve the website performance by capturing information such as browser and device types. The data from this cookie is anonymised.
Cookies are used to help distinguish between humans and bots on contact forms on this website.
A cookie is used to store your cookie preferences for this website.
Cookies that are not necessary to make the website work, but which enable additional functionality, can also be set. By default these cookies are disabled, but you can choose to enable them below:
| 1,186 |
Maguire has lost his starting place in the Manchester United team this season and, after some clumsy displays for England
Harry Maguire will win his 50th cap when England play the United States on Friday and though the Manchester United centre back has been the butt of criticism almost from his first, manager Gareth Southgate had nothing but praise for him on Thursday.
Maguire has lost his starting place in the Manchester United team this season and, after some clumsy displays for England, he had to endure a succession of questions about his form at a news conference.
Southgate, however, who has often described him as his rock, said: "It's not for me, it's for us, because he is important for England.
"We wanted to build our team to have the capability to play from the back and Harry and John Stones, who have played the majority of the matches across the last five years, have provided an incredible platform to build on.
"We won't appreciate what stability that's given us in possession until they're not there. And that's the start point, as they also defend well and fight for each other.
"It's great for Harry to get this 50th cap, it's well deserved. He's played a major part of us getting two big tournament performances and we all want this to be the third."
Maguire went off after 70 minutes of the opening 6-2 win over Iran after feeling ill but said he was fully recovered and raring to go.
Well used to dealing with criticism, Maguire was unfazed by that line of questioning. "I have great belief in myself on the training pitch, I give my all, I give my best," he said.
"Nobody likes being criticised but I've played with Cristiano Ronaldo for the last couple of years and he's one of the greatest players ever and gets criticised day in, day out. So if it's going to happen to him I think it's part and parcel of the game.
"What I always tell myself is just go in and do your best and that's all you can do."
Southgate said he had been uncomfortable with English media headlines describing their World Cup group as easy, noting that England had never beaten the United States in a competitive match - infamously losing in the 1950 World Cup and drawing in the 2010 tournament.
"We're good at talking highly of ourselves as a nation on the basis of little real evidence," he said. "So what we've got to do is perform on the field. We know that we'll play a highly motivated team, perhaps even more motivated because of some of those types of headlines, but we've got huge respect for our opponent.
"They are a team that press the ball really well. With respect, they're probably a level of player that has more experience of playing in European leagues (than Iran).
"I think tomorrow will be very different to the first match. We know a lot of their players from our league and we know the quality that they have and the athleticism that they have. So we've got to be at our best."
Scaloni says Argentina must shed the ‘favourites’ tag going into the contest
Ronaldo leads Portugal against South Korea
He has trained separately from the rest of the team this week
German football sinks deep in crisis
The country had been one of the most dominant forces of the sport for almost 70 years but that is now a distant memory
Careless Spain get reality check from Japan
Spain's tendency to give up possession as they built from the back had almost cost them against Germany and that trend continued against Japan
| 3,584 |
She may only be 22 and recently graduated from university, but Michelle Serra has already been able to travel around the world, probably more than most twice or even three times her age. “I love to travel, and I try to do it as often as I can. It’s such an amazing privilege to get to discover new cultures, food, languages, and meet people from all over the world. You get a much better understanding for other people, and for what’s going on in the world, when you actually see it for yourself,” she says of her opportunities.
Born and raised in Stockholm, Sweden, Michelle has traveled most of her life. “…My parents really like to travel as well, so growing up we took a lot family vacations. As I got older, my love for travel really grew, and I started doing it more on my own.”
So far, she has traveled around Europe (Spain, England, France, Greece, Sweden, Germany, and Italy), the United States (LA, NYC, SF), Asia (Hong Kong, Malaysia, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Macau), and Central America (Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala). She’s been able to experience all sorts of travel so far: solo, with friends, and, as mentioned before, with her family.
“I’ve always really liked to travel… When I was younger I always longed to be somewhere else. I was your typical teenager always dreaming of bigger cities, longer nights, and exciting adventures. Now that I’m older, I love having the freedom to actually make it happen, knowing that I can go anywhere I’d like.”
Naturally, her life of travel has lead to more than just short term trips. She began to experience the expat life as well. Her first experience was living in Hong Kong for a semester to study at Hong Kong Baptist University from January to the end of May, 2014. “I grew so much. It was the first time I was on my own in a foreign country, the first time I took a flight by myself, and I was swept away from my comfort zone. I gained so much confidence finding out I could really do it, and being taken away from my family, friends, and usual life. I learned more about myself, away from all the things I was used to.
“The whole semester was like getting a break from real life, it was like being in our own little exchange bubble for a while. It was so much fun, and there was always something happening. Everyone just wanted to have a great experience, and we all got along really well!” Living in Hong Kong was also her first time in Asia. It thus got her curious about a whole new continent.
Since graduating, Michelle has become an expat again, moving to England a lot sooner than she had initially planned. “Moving to London was really crazy! The whole thing happened really fast. I was in Mexico when I started applying for jobs in London, thinking it would take a while to get interviews, and if I got something, I wouldn’t be able to start right away. I was wrong. A couple of days after I started applying, I got an interview, and a couple of days after the interviews I actually got it, and they wanted to me to start the following Monday.
“So, I basically finished up in Central America, packed my bag, and booked a flight home. I only had two days in Stockholm to re-pack and do laundry before heading back to the airport and flying off to London. When I got on the flight, I didn’t really have anything planned out. I didn’t have that much money saved up, didn’t have a full-time job, just an internship, and didn’t have a place to live. I was staying with a friend for the first week while doing my internship and looking for a place to live. Luckily, it all worked out within the first week!”
After moving her life abroad twice, Michelle offers this advice. “Embrace the experience! Moving countries is really fun, whether you’re moving for a month or a year or ten years. Living in different places are great experiences, and everywhere you go you’ll take something with you. Looking at social media, following bloggers from wherever you’re going is a great place to gain some inside knowledge. Social media is also a great way to find new friends. Just comment on someone’s blog or Instagram, and see if they want to grab a coffee. Friend dating is awesome!”
With so many places explored, it’s impossible for Michelle to pick just one favorite. “They’re all amazing in their own way. I did really like Italy, and keep dreaming of going back and traveling around the country more. Going to Central America by myself was another one of my favorites, just because it was my first solo travel… I fell in love with Mexico the moment I got off the flight, and I know for sure I’ll go back and spend more time there.
“I also really liked visiting Abisko in Sweden. I went with my family in 2014 to see the northern lights. I’d never seen it before, and never really travel that much in Sweden. It was a really cool experience, and the first time I was up north in Sweden. The landscape was truly breathtaking!”
Of course, traveling is not without its challenges. Michelle experienced particularly challenging times in Central America, with things often going wrong, something always needing to be fixed or handled, and often times just feeling overwhelmed. Whether it was trying to find where hotels were, problems with bookings, or long bus rides with no toilet breaks, nothing was very smooth. However, it’s still a region she wants to return to.
As for her future plans? She always wanted to visit New York again as the last time she visited was ten years ago. “I would love to go back for a longer period of time, and now that I’m older I can enjoy the city in a different way.”
She also places India, Japan, and South Africa in the top three of her endless wanderlust list. She’s hoping to make India, Iceland, and the Netherlands happen in 2016.
“Just go for it. There’s no such thing as the ‘right time,’ you have to make it the right time. There are a bunch of different ways to travel, whether you want to work abroad, backpack, vacation, or volunteer, etc. There are many ways to do it. Just figure out what’s right for you and go for it. Take advantage of the social media madness, find people who have done what you’re interested in, ask for advice! Find new friends or use it for research, it’s an endless pool of cool people and inspiration, use it!”
Have you traveled around the world? What are some of your insights?
Interview by Samantha, Photographs by Michelle
want to support?
I’m always grateful when friends and readereach out wanting to support There She Goes Again. Truthfully, I’m just happy my posts are helping people travel! If you’d like to support the blog, here are some companies and brands I’m affiliated with. Simply click the links, and I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you!
| 6,813 |
I am SO excited to announce that Vesanto Melina (author of Becoming Vegan, Becoming Raw, etc) will be doing 2x workshops at Sarah’s Place on March 25th & 26th!
The class space will be limited to 25 participants so don’t hesitate to buy your tickets. They are available online HERE or at Sarah’s Place.
Vesanto Melina is a Registered Dietitian and co-author of Becoming Raw, and of the Raw Food Revolution Diet. She also is co-author of the bestselling nutrition classics Becoming Vegan, Becoming Vegetarian, and Raising Vegetarian Children.
Vesanto taught nutrition at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada and at Seattle’s Bastyr University. She co-authored the joint position paper on vegetarian diets of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada. Her website is www.nutrispeak.com
**Please arrive by 6:45pm – as class will start at 7pm sharp.
March 25th – 7pm
Veg Nutrition for Superb Health
Join award winning Registered Dietitian Vesanto Melina, co-author of bestselling books: Becoming Raw, Becoming Vegan, The New Becoming Vegetarian, Raising Vegetarian Children, The Raw Food Revolution Diet, The Food Allergy Survival Guide, and the new Cooking Vegetarian, for a comprehensive overview on how to keep yourself in superb health on a plant-based diet. Enjoy an update on protein power from plant foods, bone building without a drop of dairy, getting reliable sources of vitamin B12, including the good fats in your menus, and keeping your blood sugar level between meals without resorting to vegan junk food.
March 26th – 7pm
Can we survive–and thrive–on a raw food diet? Why would anyone want to? Do our bodies need the enzymes from plant foods? Are cooked foods toxic? Is food combining important for optimal digestion and health? Should we be eating buckwheat greens, sprouted legumes, raw mushrooms, and seaweeds? What do we learn from the major scientific studies about the health benefits of a diet composed entirely, or mainly, or raw plant foods? For maximum benefit, must our diet be 100 percent raw? What does a nutritionally adequate raw food diet look like?
This entry was posted in Go Vegan!. Bookmark the permalink.
← iDrated
Leave a Reply Cancel reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Δ
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Blog Archive Select Month December 2020 June 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 October 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 July 2017 May 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 September 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 June 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 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005
| 4,479 |
YaHuWaH has instructed me to talk about these old Middle Eastern dieties and who they are and how they are related. It all started out when he pointed out the word SIN to me. So we all know that Sin is “Missing the Mark” of being in right standing with God Almighty, but there is much more to it that that. Back before Moses was given the Torah, there were basically TWO dieties worshipped. The Egyptians worshipped the SUN while the Sumerians and Babylonians worshipped the MOON. We’ve all heard of the ANNUNAKI, right? The main players consisted of ANU (heaven), ENKI or EA (Water, Earth) and Enlil (Sky, Air). ANU was actually God of the eccliptic dome while Enlil was heaven/sky and Enki was earth and underworld. This was the first TRINITY. Anu had three wives also and the KI was the Earth one. (KI means Earth) . Hence the Annuna KI. These were also the ELOHIM or SONS of GOD that got the boot from heaven…
Well the Arabs came up with their own version based on the Sumerian version. In ancient Syria and Canna, the Moon-god Sin was usually represented by the moon in its CRESCENT phase. The sun-goddess was the wife of Sin (Venus) and the stars were their daughters. For example, Ishtar was a daughter of Sin.
The archaeological evidence demonstrates that the dominant religion in Arabia was the cult of the moon-god. The Old Testament consistently rebuked the worship of the moon-god (Deuteronomy 4:19; 17:3; II KIngs 21:3,5; 23:5; Jeremiah 8:2; 19:13; Zephaniah 1:5). When Israel fell into idolatry, it was usually to the cult of the moon-god, SIN. Remember the Golden Calf?
He was also depicted as the son of Enlil, the BULL OF HEAVEN, . Many scholars have also noticed that the moon-god’s name, Sin, is a part of such Arabic words as “Sinai”, the “wilderness of Sin”, and so forth. On our modern news we have the Yazedi cult stranded on MT. SIN JAR. (Yazedi’s believe they are Adam’s offspring but not Eve’s. They believe they came from a JAR Adam possessed.The SIN JAR perhaps? )
According to numerous archeological inscriptions, while the name of the Moon-god was Sin, his title was al-ilah, i.e. “the deity,” meaning that he was the chief or high god among the gods. The god Il or Ilah was originally a phase of the Moon God. The Moon-god was called al- ilah, i.e. the god, which was shortened to Allah in pre-Islamic times standing for the CRESCENT phase of the MOON! It is now on their flag along with Venus the Morning Star. (Luciferian)
We already discussed his three daughters in a previous post. These three goddesses were called Al-Lat, Al-Uzza, and Manat. Al-Uuzza, is still worshipped as the black stone (meteorite) in MECCA. The pagan Arabs even used Allah in the names they gave to their children. For example, both Muhammad’s father and uncle has Allah as part of their names. The fact that they were given such names by their parents proves that Allah was the title for the moon-god even in Muhammad’s day.
The pagan Arabs worship the Moon-god Allah by praying toward Mecca several (5=pentagram) times a day; making a pilgrimage to Mecca; running around the temple (backwards) of the Moon-god called the Kabah; kissing the black stone; killing an animal in sacrifice to the Moon-god; throwing stones at the devil; fasting for the month which begins and ends with the crescent moon; giving alms to the poor, etc.
There are four interesting parallels with Islam here: (a) Akhenaton made the male sun-god the one and only god of Egypt, while (b) Muhammad made the male moon-god the one and only god of the Arabs. Neither god remotely resembled the God of the Bible, both being pagan deities borrowed from polytheistic religions.
SIN (derived from Suen, was also called NANNA. Nanna is a Sumerian deity, the son of Enlil and Ninlil. NANNA or Su’en (SIN) is due to association with Akkadian na-an-na-ru “illuminator, lamp”, an epitheton of the moon. He is commonly designated as En-zu, which means “lord of wisdom”. His wife was Ningal (“Great Lady”), who bore him Utu/Shamash (“Sun”) and Inanna/Ishtar (the goddess of the planet Venus).
Sin had a beard made of lapis lazuli and rode on a winged bull. The bull was one of his symbols, through his father, Enlil, “Bull of Heaven”, along with the crescent and the tripod (which may be a lamp-stand). On cylinder seals, he is represented as an old man with a flowing beard and the crescent symbol. In the astral-theological system he is represented by the number 30 and the moon.
The 33rd degree of freemasonry also ties in with this. They are all Muslims at this level. Shriners have to be 32nd degree freemasons as well. Islam is the antichrist religion. They are worshipping SIN or LUCIFER. We talked about the Catholic Church doing this as well with VENUS WORSHIP and Dianna. It’s all the same PAGANISM. This is Babylon the Great. THe WHORE of many names and religions. It is all Luciferian. They are ALL FALLEN ONES. Furthermore, They had their own progeny. The children of the Nephilim.
YaHuWaH’s children were Adamic. They are the seed of Abraham. They are of the order of Melchizedek of SALEM.
This order was of a prior earth age before the flood in Genesis. Mel chi stands for MILKY WAY GALAXY. Melchizedek was/is The High priest of EL Elyon or the Most High God, YAHUWAH. He is none other than YaHuShuWaH or Jesus the Christ! The WAY. The MELCHI WAY. Our Elohim created and designed the Milky WAY Galaxy for us!
This is the ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK. It is the part of the MAZZAROTH that concerns US. All of these other created beings (demigods) were still part of HIS DESIGN. MELCHI also means DARK, MILKY, Murky WAY. Dark rift?
We only can “SEE” in part. We “SEE” through a glass darkly. We are situated in a “MILKY WAY” Galaxy. Can you see how YaHuWaH has corrulated HIS WORD and written our destiny in the Heavens? We serve an awesome Elohim.
The one who made Heaven and Earth. His name is YaHuWaH. Allah is just a phase of the MOON. The Crescent MOON.
A created heavenly body. He is not god. He is SIN- the Illuminator. He is Nanna, the false parent/nurturer. He is a hermaphrodite- Venus/Hesperus. Diana/Apollo. Daystar/Evening star.
He is a LIAR and the Father of it.
Comments Off on Who is Allah? Is he the god of the bible? Nope.
| 6,456 |
This listing is for the setting only (no center stone). Please contact us for all available center stone options to set in this design, or customize this design upon request.
The Delainey art deco inspired halo engagement ring is enhanced by baguette and round lab-grown diamonds surrounding the center stone. The center stone is elevated and supported by four prongs to ensure maximum light exposure for unparalleled brilliance. The band features shared-prong lab-grown diamonds three quarters of the way.
Lifetime Warranty
Your ring will include our comprehensive lifetime warranty. Coverage includes resizing, maintenance and repair, even due to normal wear and tear!
Our warranty continues to serve you no matter where you live or move to in the future.
Click here to learn more.
After your stone is chosen and the design is finalized, it's off to production. In 5-6 weeks, we’ll have your finished piece completed and ready for pickup (or shipping)!
Recently viewed products
You may also like
All certified diamonds and colored gemstones sold by Soha Diamond Co.™ are created in a laboratory setting, most commonly referred to as “laboratory grown.” Laboratory grown diamond center stones are laser inscribed disclosing their origin and accompany a report number referring to the grading report done by a third party, non-bias diamond grading laboratory (or similar), such as IGI, GCAL, or GIA and are commonly referred to in the market as: Synthetic diamonds, lab-grown diamonds, lab-created diamonds, man-made diamonds, cultivated diamonds, cultured diamonds, manufactured diamonds, produced diamonds, grown diamonds, HPHT diamonds, or CVD diamonds which exhibit the same chemical, physical, and optical properties of mined diamonds.Therefore, all grown diamonds offered by Soha Diamond Co.™ are guaranteed origin and unequivocally, blood and conflict-free.
| 1,915 |
Do you find yourself stuck in a pattern of behaviour or thinking that is not helpful or is hurting you? I can help.
Do you want more out of your relationships?
Let's make that happen.
Do you need to make some changes that feel overwhelming or scary?
We can find a way.
Is anxiety or depression standing between you and the life you really want?
Let's explore together the underlying causes and discover tools to help you feel like yourself again.
Is there trauma in your past or present?
Let me help you heal those experiences, feel safe again, and get on with living.
I believe some of life's challenging experiences affect us so deeply and profoundly that it impacts every part of our life - physically, emotionally, psychologically, socially, relationally and spiritually.
These are often times of loss: death of a loved one, loss of a relationship, a job, health or hope. During these times it can be immensely beneficial to invite a professional into one's life to help navigate this difficult time, minimize suffering, prevent getting stuck, and enable one to live the fullness of life in whatever circumstances one happens to be in.
I am committed to creating a space that allows you the freedom and vulnerability needed to passionately explore your experiences and move towards a greater fullness of life. I believe YOU are the expert of your life and have the capacity to make the changes you want. I dedicate myself to offering you the best tools I know to achieve your goals.
Counselling is a way to forge your path of healing and wellness, uncover your inner wisdom, and live a full and authentic life.
| 1,614 |
As an emissary from the Apostle Paul to Crete, Titus had the difficult task of correcting some aggressive and boisterous, as well as self-confident and self-appointed, teachers in the churches. It seems that these teachers were devising their own brand of theology based on an allegorical interpretation of the law and paying little attention to the authoritative revelation give to the apostles. He also had to deal with a culture peculiarly given over to sensuality and, therefore, at cross purposes to the Christian view of holiness. The search for qualified church leaders would be crucial in building an outpost for heaven in a population captured by the world, the flesh and the devil.
I Paul’s Greeting establishes the foundational issue of ministry
establishes the authority of his apostleship 1-4 This will be an aid to Titus. Titus probably needs no instruction or even reminder of Paul’s credentials or of the effectual operations of the gospel to secure a people for God’s own possession, even in a place like Crete. What he does need is a letter that arms him with apostolic blessing in the eyes of the church and gives evidence that he has indeed been instructed to set this church in order. The detail of the apostolic responsibility gives a startlingly clear picture of divine purpose in the task of Titus.
He is an servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ – The first is the more general category and the second clearly establishes the manner in which his servanthood is carried out.
This appointment is defined by the phrase, “faith of God’s elect,” i. e. the task of bringing God’s elect to faith – We must never underestimate the motivation that the doctrine of election served in the apostles’ ministries. In 2 Timothy 2:10 Paul had stated his willingness to endure all things for the “sake of the elect that they too may obtain salvation.” Not only does election serve as motivation, but it serves to define God’s purpose for establishing apostles. They specifically are one of the means by which God will call his elect. Christ came to save those that the Father had given him (John 6:37-40, 65; 17:2) and the apostles are sent that those very ones might be gathered in by the preaching of the Gospel. In addition, the “faith of God’s elect” means that truth that constitutes the gospel message established before the foundation of the world and believed by God’s elect from the time of the first believer (Hebrews 11:2) to the present. We are not free to alter, enlarge, or diminish the revelation of the gospel but are to be faithful stewards. Paul could tell the Ephesians that he had not failed to declare to them full “counsel,” or purpose, of God (Acts 20:27).
Further, the elect will have their lives defined by truth (“knowledge of the truth”) This reinforces the prior concept of faith, that not only is it an attitude of trust, but it is trust engendered by cordial embracing of a particular message about God. The truth is constituted of several discreet propositions concerning the way God saves his people. He will have us know that we cannot save ourselves from condemnation, but must flee to Christ, the incarnate Son of God taking our nature to work vicariously for our acceptance before the righteous creator and judge of all. Christ accomplishes this on the basis of his substitutionary death and righteous life. We must know that, when left to our own desires and plans, we have no heart for righteousness but indulge ourselves in unholiness and will not believe. Only when given a new heart in a new birth will the faith of God’s elect reside within the soul (1 John 5:1-5). When we are saved we will know that it is of God. These truths among others constitute the elects’ “knowledge of the truth.”
This truth is given for the purpose of godliness – If one has believed according to the “faith of God’s elect” godliness will not be foreign to his affections. He will not be repelled by it but drawn to it. His desire will be to know and glorify God. This distinctive element of faith supports Paul’s instructions further in the epistle [1:15, 16; 2:11-14; 3:8ff] Godliness is not manufactured by human energy, though its power engages and employs human energy as its outlet, but is the irrepressible working of the Holy Spirit in the regenerate soul, it is the continued and invincible operation of divine grace to transform believers in Christ to reflect more and more the heavenly glory (2 Corinthians 3:17, 18).
Godliness sustains the hope of eternal life – Eternal life consists of living before the face of God in a state of endless joy, the fountain of which is the sustained and continually augmenting display of the beauty of God’s personal holiness. This is the hope of eternal life. “He that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he himself is pure” 1 John 3:3. None but the godly embraces such a hope and finds it pleasing.
God Himself, who never lies, has promised eternal life – All the preceding come in accordance with a promise made by God. If God had not determined that this purpose for his elect would certainly come to pass, he could not have promised with the certainty of truth sustaining the promise. God does not lie because (1) he cannot lie and (2) his decrees control all events and his words always comply with his decrees. Literally the “unlying God.” It means more than just that he does not but that his nature is such that he can just as easily be called unlying as he can be called omnipotent. He is called ‘unlying’ with the same confidence that he is called “love” or “holy.”
He promised it before chronological time began [to whom did he promise it?] This promise occurred within himself as a part of the eternal communications of love between the persons of the Trinity. The promise given to Abraham had already been made to the seed of Abraham, that is, Christ (Galatians 3:14) and comes to the elect in accordance with this principle of omnipotent grace [Galatians 4:21-31].
The entire scheme is manifest through preaching – All of this, promised in eternity, came into history in the time peculiarly designed for it by God’s wisdom [The words indicate a critical time having its own criterion of importance]. Paul used different words in Galatians 4:4 “the fullness of time.” Bypassing the incarnation and atonement, Paul moves directly to the issue of how this eternal purpose and immutably truthful promise comes before sinners that live in time and space. His answer is that it comes through the preaching of the apostles, peculiarly through the message with which Paul had been entrusted. He was convinced that God would himself undertake the protection of this entrustment [2 Tim 1:12]
Paul was entrusted with this preaching by command – Paul has not taken this as matter of personal prerogative but has been commanded by God, or commandeered by God, as a vessel through whom the message would be given. “Woe is unto me if I preach not the Gospel, for I have a stewardship entrusted to me.” 1 Cor. 9:16
Addresses Titus with encouraging frankness
Reminds Titus that his faith is the same as Paul’s – Both have been begotten by the same faith and though Paul was clearly instrumental in Titus’s conversion, they are both begotten by the truth that comes from God. “For you have been born again, not of seed that is perishable, but imperishable, [that is by the immediate operations of the Holy Spirit] through [with the preparatory work of] the living and enduring word of God.” [1 Peter 1:23]
Reminds him that their support is from grace and their freedom is in the confidence of reconciliation. – “Grace and Peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.”
Paul Had purpose in placing Titus there in Crete “For this cause”
Paul had deep affection for Titus cf. 2 Cor 2:12, 13; 7:5, 6 Clearly, if he left a field of usefulness in Troas because Titus was not there, he had a tremendous affection for him born from his conviction that Titus would be one of those who would give continuity to the message. The open door was not as compelling in his discernment of God’s will as the necessity of establishing contact with Titus.
Paul had confidence in the sincerity and discernment of Titus – 2 Cor 7:7, 13-15; 8:16-18; 12:17, 18 He saw how Titus had been encouraged by the Corinthian response to Paul’s injunctions. He was convinced that Titus genuinely loved godly obedience and had seen the power of truthful and loving rebuke in the restoration of God’s people to repentance..
Paul considered Titus as his fellow in the work among the Gentiles 2 Cor 8:23; Gal. 2:1-3 – Titus himself was a Greek, and uncircumcised but personally inundated with the truth of the gospel of Jesus the Messiah.
The churches recognized Titus as gifted, capable, and earnest 2 Cor. 8:19 He held a place of honor among the churches and was selected by those that had contributed to the offering for Jerusalem to take it to them
Now Paul clothes Titus with his own authority, as described above, that the church in Crete might know that Titus acts according to apostolic instruction – “ as I directed you”
Several Issues of Church order needed finishing – set in order what remains 5
Probably issues of order in worship and ordinances as at Corinth with which Titus was vitally familiar; Also daily living according to orderliness and godliness chapters 2, 3 God does not leave the matters of his worship to the whims of men, but prescribes how we are to come to him. Most prominently we come to God only by Christ. Beyond that we are conformed to his image by personal and corporate worship in accordance with his requirements. These requirements are not burdensome, but simple and lovingly designed to rid us of destructive inventions of our own and keep us focused on the truth as it is in Jesus. We must not be so presumptuous as to think that Christian doctrine does not include particular instructions in Christian worship. As Paul had given detailed instructions to the Corinthian church on how to proceed in an orderly manner so that the word of understandable revelation would be foremost in proclamation, prayer, and singing, so that focus on the word must be put in place at Crete.
Appoint elders – Paul probably means lead in the appointing of elders; initiate the process and see that it is done according to requirements. The qualifications are given not so much for the sake of Titus, who probably knew this well, but for the sake of the church so they would understand their own obligation and consent to Titus’s discipline of the process Cf. Paul and Barnabas in Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch Acts 14:21-23
Most urgent need—qualified elders, interchangeable with bishop [the word used in 1 Tim 3 is bishop or overseer, referring to the same office], seeing that it is used immediately in verse 7; bishop refers to a function while elder refers to the respect and solemnity due the position
Marital fidelity -“One woman man” If one cannot bear up under the covenant that undergirds marriage, how can he care adequately for the bride of Christ? This is an important qualification given the place of marriage as fundamental to both society and church. God established human society with the marriage of Adam and Eve (Genesis 1:27,28; 2:22-25) and one of the evidences of the fragmentation of society was the corruption of God’s intent in marriage (Genesis 4:19-24). The book of Hosea, chapters 1-3, shows the divine intensity about faithfulness in marriage and that redemption is set in opposition to such unfaithfulness. The relation of Christ and the church shows how important marriage is as an analogy to Christ’s absolute faithfulness (Ephesians 5:25ff; Revelation 19:6-10).
Issues concerning children -Since the church in the household of God, the manner in which a person takes the responsibility for his children says much about how he would function as a shepherd of the church of God. The discipline that he is willing to administer in order to restrain sinfulness and the instruction that he gives that their lives might conform to truth must be observable if one is to be selected as an elder.
Faithful – some say believers, but that would impose on divine sovereignty – probably means instructed in the faith, “nurtured in the sound teaching of godliness” [Calvin, although Calvin says “that the children should be believers”] and attendant to the things of the faith while in the home. We cannot make children to be believers. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh.” But we can rear children so that they demonstrate respectfulness, are present during worship, maintain a demeanor of attention, and are held accountable to learn the things of the faith. We cannot give faith, but we can teach the truth, love the truth, live the truth, and show that gospel truth transforms.
Not self-indulgent or given to sensuality; not open to the charge of profligacy. When sinful indulgence is not checked at home, it becomes a burden to the church and society. Selfishness and rudeness, disorderliness in God’s house should not be tolerated in any children of believers and most certainly not in the one who is to instruct the entire church in matters of self-mortification, reverence, and self-effacement.
Not given to public disorder, resistant to lawful authority – Children may at time engage in quiet and secret rebellions; when discovered these must be corrected quickly; public unruliness and unlawfulness is by no means tolerable in those still under the authority of parents in the home.
Free from sins of indiscretion as would be censurable even by the public “above reproach” He is an overseer of the household of God, a steward and must not be reproachful before the eyes of the world 7
He must possess self-control in matters of interpersonal relationships so that a personal offense does not lead him to manifest anger. More is at stake in his actions than personal defense.
Nor must he be self-indulgent in the matter of money or food and drink.
Must possess a healthy, dynamic, and manifest Christian spirituality 8
His willingness to entertain and provide for fellowship or shelter for the brethren. Compare the instruction in 3 John 5-8 with the reprimand of Diotrephes 9, 10.
His love of the good, the intrinsically wholesome, must be obvious. It seems that many people make the truly good and humble and self-effacing the butt of sly humorous pokes and prefer the slightly naughty. The elder must be clear in his love for the good and must “approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (Phil. 1:10, 11).
His personal advancement in true godliness must be evident as a support for his task of instruction and exhortation. How can he rebuke if he needs rebuke?
He must be knowledgeable and skilled in truth to gather sheep and drive away wolves 9
Personally he must maintain the word as instructed through apostolic channels – “The trustworthy word as taught.” The New Testament was in the process of being developed even as Paul wrote. He knew what was at stake in the faithfulness of ministers to the word that he preached. A commendation he gave Timothy, in contrast to false teachers, was “You however,, have followed my teaching, . . . my faith.” (2 Timothy3:10)
He must not only hold it personally, but so embrace it and have it so vitally implanted that he instructs others in the same truth. The man that knows the truth but has no aptitude for disseminating it must not be an elder. The man that fears putting on display the full counsel of God, inhibits his own usefulness and stultifies the growth of the people of God.
In addition, (“rebuke those who contradict it”) he must be able to discern the nature of the error of others and correct their misrepresentations and misperceptions. This calls both for knowledge and courage.
III The Uncongenial Context for his Task 10-16
Characteristics of those who need reproof by the truth 10-12
They use teaching as a means of satisfying their appetites – They feign a knowledge of heavenly things for the sake of purely worldly ends.
Empty talkers, not full of true doctrine but trifling speculations
They lead astray not only certain individuals but entire families
They must be silenced, not allowed to teach; if they refuse to hush, dismiss them 1:10, 11 3:10, 11 Churches must be careful of selecting pastors that are submissive to biblical truth and also teachers in other spheres. Those who pursue their own pet ideas unsupported by biblical authority must not be allowed to teach God’s people.
Unyielding teaching needed 13, 14
A sharp rebuke will reclaim them for the truth if they are believers
As elsewhere in the first-century a Judaizing tendency was present here and ceremonial law as well as pharasaic traditions were set forth as foundational to Christianity. Titus well knew this not to be in accord with truth for he had been party to vigorous discussion of this issue earlier, and perhaps one against whom judaizers had objected. But the apostles were pleased both with the gospel that Paul had preached among the Gentiles as well as with his practice of not requiring circumcision for them. Titus was a case in point and stood as a personal rebuke to the Judaizing party. [Galatians 2:1-5]
“To the pure all things are pure;” — Even though some may be deceived by these teachers, instruction in truth will reclaim them, for their minds and hearts have been washed in Spirit-empowered truth for this very purpose. See Colossians 3:9, 10 Progress in teaching truth may at times be slow, but it will progress and will yield greater and greater evidence for the reality of conversion. The restoration of God’s image will proceed from glory to glory [2 Corinthians 3:18] and will consist of righteousness and holiness inculcated by truth [Ephesians 4:21-24]
Some may yet prove unteachable 15, 16
“But to the defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure” The holy teachings of the Gospel are treated by them as swine would treat pearls. They have no capacity to see its glory. They diminish the importance of the law of God, they look at substitutionary atonement as crude and vulgar, they shudder at the doctrines of divine sovereignty as a deformity of fairness and as more diabolical than expressive of the throne rights of God.
The reason for their swift dismissal of the truth is that the minds and consciences are defiled. “If our gospel is veiled,” Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “It is veiled to those who are perishing, in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.” The Judaizers in particular, but all unbelievers in general, fail to see that in Christ are hid all the riches of wisdom and power, and righteousness, and in him and his work alone is the glory of God fully manifest.
While they profess to have knowledge of God and a zeal for God, just as Paul wrote in Romans 10:1-3, their teaching and actions deny him. They do not know God through Christ nor is their conduct aligned with the principle of glorifying God through sharing in the sufferings of Christ and living consistently with the logic of the incarnation.
IV. Concluding Thought – If the apostolic purpose of working for the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth is to be continued, then elders that believe and preach this truth must be set aside for labor in the churches. Their lives should be a demonstration of the power of sovereign grace to convict of sin, subdue pride, produce humility, bring the preciousness of Christ to the mind and the heart, and give a passion for the truth. They must protect the church from all false teaching, and be faithful to teach all the truth of the saving gospel of God’s grace.
Click here to cancel reply.
Δ
A weekly brief of our new teaching resources
"(Required)" indicates required fields
Email Address(Required)
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Δ
Jesus Identified: None but Jesus can do Wretched Sinners Good
Article
TS&TT: Immigration, America's Lowering Birth Rate and the Theology of Having Children
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Δ
Careers at Founders
Tools and Resources
The Institute of Public Theology
By What Standard?
© 2022 Founders Ministries, Inc. Privacy Policy Forms protected by Google Recaptcha Website Design by openbox9
| 21,157 |
Almost 50 years ago, a beautiful baby girl was born to loving parents in the tropical rainforests of Burma. What started off as a carefree childhood soon became a race for survival. Due to the civil war raging in her country, all that Ther Htoo remembered as a child was running for her life. After several decades of constantly moving from one place to another, her family found the Mae La refugee camp in Thailand. Living in the camp was the first peace they had felt in what seemed like a lifetime, however, it was not an ideal place to thrive. Very few jobs existed and residents depended on relief aid agencies to provide food, which often meant that they were hungry. It was at this camp that Ther Htoo met her husband, got married, and had two adorable baby boys. In 2013, she and her husband received news that they had been accepted into the United State’s refugee resettlement program! There was a catch, though. Since she and her husband had arrived at Mae La at different times, she was in the “first cohort” and he was in the second. This meant that she would be allowed to come to the USA first, and then he would come after. Traveling across the world with two young children, not knowing the language of country she was going to, and leaving all her family behind, was a huge risk for Ther Htoo. She decided that her children growing up outside of a refugee camp would be better for them in the long run, so she took the plunge and flew to America. Just as she was starting to settle down into their new apartment, she received gut wrenching news: her husband decided he wasn’t coming. He went on to marry another woman and started a different family. Reeling from her new status as a single mother, Ther Htoo was determined to make life the best she could for her children. Her brother was thankfully also chosen to be resettled, and she moved to Omaha, Nebraska so she could be closer to him. As she turned her key in her Omaha apartment, she looked over and saw her neighbor, Eh Hla, smiling and waving.
Over 60 years ago, Eh Hla was born in Karen State, Burma. His parents were farmers who lived in a self sustaining village: they raised animals and and grew rice and cucumbers. At some point as a child, he remembered his family started running and never stopped. The relentless Burma Civil War (which is still ongoing and is the longest civil war in modern history) took his home, his childhood and all the peace that his family had. When fighting would get close to their home, they would run until they found a quiet place to rebuild. Sometimes they could stay 1, 2, 3 and even 10 years at one point. However, it always ended the same: the fighting would get close and they were forced to flee once more. When his family finally found the Umpiem Mai refugee camp Eh Hla stated, “that was the moment when I didn’t have to run anymore.” Finally able to sleep in peace, he and his family started to rebuild their life in the camp. He met his wife and they had three children. In 2016, they received exciting news: they had been accepted to resettle in America. Eh Hla and his family were ecstatic about what their life could look like outside of living behind barbed fences. They waited in anticipation, however, their happy ending never happened. His wife got sick right as they were about to leave and passed away suddenly. In the depths of grief, he had to make the decision to stay with his children or to leave to the USA. He decided to take the chance for a better life, and boarded the plane. Landing in Omaha, Nebraska, he had no idea what he and his children’s lives would look like. Two years after moving into his Omaha apartment, Eh Hla was home when he heard some noise outside in his shared hallway. A woman and her two children were moving into the unit next to his. His waved and smiled and welcomed Ther Htoo to her new home.
Eh Hla soon found out that Ther Htoo was raising her kids alone, and that she was struggling to make ends meet. He introduced her to ESL classes at Augustana Church, to help her find more community. When the kids were home from school, he’d visit and they grew fond of him. If something broke in her apartment, Eh Hla would fix it. She was struggling to pay back her travel loan (all refugees in America have to pay back the cost of their flight — this amount is usually in the thousands), and he told her not to worry, and worked extra shifts to help her pay it off. One time when he was visiting, her youngest child looked at him and said, “Da, da. That’s my dad!” One day, Eh Hla decided he was going to let Ther Htoo know that he had feelings for her. He leaned in for a kiss, but found himself being pushed away. “No! We cannot kiss without being married. We are Christians!” said Ther Htoo. At that moment, they both started laughing and decided they were going to get married.
While Eh Hla and Ther Htoo’s story of finding each other is heartwarming, they have faced physical challenges that have prevented them from truly thriving in Omaha. Both are physically disabled and no longer able to work. As a result, there is not much income coming in the home, and basic items like beds, a couch, a TV, a dresser, etc. have been unaffordable luxuries. One of Restoring Dignity’s staff mentioned in a meeting that there was an older couple she saw always walking home from the grocery store. She often offered them a ride, because carrying bags of food was a great burden for them. She got a hold of Eh Hla and Ther Htoo, and we met and discussed the possibility of a home makeover. They were both very excited and said that they were honored to be chosen as our next home makeover family. On Saturday, October 30th, 2021 we will come together as a community and bring this family furniture, household items and hope. Let’s give Eh Hla and Ther Htoo the happy ending that they deserve!
*Names have been changed to protect identity
We are taking action on Saturday, October 30th, 2021 to provide this family with much-needed household, cleaning and organizational items.
Supplies Needed
Items can also be purchased on Amazon here.
Donation Drop-Off:
Saturday, October 2nd, 2021 10:00am to 1:00pm
Saturday, October 9th, 2021 10:00am to 1:00pm
Saturday, October 16th, 2021 10:00am to 1:00pm
Saturday, October 23rd, 2021 10:00am to 1:00pm
You can drop items off on the above Saturdays with no appointment. If you would like to drop-off items during the week, please click here to schedule an appointment.
**All items must be dropped off by Saturday, October 23rd, 2021**
Volunteers Needed
All volunteers are graciously being provided by Creighton Prep and Marian High School.
Saturday, October 30th, 2021:
Transportation: 8am-10am: This shift involves loading items onto a moving truck at the donation center, and unloading them at the family’s home. We will provide a U-Haul truck.
Shift one: 10am-12pm: This shift is for people who want to help with cleaning, organizing clothes, steaming and fixing items.
Shift two: 12pm-2pm: This shift is for people who want to help with building furniture, organizing items and decorating.
How to Get Involved:
We could not do these projects without our donors! They are the heart of these projects! All of the items the family has requested can found on our donation sign up page. Both new and gently used items are acceptable. Please view our page, “Give This, Not That,” to get an idea of what we consider to be acceptable used items.
As Restoring Dignity has grown so have our basic operating expenses. We now have our own donation center where we accept, sort and store all of our donations. We pay monthly rent and utilities and are dependent on the financial contributions that we receive. If you are interested in making a financial contribution, please click here.
Tell your friends and family about this project! They might have an extra lamp or a dresser that is no longer in use. Re-post this blog on your Facebook page, or email it to people you know. The more people that know about these projects, the more we receive donations and volunteer sign-ups!
Pictures from the August 2021 RD Home-Makeover:
Follow us on Facebook: Restoring Dignity has a Facebook Page that is regularly updated. Please follow our page for the latest updates: Restoring Dignity Omaha Facebook Page.
37 thoughts on “Home Makeover Project”
August 6, 2013 at 1:26 pm
Is there anyway people could come pick up furniture? My parents are moving and are looking to get rid of a bunch of items. However, none of us have an SUV or truck that would fit the items.
August 6, 2013 at 4:16 pm
Hi Allison! Yes, I have access to a truck and trailer to pick up larger items, such as furniture. Can you email me at: RestoringDignity@live.com so we can set up a pick-up date and time.
Thank you very much,
Nancy Meyer BART chair says:
August 18, 2013 at 9:55 pm
Benson Area Refugee Task FOrce is having their free Clothes CLoset at St Paul Methodist church Aug 24th 9-11 am. Come in the northeast door by their north parking lot and the family can get the clothes, shoes and school supplies they need. 5410 Corby St (south of NW Radial Hwy. )
Bev Hornig, BART member, ESL teacher of youngest son of this family says:
October 23, 2013 at 3:08 am
This family had been in the refugee camp for 23 years! The mom fell and broke both wrists in Dec. 2009 and 1 month later her husband died of a stroke. I will try to get some teachers to help with this. Next BART Clothes Closet is Sat, Nov. 2, 9:00-10:30 am at St. Paul Methodist Church, 5410 Corby/ enter northeast door.
Pingback: Restoring Dignity #9 is on Saturday, January 11th, 2014 | How I Can Help Now
Pingback: Restoring Dignity #11 is on Saturday, August 9th, 2014 | How I Can Help Now
July 14, 2014 at 5:08 am
I have two sets of twin sheets – and a shower curtain/liner.
I can work noon – 2 p.m.
Hannah says:
July 14, 2014 at 5:26 am
I will take those items off of the list! Thank you! I will see you from noon-2pm. Can you sign up on the sign up page, so I can include you in the group email?
Isaiah Fern says:
July 22, 2014 at 12:16 am
I have a 26″ tv that they could have. Its a heavy one prob about 10 years old but it works great!
Hannah says:
July 22, 2014 at 12:38 am
Hi Isaiah, is it a tube TV? If so, we had to stop accepting tube TVs because they were so difficult to transport, due to their weight.
Isaiah says:
July 22, 2014 at 1:30 pm
Yeah its a tube tv
Pingback: The 12th Restoring Dignity will take place on Saturday, October 11th, 2014 | Restoring Dignity Omaha
October 2, 2014 at 2:17 am
Hi, Hannah! It was great meeting you and sitting next to you at the SSCA conference! I’m getting a group of friends together for next weekend. So excited. I’ll be bringing pictures and decorations for the bedrooms.
Hannah says:
October 5, 2014 at 4:53 pm
I’m so excited to work with you this next weekend and also to meet your friends! See you soon!
Pingback: Restoring Dignity #13 will take place on Saturday, November 22nd, 2014 | Restoring Dignity Omaha
November 6, 2014 at 3:53 pm
Hannah I do not see my previous reply on here about having a shower curtain and a ford ranger to help move large items. I see those items crossed out though. Is that crossed out for me or someone else?
Paul says:
November 11, 2014 at 4:15 pm
Hannah – we will buy enough men’s small underwear for the 5 men/boys.
Hannah says:
November 11, 2014 at 4:16 pm
Mary says:
November 18, 2014 at 3:11 am
We will buy a bed spread/comforter for the 3 year old, women’s underwear and girl’s underwear. We will also get 4 pillows.
Hannah says:
November 18, 2014 at 5:01 pm
Thank you so much, Mary! I have updated the list to reflect what you will be bringing.
David LeMunyon says:
November 18, 2014 at 9:17 pm
I have a fairly new day bed with a trundle bed. Both have twin mattresses with new sheets. I can send a picture if you think it can be used for the family. I also have a mower and weed eater in very good condition that I am not using.
Hannah says:
November 18, 2014 at 10:31 pm
Hi David, yes we can use all of the items that you mentioned above!
David LeMunyon says:
November 19, 2014 at 1:18 pm
Can I just bring it with me on Saturday? I also have an entertainment center about 2 feet tall by 5 feet long. It good condition.
Hannah says:
November 19, 2014 at 2:30 pm
Yes, you can absolutely bring the items on Saturday to the family’s house. I will be sending out their address tomorrow via email.
David LeMunyon says:
November 20, 2014 at 9:00 pm
Anyone able to pick up a load of big items from 108th & Military Area ? I have a day bed, trundle, entertainment center, mower, & trimmer. I can transport but would have to make numerous trips.
Pingback: Restoring Dignity #14 Will Take Place on Saturday, January 31st, 2015 | Restoring Dignity Omaha
Pingback: Restoring Dignity #15 will take place on Saturday, March 28th, 2015 | Restoring Dignity Omaha
David LeMunyon says:
March 26, 2015 at 3:25 pm
I will take the Dawn dish soap and Flip Fold
Pingback: Restoring Dignity #17 will take place on Saturday, August 1st, 2015 | Restoring Dignity Omaha
Pingback: Restoring Dignity #18 will take place on Saturday, November 7th, 2015 | Restoring Dignity Omaha
Pingback: Restoring Dignity #19 will take place on Saturday, February 27th, 2016 | Restoring Dignity Omaha
Pingback: Restoring Dignity #20 will take place on Saturday, June 11th, 2016 | Restoring Dignity Omaha
Pingback: Restoring Dignity #21 will take place on Saturday, August 20th, 2016 | Restoring Dignity Omaha
Pingback: Restoring Dignity #22 will take place on Saturday, November 5th, 2016 | Restoring Dignity Omaha
Pingback: Restoring Dignity #23 will take place on Saturday, January 21st, 2017 | Restoring Dignity Omaha
| 14,571 |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.