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Israeli tolerance made it possible for an Arab terrorist to murder Ari Fuld. The Arab murderer even stopped and ordered falafel at a local Israeli stand frequented by both Arabs and Jews before his attack. Jews who enter Arab villages are lynched. The brutal murder of Ari Fuld, a US born-Israeli father of four, is the latest example of the lethal consequences of the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) toxic political culture of genocidal Jew-hatred. There is no shortage of perpetrators in human history. However, the Abbas-led Ramallah regime promotes a unique brand of lethal hatred that can best be described as perpetrators with a victim mentality. This is how the murder of Ari Fuld was presented by Wafa, PA’s official news agency: “A Palestinian young man was injured by gunfire on Sunday when he was shot by Israeli forces, after he allegedly carried out a stabbing attack targeting an Israeli settler in Gush Etzion settlement complex, near Bethlehem in the southern West Bank.” As far as the Abbas regime is concerned, the Arab terrorist Khalil Jabarin, who murdered Ari Fuld is a “victim” despite ample proof of the opposite. Footage from the attack clearly shows that Jabarin’s attack on Ari was unprovoked. In addition, Jewish victims of Arab terrorism are frequently dehumanized as “settlers.” The Wafa news agency also failed to mention that the terrorist Jabarin was injured by his victim, who acted in self-defense and wanted to prevent Jabarin from attacking other Jewish civilians. This is hardly the first time that Ramallah has whitewashed reality to suit its cynical political aims. During a string of knife terrorist attacks against Israeli Jews starting in the fall of 2015, the PA claimed that Israeli authorities had “planted knives” in order to justify “murder” of “innocent” Arabs. Ample footage proving the opposite were deliberately ignored by the Abbas regime, which kept inciting against Israel. For years, the PA has demonized the Jewish State by spreading lies of Israeli “apartheid.” In reality, Israeli Arabs and even PA resident Arabs can walk freely and safely inside Israeli communities. The terrorist murdered Ari Fuld outside an Israeli Rami Levy supermarket, a place where Arabs and Jews work peacefully side by side to serve Arab and Jewish customers. In the case of the place where Ari Fuld was murdered, most of the Arab customers are PA residents , not victims of supposedly Israeli “apartheid” and “crimes.” It was Israeli tolerance and not “apartheid” that made it possible for the Arab terrorist to murder Ari Fuld. Before the murder, Jabarin even had a falafel at a local Israeli stand frequented by both Arabs and Jews. By contrast, real apartheid against Jews exists in PA controlled territories, as well as in Hamas-ruled Gaza. Jews who enter PA-ruled settlements risk being lynched by Muslim Arab mobs. In normal societies, teenagers are filled with dreams about their future. However, Jabarin is a product of a regime that cynically deprives its own population of a decent future and offers nothing but genocidal hatred of Jews and Israel. Unlike most perpetrators, PA-sponsored perpetrators never feel any remorse since they automatically consider themselves to be “victims” of Israeli “occupation” and “apartheid.” The PA’s “pay to slay” system uses 300 to 400 million dollars annually to incentivize murder of Jews. Terrorists who murder Jews are automatically and simultaneously elevated to both “heroes” and “victims.” Instead of condemning the murder of Ari Fuld, Ramallah has offered around 3000 dollars as a reward to the murderer’s family. Israeli and international leftists frequently describe Abbas as “moderate” and a “man of peace.” One of the architects of the Oslo Accords, Yossi Beilin, who recently visited Ramallah, claimed that Abbas “opposes violence”. The reality is very different and Ari Fuld is only the latest casualty of the widespread nonchalant leftist disregard for lethal evil. The day before Jabarin murdered Ari Fuld, “moderate” PA leader Abbas addressed the PLO Executive Committee in Ramallah. In his speech, Abbas repeated the libel that Israel was seeking to create Jewish prayer areas inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque. As many other Muslim Arabs brainwashed with Jew hatred, Jabarin believed in the lies spread by Abbas. This makes the Abbas regime responsible for the murder of Jewish civilians, such as Ari Fuld. By embracing the myth of Muslim Arab “victimhood” and ignoring the PA’s anti-Semitic death cult, the international community is literally killing any prospects for genuine Arab-Israeli peace. Daniel Kryger is a writer and a political analyst. He lives in Israel. [To receive updates on more in depth articles on Israel and the Middle East, join us on Facebook or Twitter ]	4,813
We're a non-denominational, full gospel Christian church that was started in 1980 in a storefront in downtown Chadbourn. Today our ministry occupies 20 acres east of Chadbourn on old Highway 74-76. Our congregation is multi-ethnic and culturally diverse, with a casual atmosphere, vibrant worship and relevant teaching. Everything we do here is designed to help you and your family take your next steps with God. about us Sundays 10:30am Worship Service 10:30am Kidz Town 7:00pm Worship/Bible Study Children are important at Living Word! We offer a variety of activities and programs for children on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. AWANA Clubs meet on Wednesday nights during the school year. Learn more about Kidz Town and AWANA. Youth Teens aren't just the future of the church - they ARE the church. We challenge students to have a lifelong relationship with Jesus and develop a worldview based on God's Word, with lots of fun events and exciting trips to enjoy as well! Come check us out! Learn more about Souled Out (grades 7-8) and INfUSe (grades 9-12). Living Word is located at 6374 Chadbourn Highway in Chadbourn, approximately 7 miles west of Whiteville, NC.	1,227
My third year at Duke University, I wrote a paper for an Abnormal Psychology course about “A Biblical Therapy for Anxiety.” Discovering personal faith my first year had helped me experience peace of mind in difficult circumstances. My paper explored how faith could help treat psychological disorders. I sent a copy of the paper to our textbook author, a prominent UCLA psychologist, Dr. James Coleman. He liked it, read it to his students, and asked permission to quote from it in his revised textbook. I picked my jaw up off the floor and said, “By all means!” I also promptly sent a copy of his letter home to my parents in Miami, so they’d see that their son hadn’t gone off the deep end with his campus Christian involvement. (They were beginning to wonder.) That summer, I met Dr. Coleman at his lovely Malibu home. It had a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean. This brilliant man confided, “I don’t have this peace of mind that you do. I don’t have this relationship with God.” I shared with him a short four-point outline of Jesus’ main message. It was based on a famous statement: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” I showed him another statement Jesus made: “I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.” “That’s powerful,” Dr. Coleman remarked. “I haven’t accepted all this before,” he noted, “but I’ve been sincere in my own beliefs. Isn’t it sincerity that really counts?” I offered this thought: Imagine I awaken at night with a headache, stumble into the bathroom in the dark, open the medicine cabinet, pop two white tablets into my mouth, and swallow. I would be placing my sincere faith in those tablets to cure my headache. If the tablets were aspirin, they might work. If I’d grabbed roach poison by mistake, I could get sick. It’s not just the sincerity of faith that’s important; the object of faith matters, too. Jesus – through his life, death, and resurrection – demonstrated himself to be a worthy object of faith. “I see,” replied Dr. Coleman. “I could be sincere, but be sincerely wrong.” After a few more questions, he invited Jesus to forgive him and enter his life. He took some literature to share with his students. A month later he told me by phone, “Now, as I look out over the ocean and see the setting sun, I really believe I’m a part of all this. Before I didn’t, but now I do.” He meant he was seeing how he fit into a divinely orchestrated universe. The next edition of his textbook contained a short portion on “Religion and Psychotherapy” and included part of my faith story. I began to tell psych profs I was “a case in this abnormal psychology textbook.” Many invited me to speak, which jumpstarted what became a career in public speaking. Dr. Coleman encouraged me to relate his story because, as he explained, people in his profession needed to know that there was more to life than just the physical world. His story has helped readers and listeners worldwide appreciate that fact. Why this story? I suspect that as a reader of this website, you may be a follower of Jesus. You’ve just read a story that, Lordwilling, can inspire you with how God works to spread his message. But if you reread the story, I hope you’ll see that it’s written in such a way that someone outside your faith could enjoy reading it, too, and learn more about the Gospel. It uses nonbeliever-friendly language. It offers benefits of faith, communicates some Gospel basics (John 3:16; Revelation 3:20), mentions evidences for faith, and answers a common objection. And it does this not by listing and teaching standalone precepts, but by weaving them into the fabric of an interesting story. I trusted Jesus from a background of skepticism, in a university environment that was filled with skeptics. Once I realized there were so many good evidences for faith, I began communicating those to others, with positive results. But over time, I learned that not everyone was as interested in hearing about Jesus and support for his claims as I was in sharing that! However, many will listen to or read a good story. Illustrating Gospel truth with story often can get more to listen. Jesus, of course, told stories all the time: “The sower went out to sow …”; “A man had two sons….” My mentor, Bob Prall, walked around the Duke campus telling stories that pointed people to God. My first wife, Linda Raney – my first speech and writing coach – said she read and listened “from story to story.” Tell stories. It will help you gain and hold attention and help your audiences remember what you say when you share the Gospel. Connect with us to help spread the gospel around the world. About the Author Rusty Wright Rusty Wright is an author and lecturer who has spoken on six continents. He holds Bachelor of Science (psychology) and Master of Theology degrees from Duke and Oxford universities, respectively. www.RustyWright.com	5,184
Salmon is not only delicious, but it also has numerous health benefits. This oily fish is high in omega3 fatty acids, which are beneficial to your heart, as well as protein, B vitamins, Vitamin E, and antioxidants. Salmon is a heart-healthy staple that is both easy to come by and varied. Salmon can be prepared in several various ways. Today, we’re going to show you how to cook salmon fillets in a few different ways.… In grocery shopping How COVID-19 is Changing Grocery Shopping August 5, 2020 4 Mins Read In a world where everything has gone online, grocery shopping has followed suit. This need-based industry made its shift online, even in the pre-COVID era. But it is crucial to notice the boost that lockdowns have given the online grocery shopping industry during the pandemic. Grocery Shopping Pre-COVID By 2017, 23.4% of the American population were buying their groceries online. It was a massive jump from 3.9% in 2007. (Source: One Space) However, this was…	982
Our website uses cookies to provide you the best experience. However, by continuing to use our website, you agree to our use of cookies. For more information, read our Cookie Policy. Accept Marketing Assistant Super talented, unflappable and very funny, Phuong supports the whole marketing team in her role as Marketing Assistant. Phuong holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and recently completed a master’s degree in Management and Marketing. Originally from Hanoi in Vietnam, Phuong is now based in the UK and climatising brilliantly to our weather and food. Phuong owns a food review Instagram page as travelling and food are her passion. She also has a cute little french bulldog. Head of Marketing Ellie was the first woman to join Titus and has paved the way for many more since then. After studying for a degree in Fashion and Marketing, Ellie was lucky to find herself at fashion weeks and photoshoots. Now she’s switched from talk of the front row to front end design and has brought loads of transferable knowledge to Titus. Ellie has also found a real passion for tech, especially in the learning sector, helping clients create positive change for their organisations. Marketing Executive As one of the youngest people at Titus but at the same time one of the oldest serving members of the team, Callum has graced Titus with his broad smile and positive attitude for over 5 years now. As a key member of the marketing team, Callum works across all areas, both on and offline, to ensure that all Titus brands and communication are on point. After missing out on the opportunity to go to University the first time around, management encouraged him to enrol in our course alongside his work. He is now studying to achieve his Level 6 Diploma in Professional Digital Marketing. Dec Connolly Always bringing innovation and new ideas, Dec studied a degree in Journalism but found his passion in digital marketing. Dec has also worked in marketing for one of the countries biggest retailers and within the property sector. Outside work, Dec Co-founded a news publication where he collaborated with global brands like Uber, Amazon, BooHoo and countless SMEs.	2,258
One hot kiss from a smoldering dragon and all her thoughts go up in flames . . . Lianne McGowan is a scientist on a mission. As brilliant as she is beautiful, she believes the key to the Earth’s future is a new energy source. To find it, she’ll delve deep into the fiery heart of an imposing mountain-and take on an even more imposing man: the sinfully seductive Nic Vladik. Shape-shifting dragon Nic has sworn to guard the secret to his brethren’s insatiable power. He must stop Lianne’s search, yet the moment he feels the soft silk of her skin, his soul is set on fire. Unable to resist, Nic and Lianne submit to desire, and experience an exquisite passion unlike either has ever known. But their pleasure is short-lived. Lianne has made a discovery that endangers herself, Nic, and all Dragonkind. With his world at stake, will Nic save his clan-or the woman he loves? Buy the book! About the author: Serena Gilley grew up reading fantasy and fairy tales, and believing there was a distinct possibility that both of them were real. Somewhere. Even all these years later, Serena’s belief in magic and mystery hasn’t diminished. In fact, She is living out her own happily-ever-after with a handsome prince in a beautiful castle, taming dragons and granting wishes every day. Okay, so the prince is a regular guy, the dragons are really just teenagers, and the wishes she grants are as spectacular as frozen pizza on Friday night, but it’s a fantasy world just the same.	1,509
Given a 31 day shooting schedule with a new camera and data workflow, DoP David Higgs shot log to give him some headroom in the grade and found a film discipline within a digital workflowIt’s another Guy Ritchie movie and it’s another ‘gangster fest’, no change there… Well not true because this time, with Rocknrolla, Ritchie has joined the ranks of high profile directors choosing digital cinematography and workflows to achieve their aim. Part of that aim with this film was to stick to a 30 day shooting schedule with many different London locations, exterior and interior, day and night, mostly day. Maybe this condensed time frame was the reason he chose to shoot digitally as his next film is back to film with Sherlock Holmes, but maybe that’s a studio political decision. Rocknrolla is definitely more of a non-political film in terms of studio involvement but ironically is still looking for confirmed distribution in the US where they see it as ‘too English’. You could genuinely accuse the Rocknrolla crew as being too English as DoP for the movie was David Higgs who apart from a Bafta nominated short called The Stronger hadn’t used digital cinematography in anger before. “The Stronger had won at Raindance and personally I got a nomination for it. I shot that on a Arri D-20 which was the first time I had come across the camera, prior to that about a year ago I had done some testing for the BBC on the camera, that’s all.” The instruction for Rocknrolla was digital from the outset so David looked at both the D-20 and the Genesis: “The fact that we were shooting HD was a given thing, Guy wanted to shoot HD and film wasn’t really in the running. I looked at the Genesis, but I knew that a lot of what I had to shoot was day interior/exterior and I thought that the D-20 worked in that kind of area quite well and I could take a few risks with it. Since I’d shot The Stronger with it I knew I was able to shoot log. I did a little test with Soho Images and the technical guy there, Laurent Treherne. We devised a LUT for the log but the simple thing was I just liked the way it looked. When I went to NAB I saw the CineTal monitor and saw that you could put a LUT on an image so you knew what you were aiming for, that was a big help for me. Ironically when I went to Arri I saw they had a CineTal in the engineering workshop, which they didn’t normally let out. Milan, Bill and Russell helped me out and enabled me to set that kind of system up with the CineTal.” You can understand what a workable solution this was for David with the Director moving so fast and wanting a ‘look’ immediately on the monitor that the post house had already cleared, but how did the D-20 deliver it? “The Genesis had a great look but had a slightly ‘Sony’ feel about it but because I wasn’t shooting many night interiors/exteriors I was more interested in how the highlights actually looked. The roll-off and the lustre that the D-20 gives really appealed to me, I really did like it. “I thought I could take risks and let things burn out without them looking video and ugly and essentially looking filmic straight out of the can. Speed was also the key for us and having an optical viewfinder was very useful. The Genesis does strobe a bit when you pan. “The thing with all these cameras is they change so much, the D-20 is now the D-21 and is not the camera you would use now. All of them seem to be constantly evolving which is the nature of digital capture. Obviously shooting log you are kind of fixed as far as your ASA is concerned in terms of what you’re looking at. You can generate LUTs which will emulate say 320 or 500 and you can do that on screen but I locked it to the one ASA and in my tests I knew that I had about a stop and half latitude above that if I wanted to lift the whole image to give me a 500 ASA look if you like. Beyond that I knew I would be stretching it. I would have loved to make some more LUTs as we were shooting but I just didn’t have time. “The critical thing about this film rather than Guy’s others is that we had two weeks less time than any other film he had ever done. It was shot in 31 days, which is an incredibly tight schedule for what we had to do. That in turn impacted on what I was able to do. I had to do everything very quickly, we were shooting four pages a day! Also we had a lot of action to deal with and we didn’t have a second unit. Guy wanted to look at a monitor, know what he was getting and when he was happy then turnover.” The brief from the director made David make some important production decisions about monitoring primarily and also the whole data route: “We didn’t have a traditional video assist just a CineTal monitor and a smaller monitor for the ‘B’ camera which I operated. We started off trying to record to the HDCAM SR portable decks but for the physicality of recording in London that really didn’t work and so we ending up switching to the Flash Mags on-board the camera and then downloading them on to the HDCAM SR decks later on the camera truck. That kind of made it workable, you just don’t want a load of BNCs running in and out of doors when you’re filming on location. The other problem with the HDCAM SR on-set is that the fans are too noisy. “Shooting with the Flash Mags meant we were up and running much quicker. Time wise the mags gave us 10 and a half minutes in 4:4:4 which is about film length. You have to have a switched-on crew because there are chances of BNCs going down on one of the Flash Mags and then suddenly you are then recording 4:2:2 . The only way you know that’s happening is that your time goes up! “The great advantage of working log was that we were able to lock to one core image and then go from there. I really didn’t have a lot of time to work lights on the floor so I used lights in a particular way that would give me and Guy a big look relatively quickly. When I met Guy the whole premise was really ‘I want to shoot quickly’. Ironically we didn’t particularly discuss a look for the film but things kind of fell into place really and we ended up with a look and a way of filming that worked with the film. “Guy wanted a hot ‘summer-y’ look, he wanted it warm and that came out more when we graded it. When we shot it we had a softer more subtle look but when we graded it Guy wanted it more contrasty.” It illustrates how far shooting digitally has come over the last couple of years as there was a habit for DoPs to underexpose for the grade but now with new data shooting practices that isn’t necessary and in fact becomes a risk for producing more noise. “The great danger for anything digital is if it goes noisy – AKA grain for film – it never goes noisy in a nice way. The LUT we used gave me a rule book, a benchmark if you like. To be honest I was winging it quite a lot of the time, I had to look at the monitor and work out whether it was in the ball park or not. On the whole it worked out really, really well and what we got on the monitor on-set was the look that Guy liked. I’d rather use my eyes and my instinct than my meter but you have to be careful you don’t ‘light’ yourself up a blind alley. You can’t kid yourself it’ll be alright in the DI, you have to make sure it’s going to be OK in the DI. “Locking it to one LUT gave me some overhead, the danger with cameras like the RED and others is you can up the ASA rating but you‘re not changing your fundamentals, all you’re doing is changing the nature of the processing. On the D-20 I don’t think there is any analogue gain being supplied to the sensor to give any more information, I think the Silicon Imaging camera does but I don’t think any of the other sensor based cameras do. It’s all about the processing. So if you step away from the processing of the camera and say I’ll work with 200 ASA or whatever and then work the rest in the DI, then you’re on a little bit more of a sure footing than otherwise.” Time restraints also stopped David revising anything with Soho Images as far as the LUT was concerned but he really didn’t need to anyway: “There’s no point really as I’ve seen it once already on the monitor on-set, but rather than DVDs I got MPEG rushes and was sitting down and looking at those occasionally but it was a busy old film.” Lenses were Ultra Primes and Master Primes, David explains why: “Because the D-20 has a lustre and a softness to it automatically I didn’t want to go with Cookes and bring that slightly lower contrast look you get with Cookes. I think the D-20 gives a very filmic look and the media that automatically matches the D-20 is 35mm film. If you try to throw other HD cameras in, it really doesn’t work very well, it doesn’t match the D-20 as well as film. After we finished there were a couple of pick up shots in LA which were shot on a camera that made it really hard to then grade those images in to the rest of the film. When it came in to the DI it was a very video look and I really didn’t like it.” Lighting for Rocknrolla was a normal film roll-out except there wasn’t time or opportunity for many big scaffold rigs except for one at Battersea Power station. “We were shooting 200 ASA so we’re not shooting that fast. I think the mistake people make (when shooting for HD) is you could say ‘we’ll shoot 1000 ASA so we’ll need less lights’. The point is that you still need points of light, unless you’re going for a particular monotone look you still need a number of lights to give you the point of lights to show a 3D environment on a 2D plane. “The cost savings for shooting digital are more about the stock, I don’t think shooting digital opens a door to untold riches for production. You need the same level of crews as 35mm if not more. Our camera crew on Rocknrolla was eleven or twelve people. Digital was great with Guy as we could sit down and talk about where the light goes, for instance. ‘If you want her to turn her head that way I’ll have to light it so we can see her eyes’ ‘Alright I’ll indulge you’ he would say. It worked well as we very rarely did any playbacks apart from certain actions shots. He wasn’t one for many takes either, ‘One for fun then we’ll move one’. Previous post The Olympic Specialists Next Post Peter Jackson Welcomes the End of Film and the Coming of 4K as a 70mm Substitute You might also like... May 12th, 2022 DoP Glen Keenan shares his experience with the Anamorphic/I Full-Frame Plus Special Flare Lenses... March 30th, 2022 A new docuseries is shedding light on the darker truths behind Hugh Hefner’s home June 1st, 2021 Gunda employs careful filmmaking techniques to offer an intimate look at the lives of... August 26th, 2021 Cinematographer Michael Burgess had big shoes to fill for the third instalment of The... Subscribe to the Definition newsletter to get the latest issue and more delivered to your inbox. You may opt-out at any time. Privacy Policy. Terms and Conditions Copyright © 2022 Bright Publishing. All Rights Reserved. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Read our privacy policy here.	11,332
Small weddings, in my opinion, are some of the best kinds of weddings around. They allow you to surround yourself with your closest friends and family and spend the whole time connecting with those you love most, all while getting to marry your person. Plus, small weddings often allow for more flexibility allowing you to choose an epic location for your ceremony. Below are a few small wedding ideas you can use if you’re considering planning an intimate wedding. One of the best ways to maximize your time with everyone at your wedding is by booking a large home or mountain cabin for everyone to stay at before or after the wedding. Having a large space where everyone can be together can help set the tone for your intimate wedding. Guests can all get to know each other and oftentimes these homes come with activities and things to do such as a swimming pool, hot tub, kayaks, and more. Having a singular space for everyone also helps eliminate the pressure of driving between locations and, you can even have your ceremony and reception all in one place if you want. Host Dinner with a Private Chef One of the biggest costs of traditional weddings is the food. Because there are fewer guests at an intimate wedding, couples can be more creative with the details they plan for their day, especially when it comes to the meal. One of my favorite small wedding ideas is hiring a private chef and selecting a custom menu for you and your guests to enjoy. On your wedding day, you can set up a long dinner table and everyone can enjoy dinner cooked specifically for you by your own private chef. Plan a Weekend of Activities This idea works especially well for multi-day events. Planning activities throughout the weekend is a great way to give your guests some more time to bond and for all of you to create more memories. There are so many ideas you can include and it all comes down to what you and your guests enjoy as well as the location where you are getting married. Think skiing/snowboarding, hiking, sightseeing, kayaking, wine/beer/cider tasting, whale watching, rafting/tubing, the list could go on! Since not all guests might not enjoy all activities, the key is to plan a variety of activities and let your guests choose which ones fit them best. To read more about small wedding ideas and activities, check out Alex and Alyssa’s Pine River Ranch Wedding. One of the biggest perks of planning a small wedding is that you have more flexibility in your day and in your budget to include details that are important to you. Is there a florist you really love or maybe a theme or decorations that are super important to you? Having a smaller wedding means you won’t be spending obscene amounts of money decorating a ton of tables, so enjoy the details you’ve been dreaming of and splurge on something that will make your day uniquely yours! Plan a Multi-Day Event I already mentioned this briefly but planning a multi-day event makes your small wedding even more flexible. Want to have your ceremony but then go on a sunset hike? You can totally do this and then continue celebrating with your guests the next day. This makes your wedding and timing a lot more flexible, rather than having to rush through everything in one day. It also gives you the chance to take the epic sunset photos you’ve been wanting to without having to worry about entertaining guests. For more multi-day wedding inspiration, check out Paul and Jessica’s two-day Hurricane Ridge Elopement Weekend. Planning a small wedding allows you to have the best of both worlds. You not only get to have the most important people by your side, but you also can include many details that might not otherwise be possible at a larger wedding. If you’re ready to start planning your own small wedding, head over to my contact page to inquire!	3,945
When your toddler has pink eye, and you have to take the eye drops to school so they can give them at noon, and you feel super-bad about that, and warn them, and tell them you are sorry a million times, because when you attempt to do the drops at home, it's harder than I imagine it is giving eye drops to a cat. In fact, it's a two-person job, that involves one person imobilizing said child while the other works on prying the eyes open and hoping that one of the drops you toss in the general direction of her eyes will somehow make it in that little tiny slit you manage to make. And then when you pick up your child, there's a note on their daily sheet that says, "The Wild Child did wonderful when we gave her the eyes drops today- she stood perfectly still and it was very easy!" Said by Sasha at 8:14 AM Labels: are you kidding me? 10 comments: A.D. said... That does suck...although I have never given eye drops to my cats, I have given them pills. The result...bloody scratches and the pill still didn't go down. You probably still have to worry about bites from WC, but atleast she doesn't have razor sharp claws that pierce your skin! P.S. I think the school must be using sedatives...you might want to check into that...maybe they'll sell some to you! February 14, 2008 at 9:07 AM Anonymous said... Of course she stood still. Aren't all children in public the opposite of how they are at home? I'm just saying. Happy Valentines Day to you and yours! February 14, 2008 at 10:40 AM Kate said... Been there done that - twice with Abby! Nothing like your child screaming like you are killing them and still managing to be strong as an ox and closing their tiny eyes while your adult strength and fingers are attempting to pry them open AND squeeze a bottle meant for dolls! February 14, 2008 at 10:50 AM Rachael said... Hilarious. February 14, 2008 at 10:53 AM ~B. said... I'm coming out of lurkdom (well, it's only been a few days, but still) to become your favorite new person (of the moment). Are you ready for this? A solution!! Just for you!! Have your child close their eyes. Put a drop in the corner there, you know, near the nose. Have them open their eyes. Voila! The eyedrops go in. Repeat. Done. Report back. PS...I think you're adorable and I really enjoy your blog. :) February 14, 2008 at 11:54 AM Jill said... Oh yes - the prying open of the eyes. I make my husband do that part. February 14, 2008 at 3:05 PM Anonymous said... Why are they so much better for other people? I can relate I am the mother of two wild girls. LOL February 14, 2008 at 4:07 PM Sasha said... B- tried your trick this morning and it was very helpful! Thanks so much!!!! February 15, 2008 at 11:20 AM ~B's trick has worked on Chandler... but not as a smallish lil momma. Only as a bigger lil momma. The little lil momma would be IRATE at the very thought of having to be put through the demoralization of eye drops. For her, it is a 2 person job as well. I'm sure she'd do fine for her daycare mommas, though.	3,204
This one has bounced in and out of the Memory Warehouse for years, a fantasy of sorts, or perhaps a parable. Once upon a time I spent a few years living and working in Germany – West Germany. I worked just south of Bonn, took occasional side trips to West Berlin, my work all very noble. I was lucky enough to listen to Gorbachev speak at the Wall – just a few months after sitting near Nelson Mandela and Willy Brandt at a conference in Bad Godesberg. All very heady stuff, watching History unfold. I took a drive one day, from Frankfurt to Weimar. Weimar, to Goethe’s house, a pilgrimage I think you could say. I walked through the town, poking around here and there until I got to this house, and I walked reverently through his rooms and gardens – until I heard a vast commotion outside – and saw hundreds of Soviet troops marching by just outside. Very uneasy feeling. When I got back to my car, a sinister, black MB 300E, there were dozens of troops gathered ’round, standing there beside it, having their pictures taken with the beast in the background. I didn’t know what to say, so just watched for a while. I left town eventually and drove north to Buchenwald that afternoon, to what had been, once upon a time, the second largest concentration camp on German soil. I walked around the grounds, still feeling very uneasy about events as they unfolded in Weimar, now looking at Marxist-Faustian interpretive signs everywhere I looked, telling how the Final Solution was a predictable outcome of Capitalist Society’s Faustian Bargain with money (I mean, really…?), when I came upon an old woman inside a small brick building. She spoke German, of course, a first language, perhaps. She had a small camera around her neck, an old rangefinder, and she was standing there, camera in hand, looking at the far wall inside this little building. There were meathooks on a chain-driven track mounted to the wall, the dangling hooks perhaps ten feet off the ground, and as I came in and looked around I wondered what they were – and why she was trying to photograph such a scene. I remember her well. Very old, quite frail, her hands trembling badly as I watched her lift the camera to her eye – but then she gave up. She turned away and saw me, seemed embarrassed – perhaps ashamed – and she asked me if I could take some pictures for her. Of course I could, and she handed me the camera and told me what she wanted. When I finished I handed her the camera and asked what had happened here, in this room. They used to bring new guards here, she told me. To get them used to the way things were done. Jews, mostly children she said, were impaled on the hooks and pulled along the wall, the new guards using the children as target practice. She had, she said, watched her brother die in this room, and that’s when I noticed the scores of bullet holes in the wall. As long as I live I will never forget that woman’s eyes. I drove back to the West that night, the world a kind of gray place I’d never experienced before. All rather irrelevant, but this story was born that day, and in the nightmares that followed. What follows is fiction, such as it is, and this is but a start. I hope to finish this one, one day soon. When first we practise to deceive! I felt rebuked beneath his eye: I might have known there was but one, Whose look could quell Lord Marmion.’ As was his custom, he sat alone. At a favored table in the sun, always alone, on the narrow sidewalk outside this favorite neighborhood café where the Pont Saint Louis meets the Rue Jean du Bellay – where the Seine splits and flows around the Ïle Saint Louis, in the heart of oldest Paris. He was an American – though just barely, he supposed – having lived most of his life abroad in the service of his country. His names was Charles Rockwell, and he was of an age – another era, perhaps – inclined to see the world in the absolutes of black and white, of good and evil. A romantic, you might say, who saw nothing at all suspect with tilting at windmills. He was a Cold Warrior, and until a few months ago, he had been a spy. He lived a few blocks away, in a small, top floor apartment along the Quai de Bourbon where the Rue le Regrattier ends, and he loved this part of the city as much for the memories it held as for the pink light that played on her stone walls. Three of the seven rooms in his flat held an endless assortment of books, mainly histories of Europe’s endless wars, Russia’s too – but one wall held the many hopeful monographs chronicling the rise of the so-called Common Market, and the European Union that followed. And like many Americans who came of age in Acheson’s and Kennan’s creation, he viewed the EU, and of course NATO, as the front line in a war that would never end. Because Gorbachev had been, if anything, weak, and Yeltsin had turned out to be a less than useful idiot. Both had failed to prevent the rise of criminal organizations in the nascent Russian confederation; both had failed to see or prevent the organs of state security being co-opted from within by criminal enterprises, and not raising the alarm when spies associated with thugs began running for office – and winning. The “new” Russia, Putin’s Russia – yeah, ‘meet the new boss, same as the old boss’ – had turned out to be just as expansionist as the “old” Soviet Union, only this state didn’t serve to export communism. No, this state wanted nothing more than to spread it’s tentacles throughout the world’s money markets, siphoning off as much capital as possible. And this new state wanted, apparently above all else, revenge. There was a slight chill in this afternoon’s air, and Rockwell left his navy cardigan buttoned as he read through his stack of fluttering newspapers, sipping on occasion a coffee long gone cold, looking up from time to time at passing traffic on the river. ‘Ah, to just drift away,’ he thought when caught up in such musings, ‘to just let go and follow the current. Where would I go…? What would become of me…?’ Didier, the waiter usually assigned to work these red-clothed tables in the afternoon, came by and asked if he’d be staying for dinner, and that as it was getting so chilly wouldn’t he prefer to sit inside? This was, of course, Didier’s polite way of getting Rockwell inside, so he picked up his papers and moved to a table – far from the door but with an unobstructed view of the entry. He ordered escargot and a glass of the house red as he continued his survey of the world’s headlines, and Didier discreetly slipped his bill on the table, informing the white-haired old man that this was the end of his shift, and he needed to settle-up. A half hour later snails came, delivered by his favorite waitress in all Paris. Claire Something-or-other; he didn’t know her assumed name, not all of it anyway, but she was a mesmerizing creature and to his mind’s eye that was all that mattered. She had the grey cat’s eyes of a Georgian, yet spoke French with the absolutely perfect accent of one trained by a top language institute – in Moscow. She had started working at the café just a few weeks after he started frequenting the place, so – putting two and two together he assumed she was FSB – and was keeping an eye on him. But why? Why keep an eye on a retired spook – if not to turn him, perhaps, or watch him? ‘But – why me?’ he asked himself every time he saw her. Still, when he looked at her he regarded her quite simply as the most desirable woman he’d ever run across. Her legs always in black tights, her arms and shoulders subtly revealed through sheer veils of gossamer fabric, he did his best not to stare at her – but there was something utterly captivating about her. If only he could remember… So a year ago, with old habits dying hardest, after a few weeks he’d reported this possible ‘contact’ to an ‘old friend’ at the embassy. A week later his suspicion was confirmed: Claire Whatever was FSB, and while ‘Svetlana Ekaterina’ was new to France she had been observed and filed-away as an active agent in both Syria and Greece. Her arrival on the scene in Paris hadn’t been picked up yet, and Langley agreed with Stockton’s assessment: they thought she was going to try and turn him. Or, perhaps even more interestingly, kill him. Yet he had been coming to this place day in and day out, several times a week at a minimum for almost a year, and while she was pleasant – in a professionally detached sort of way – she’d never once struck up even the slightest casual conversation with him. She’d never followed him home, and he’d never seen her anywhere else but – here. ‘Yes, she in mesmerizing,’ he thought as he looked at her. ‘And in so many ways, too.’ Gorgeous, true, but there was something else about her that forced his mind to thoughts of other days. Something almost – familiar. Yet elusively so. Like a name he couldn’t put to a face, or a brief affair – now barely a memory. The owner walked over and sat next to him, said something about closing early that night due to the coming storm and Rockwell said he understood, and as he looked around at the empty tables he did indeed understand. The tourist season over now, and with islamist attacks more frequent in the city, hard times had come to the areas fabled café life. He finished his wine and bundled his newspapers, then walked out onto the sidewalk and was immediately hit by the change. The air was quite cool now, and a thundering wall of cloud hovered beyond Notre Dame. He pulled out his phone and opened a weather app, then whistled. ‘Old Gaston wasn’t kidding, was he?’ he said to himself as he turned and began his walk to the quai. And just ahead, coming out the kitchen entrance, was none other than Claire/Svetlana, and she turned and looked at him with an oh-so-disarming smile as he approached. “Ah, Monsieur Rockwell, are you walking home?” “Yes, and please, call me Chuck.” “Chuck?” “Charles, yes. But, what is this ‘Chuck’…?” “I have no idea.” He stopped and helped her on with a light jacket, then looked at her. It was, he thought, all in all an awkward moment. “Where are you off to?” “I am not so sure just now,” she said, and he watched as dark clouds settled over her face. “I have lost my apartment. The building, it is being remodeled, I think they say, but I think torn down may be the truth. I have been trying to find a new place for two weeks, but it’s difficult on these wages, without a roommate.” “I can imagine.” “So? You live here, on the island?” He nodded his head. “I do.” She sighed. “I wish I could afford something here. I think the light is perfect – on the river, in the morning, anyway.” “The light?” “Yes, it is blue, then pink. I love it.” “Are you an artist?” “Not always, but now I try.” “My life…is different, now. Many changes the last year.” “You’re shivering,” he said, changing to English. “You say you have no place to stay?” She shook her head. “No, I haven’t lived in the city long. Not long enough for friends, anyway.” “Your English is very good. Where’d you learn?” She looked away quickly then, looked up at the sky. “Mon dieu, look at those clouds…” He turned too, looked at amber shafts of misty sunlight slanting through lightning streaked slate gray walls, then he heard thunder – still far away but, he could tell, close enough to worry about, and his thoughts turned to getting home before the rain hit. Then he looked at her anew. ‘Well,’ he said to himself, ‘what do you do now, smart-ass?’ She was looking at him now, not pressing, yet almost – pleading. He held out his arm. “You’d better come with me,” he said as a another crack of thunder rattled across the city. She took it, and he didn’t have to look at her face to see the smile there. He took his usual shortcut down the Rue Saint Louis, then down the Regrattier to his doorway across from the river, and she stood aside while he fumbled with keys and unlocked the door. Once inside they took the tiny, creaking elevator to the seventh floor, and he led her to his apartment and unlocked that door, then led her inside. “Heavens! It is a library! I have never seen so many books. Are you a…” “I study history.” “I should say so! Are you a professor? Something like that?” He nodded, smiling at her feigned ignorance. “Something like that.” He went and pulled the drapes open, looked down on the street as rain started falling. Nothing. Just the usual parked cars. No one moving, no engines running. No one watching. “Interesting,” he said. “What? What is interesting?” “Those cloudtops. Very high altitude. Too high for this time of year.” “So? What does this mean?” “Clouds need energy…” he started, then stopped. “I’m sorry. No need to bore you with all that stuff. Have you had anything to eat today?” She shook her head again, looked a little embarrassed. “Maybe you should tell me what’s really going on – Claire?” She looked at him and smiled. She knew, in other words, that he knew. “So,” she began, “I assume you know my name?” “Your dossier did not say anything about my defection?” He shook his head. “No.” “Oh,” she said quietly. “So, why…I do not understand. Why did you bring me here?” He looked at her now – silently, and she grew very nervous under his eyes. “What?” “You are going to kill me?” “Why would I do that?” “That is the question, isn’t it?” “You must…tell me.” “I don’t have the slightest idea. Perhaps I’ve made a mistake.” She smiled as a new thought pushed all other concerns aside. “I know. You just want to get, what is the word? Laid?” He almost laughed at that, a half-hearted sound lost somewhere between a sigh and an inside joke. “I wish,” he said as he turned away and looked out the window again. She walked over and stood beside him. “This is the second time you have checked. Who do you expect to see?” “His name is Leonid Yakolev, and if you see him, let me know.” “A year ago, August. In Athens. We were trying to destabilize the government, during debt renegotiations.” “Defected, you say? Why?” “I cannot say.” “No, Charles, it is not convenient. It is far from convenient, as a matter of fact. But the “why” of my defection is all I have to barter. For the moment, the possibility is all I have to offer.” “Okay.” “Why do you say that?” “Because you just show up working at that restaurant. Where I, coincidentally, just happen to go several times a week.” “I know. I’m sorry.” “So? Why?” “Lyudmila Ekaterina,” she said – quietly. “Does that name still mean anything?” He turned and looked at the young woman again, his eyes narrowing. “Your mother?” She nodded her head. “Several years ago, she told me if I never needed help I should find you. She believed in you, you understand. More than you know.” He could see the resemblance now, in her eyes mostly, but it was her lips that convinced him. “How is she?” he asked, feeling guilt for not having put it together sooner. “She is dead, Charles, the woman you knew. Two years ago. And yes, she still loved you. Very much, I think, until the end.” He turned away slowly and sat in a chair that held a good view of the river, and he looked at the sky and the storm – and at all those memories locked away so long ago as they tumbled out into the room. They talked through the night, through storms of such an impossible love he could barely contain himself, and when leaden skies filled the new day he looked at the girl by his side and wondered what to do. Take her to the little white house across from the Crillon? Perhaps, but he thought that, in the end, killing her now might indeed be the best, most merciful end to this story. He sighed as he looked at a barge sliding-by on easy, unseen currents, heading quietly down to the sea as autumn leaves fell through blustery November skies. “What’d you think of Reagan’s speech, son?” “I liked it, dad. The whole ‘morning in America’ thing is genius. Poor Mondale–he’s never going to know what hit him.” His father laughed at that. There was, according to his dad, nothing lower on this earth than a democrat. “Even a timber rattler can’t go that low,” he’d heard his old man say a hundred times during the Reagan-Carter debates four years ago. Mondale, in his father’s eyes the heir of all Carter’s “malaise,” could simply do no right. “Yessir, I think you’re dead on. Say, you still headin’ into town this morning?” “Yup, but I want to get those fence posts set before I go.” “I can get ‘em, boy. You go on…” “Not gonna happen, Dad. You heard what the doc said.” “Fuck that asshole! He couldn’t tell gonorrhoea from a hemorrhoid…” “Well, maybe that’s ‘cause he’s a cardiologist, Dad.” “No arguments today, Dad. Just use that inhaler before you feel light headed, okay?” “You will be if you get on that tractor today, and I’ll be the one that does it, too!” “Get out of here, smart-ass!” his old man said with a hoarse laugh, before he started coughing again. “Use the puffer, Dad. I’m going to go set those fenceposts then head on in. Be back in an hour or so.” He saw his father, puffer in hand, nod his head as he closed the kitchen door and walked out to the barn. He turned, sniffed the air and eyed a line of pines a hundred yards away. ‘Ah…there you are,’ Charles Rockwell said to himself. The same Griz that had, according to his father, been around the ranch the last two years, right there in the tree-line. Looking at him, gauging the distance, perhaps. He opened the door to his dad’s F150 and pulled the Marlin 45-70 down from the rack and chambered a round, then took aim at a tree a few feet from the bear and squeezed off a shot. He saw the wood puff and splinter – then the bear stood tall and looked at him more closely. “That goddamn bear back,” he heard his father say from the back porch. “Yup. In the trees. Keeps coming in a little closer each morning.” “Gettin’ his nerve up, I reckon. Gonna snatch a calf one of these days. Did you shoot him?” “No, just tried to scare him off.” Rockwell chambered another round, aimed at the dirt in front of the bear and fired again. He saw dirt and gravel fly into the air just to the left of the animal, and this time the bear turned – slowly – and walked off into the trees, stopping once to look back at him. “I don’t know about that’n, son,” his father said – now standing beside him. “I got a feelin’ he’s getting’ ready to cause a world of trouble.” “Not as much trouble as filling out all the paperwork if I have to shoot the fucker,” Rockwell said. “Goddamn democrats!” the old man grumbled as he turned and walked back into the house. “You tell ‘em, Dad,” he sighed as he got into the Ford. He looked at the tree-line again, then opened the gate and drove through the gap into the west pasture…looking at the wall of gray gathering behind the mountains… It still looked the same, this town he’d called home for the first 18 years of his life. Augusta, Montana was still a one road town, a pit-stop on the road to Glacier National Park, but this was “home” – and it always would be. The rodeo grounds still bigger than the high school – but nothing was bigger than the rockies. The towering mountains were just ten miles west of here, and his father’s ranch was nestled hard up against them. No foothills here, the land went from prairie to steep-walled valleys, endless drainage for melting snowpack – and above all else, decent grazing for cattle. His grandfather had moved here after the Civil War, and had carved a life from the hard winters and blistering summers, and his father had stayed, and carried on with the help of a good woman by his side. He, on the other hand, had graduated from the tiny high school on the west side of town and moved on to the University, in Missoula – just after the war in Vietnam ended. With degrees in History and Russian, he went east looking for work in the government and landed on someone’s radar at Langley. A year later, after paying his bills working part time as a substitute social studies teacher, he landed a job at the CIA and never looked back. He started as an analyst, but given his nature – growing up on a ranch in Augusta, Montana first among those noted by his superiors – he was sent down to Yorktown, Virginia for evaluation. A year later he moved to West Berlin, covered as a teacher at a private school for diplomatic personnel; his job, ostensibly, to spy on spies. Because there were concerns that sensitive information was being leaked to Soviet agents coming over from the other side of the wall, several false flags had been run, and the bait taken – more than once. In the beginning he was a simple conduit for information – some real, some not so real – but soon he was approached. By a Russian, judging by the man’s casual demeanor, and then he knew he was being cultivated. He passed all this on to his handler but was suddenly called home. His father was ill, very sick indeed, and with all thoughts of spies and moles gone he flew west in a rush. Frankfurt, Chicago, then the old Empire Builder to Shelby and a bus to Great Falls. He saw his father, finally, after he trudged through an early, knee deep snow, and learned that forty-plus years of smoking three packs of Camels a day had taken a more than predictable toll. Like his mother, he thought, remembering her funeral. One cancerous lung removed, pulmonary function further compromised by emphysema, after a week he drove his father home to Augusta in a sunny funk – all thoughts of Russians and Berlin’s diplomatic corp now a cold, distant memory. Soon his thoughts roamed between the statistical recurrence of cancer and a goddamned grizzly bear stalking his father’s cattle as he drove into town. ‘My, how quickly our perspectives change…’ he said as he pulled into the local weed & feed. He parked the Ford and went in to pick up syringes and antibiotics, as well as a new float pump for the water trough out behind the barn, yet things quickly turned into something like a belated homecoming… “Hell, Chuck…didn’t know you was back in town!” Red Adams, the owner of the store fairly screamed. “Where you been?” “Back east, teaching at one of those girl’s schools,” Rockwell replied, winking. “Shit, Mikey! You hear that? Bet he’s getting more cooch than you did over in ‘Nam.” “Thailand,” said a voice in the corner, “and we was there less’n a week. Worst case of the goddamn clap I ever had, though.” Rockwell turned to the voice – and saw Mike Lawford, a football player that had graduated and left for ‘Nam a few years before he’d gone to Missoula; now he was sitting in a wheelchair, both legs gone above the knee. Lawford had also been the town bully, terrorizing kids half his age – until a couple of fathers got together and acquainted the boy with a few of the other things you could do with a baseball bat… “So, school teacher. You a faggot now, too?” Lawford crooned. “Got your knees all wore-out goin’ down on them pretty eastern boys?” Rockwell looked at Lawford and shook his head, ashamed he’d almost been afraid of him once upon a time, but his father had taught him one of the secrets of life that day: bullies are petty, terrified little people. Stand up to them just once and they’ll leave you alone forever. He walked over to Lawford now and held out his hand. “Howya doin’, Mike?” And Lawford had, as he had once before – years ago – turned away and looked at a checkerboard by his side. “How you think I’m doin’, moron?” “Loosing.” He walked back up to the counter and got his supplies from Red, then looking as he walked past his old nemesis, back out to the Ford. He put his sacks out of the sun then walked across 287 to what counted as a diner in Augusta, and he went inside – almost hoping he’d find Doris and her pale pink sweater behind the counter one more time. But no, not today. He saw a new, recent high school grad manning the lunch counter and sighed as he walked in and sat on a stool. He looked at his watch: 11:45 – and he was the only one here. The girl almost looked put-out, too, like he was interrupting a well established routine by coming in for something to eat. After a minute – after, he assumed, she’d come to the conclusion he wasn’t going to vanish in a puff of smoke – she came by and dropped a menu on the counter. “Something to drink?” “Coke, if you got one.” She came back a minute later and put a warm can on the counter and walked off, just as the door opened and another victim walked in. He watched this person in a reflection as she walked by and took a seat in one of the booths at the far end of the room. He looked this waitress – she was looking at the new arrival out of the corner of her eye – and he sat quietly until she looked at him again. “Burger, all the way – and I’ll have some chips with that.” “Cheese?” “Sure, why not live a little?” She smiled – a little – when she heard his accent. “Pops still working the griddle?” he asked. “Yeah,” the girl said, brightening. “You know him?” “Grew up here. Been gone a while, though.” The girl’s demeanor changed in a flash; this guy was a local, not some flat-lander passing through on his way to the park, and to her the bond was immediate – and permanent. “You graduate from here?” He nodded his head. “On to Missoula, then back east. I teach history now.” “No shit? Wow…I didn’t think anyone ever got out of this place…” He smiled, remembered the feeling. “All you got to do is follow the Interstate.” “Excuse me, but I got to get a menu over…” she said as she trailed off to take a menu to the new arrival, and Rockwell turned slowly and looked at the gray and white Chevy Blazer parked across the street, next to his truck. Oregon license plates, but with a rental sticker on it. Odd, he thought. Or not. Pops came out just then and did a double-take: “Chuck? That you?” “Still down to my knees,” he chuckled, “only that’s where it stays most days. How’s your dad doin’?” “Well hell, you were expecting a miracle?” They both laughed, yet they both felt the same undercurrent of concern. “Helena. Went to nursing school in Seattle, came back a few years ago.” “She ever get married?” “Yup, to some doc down there. Seems like a good kid, though. Kinda snooty. Shit, Debbie! Get this boy a glass and some ice, wouldya?” The girl – Debbie – muttered as she tromped off into the kitchen. “Mind if I drop by the place this evenin’?” Pops said. “Gotta go cook a couple of burgers now.” “Sure, Pops, anytime.” ‘Debbie’ brought his burger a few minutes later, and another to the ‘new arrival’ after that, and he ate his sandwich in silence then paid the bill and walked over to the Ford. Turning on Manix, he headed out Sun Canyon then on Barr Creek Road for the last two miles to the ranch. Then he saw dust plumes in the rear view mirror – coming up fast. A gray and white Blazer, he saw, flashing headlights as it drew near. Still a mile from the house he pulled over, checked for the old model 1911 his father kept under the seat and pulled it out. He chambered a round, and with the pistol ‘cocked and locked’ opened the door – just as the Chevy pulled to a stop behind him. The woman behind the wheel took out a pistol – a Beretta, he saw – and put it up on the dash where he could see it. He took the Colt and loosely slipped it under his belt, then the woman got out of the truck and walked up to him. She was tall, almost blond, almost pretty, but he could see she was a predator – her cat’s eyes cold and gray, looking everywhere. Blue jeans, white t-shirt under brown leather jacket, white leather Adidas tennis shoes, gray socks. “We must talk,” she said without preamble, in clear, unaccented Russian. He shook his head as questions filled the air, and he wondered why they’d followed him here, but the pain he felt in the woman’s eyes held all those other thoughts far, far away. He looked at Svetlana – at her gray eyes and rich lips and he remembered that faraway day. Wind falling on the prairie, rain like smoke on the mountains. Her mother beside him on the road – cool precision in her eyes – standing in the wind, pleading her case as rain fell all around. Then he turned from his thoughts and looked at the river; more barge traffic now as the city came back to life, always and forever chaos and confusion – yet as ever a peculiar order in the noise. Like the world he had lived in for many years – a peculiar order all it’s own. What to do with her, with this knowledge she spoke of in terms both tellingly obscure and crystal clear? Why information so vital to trade, and yet be willing to sit on it for a year – or more? No, nothing added up, not her words, and not her presence in this room. She was playing him – and well, too – but why? For turning away? From her mother, from the bargain they struck in the wind and the rain? Or for all the betrayals that followed in her wake? I’ll be playing notes on this one while work continues on both TimeShadow and Mr Christian. As always, thanks for riding along. This entry was posted in Uncategorized by adrianleverkuhnwrites. Bookmark the permalink. rightbank on January 31, 2017 at 7:53 am said: How did I miss this little snippet? Rock Houstoun on April 4, 2020 at 2:01 am said: Time to finish this one… I like the start! This story is an element, well, a very small part of a much larger arc. The whole affair has been underway for a decade now, and you are correct, it is time to buckle down and get to work on this one. When 88 is a wrap I’m planning on laying out this one, as well as a heavily revised version of Timeshadow. Those are the two I’d like to put to bed this year, so keep me on my toes, and don’t let me slack off…! Rock Houstoun on April 11, 2020 at 8:44 pm said: You have made my day! I am loving 88 but Boarder really got my interest! Just keep writing whatever you do. I love your work. For me, most of your rereads are better than everybody else’s best. Thank you! Email (required) (Address never made public) Name (required) Connecting to %s Notify me of new comments via email. 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We would like to extend warm and sincere thanks to all the members of the team who successfully participated in this extraordinary and remarkable event. We heartily thanks to Praveen Agarwal , Satyarup Siddhanta and all other beloved travelers who unfurl our flag on top of the world. Goodfirms Listed our company as one of the top animation production companies of 2019 !! Read More on Why don't you get this Free Ebook before you leave? The year 2020 is all so much about Video Marketing but you cannot just create something arbitrary. Your video needs to focus on the right content, cater to the right segment of the audience and evoke the right response. All in all, your video needs to tell the right story to the right people.	750
(MYSTIC, Conn.) — The Mystic Seaport Board of Trustees voted Saturday and authorized the Museum staff to restore the historic whaling vessel Charles W. Morgan to sailing condition and to plan a ceremonial voyage upon completion of the current multi-million dollar restoration project, while moving forward with a fundraising initiative to support these activities. The vote, which was unanimous, came after Mystic Seaport conducted its own four-month feasibility study into sailing the Morgan, a registered National Historic Landmark. The Museumâ€™s trustees had approved a motion at its May meeting authorizing the feasibility study. â€œThis is a decision we do not take lightly,â€ said Mystic Seaport President Steve White. â€œEvery possible consideration will be given to protecting her and honoring her status as the oldest commercial sailing vessel in the western world. In pure age, only the USS Constitution, a military vessel, is older. â€œThis decision will lift the Museumâ€™s spirit, test its resolve and serve as a symbol of greatness for Mystic Seaport,â€ continued White. â€œAll elements of the Museum will now have an even greater significance as we honor and celebrate the coming and going of vessels.â€ â€œUnder Steveâ€™s leadership, the staff was very methodical and cautious in determining the feasibility of the Morgan sailing again,â€ said Dick Vietor, chairman of the Museumâ€™s Board of Trustees. â€œThe board had legitimate concerns and issues, yet the staff was able to show that â€“ as long as sufficient funding is secured â€“ sailing the Morgan and bringing her on this journey is the right thing to do. If not now, when?â€ Now that the feasibility study has been completed, White said the biggest challenge isnâ€™t construction, itâ€™s fundraising. The cost of restoration alone is $6 million, according to White â€“ half of which has been raised. The remaining $3 million would make the vessel strong enough to return to her home at the Museumâ€™s waterfront. â€œSailing her is not required. Restoring her is,â€ White said. â€œWe have an obligation to continually restore and preserve not only the vessel, but the stories she tells. Without reaching our first goal, not only can we not sail her, but we will have failed in our overall obligation to her need for perpetual care.â€ The additional cost to sail her, he said, would be approximately $2 million. Beyond the direct costs, the Museum must also raise endowment to support the programs around her and to provide for her ongoing maintenance. â€œOne of the greatest results could be that she raises enough on this planned journey so her future is secure,â€ said White. The current project timeline calls for the vessel to be launched following the bulk of the restoration work in spring 2012. Following another year of work in the water in order to reinstall her rig, the Morgan would begin her 38th voyage in summer 2013. Before truly beginning the voyage, the Morgan would be towed down the Mystic River prior to arriving in New London where she would take on additional ballast. From New London, itâ€™s possible she may sail to Newport, RI, carefully guarded and monitored by a support fleet. The next part of her journey puts the Morgan to her original homeport of New Bedford, MA, where she was built in 1841 and the homeport for the majority of her 37 voyages to all corners of the world. â€œThe Morgan made New Bedford and New England proud,â€ White said. â€œAnd to New Bedford she will return to show America once again what resolve and vision can produce.â€ The plan also calls for her to journey through the Cape Cod Canal on to Stellwagen Bank, a national marine sanctuary located off of Provincetown, MA. The Morgan would then return to Mystic Seaport â€“ her home since 1941. Mystic Seaport is the nationâ€™s leading maritime museum and features a working preservation shipyard, a re-created 19th-century coastal village, exhilarating exhibits and a planetarium. For more information, visit www.mysticseaport.org.	4,011
The Mission of the Above Waters Project is to support and protect those currently and formerly incarcerated within the US penal system. We understand that grave injustice exists within this "justice" system and are thus committed both to ending such injustice as well as helping smooth the transition of our incarcerated brothers & sisters back into society. Whether through data collection and dissemination, policy change, informal advocacy, or otherwise, we fight for justice and dignity for all people. ~ AWP Advocacy Right now, someone's relative, friend, spouse, or co-worker is taking a journey into our criminal justice system. How will this end for them? Are they in Jail/Prison or Community Corrections? Above Waters Project is working actively to end mass incarceration and to advocate for those directly impacted by it. Forums/Workshops Few people truly understand how the system of mass incarceration works here in Colorado, yet it's impossible to effectively advocate for justice without knowing the system in and out. To that end, AWP is working to bring this knowledge to our friends and neighbors to ensure that our community is well equipped to take part in the struggle for justice. Above Waters Project has a heart for the people and was created by and for individuals directly impacted by the system of mass incarceration. We know that the transition from jail or prison to Community Corrections (ComCor) can be difficult. We strive to provide, among other things, basic hygiene products to Comcor residents, referral services, and outreach services to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated members of community. We know the importance of keeping your head above water moving forward. Follow our activity on Facebook and Twitter or email us to get involved. Support our work by donating to Above Waters Project.	1,883
Your Health Editor, Lucy Tomeka speaking with DKT International Global Chief Operating Officer, Daniel Marun and Country Director, Kevin Hudson. PHOTO \| SUNDAY GEORGE Family planning as part of reproductive focus to a better community is better practiced with proper understanding on what it entails as well as the options available, a goal for DKT International Thank you for reading Nation.Africa Show plans Reproductive health is a wide topic that is usually met with a lot of taboo topics and awkward silences in many of our communities. Proactive action in this regard is also very low, mostly out of misconstrued notions of stigma and very poor understanding. This, paired with our socio-cultural norms, religious practices and poor exposure to options, leaves many in a bind when faced with infections like STIs and HIV/AIDS or unplanned pregnancies. A triple-barrelled glass of happiness Many companies come and go with ideas on how to tackle reproductive and sexual health and unfortunate as it is, this burden is not just restricted to Tanzania as many other societies still struggle to beat the awkwardness that comes with these seemingly uncomfortable conversations. In Tanzania, the Ministry of Health (MoH) has earmarked reproductive and child health as an important focal point and created programs that address various issues along these lines. Some of these programs include Family Planning, Safe Motherhood Initiative and Adolescent Reproductive Health. According to the MoH website, family planning is a major component of reproductive and child health services. “The goal of the Family Planning Program is contribute to improved sexual and reproductive health, social and economic wellbeing of women, men, adolescents and children including new-borns, through provision of quality family planning services,” it states. Objectives of the program are: • To ensure that service providers in the health sector have the necessary family planning (FP) clinical skills for effective delivery of integrated family planning services; • To increase the visibility and support for FP among government leaders and development partners, program managers, service providers, and raise community awareness; • To increase access and utilization of quality, affordable and sustainable family planning services; • To strengthen family planning management systems and monitoring and evaluation, to ensure effective program implementation. To better understand the understanding of availability of choices availed to our communities, Your Health had an exclusive conversation with the DKT International Global Chief Operating Officer, Daniel Marun and Country Director, Kevin Hudson. DKT International is a non-profit organization that was co-founded in 1989 by Phil Harvey and Tim Black to focus the power of social marketing in some of the largest countries with the greatest needs for family planning, HIV/AIDS prevention and safe abortion. According to Daniel, “In the early 80s, Phil founded Population Services International which then turned into DKT International and since then, we have been operating in countries with a large population as well as middle to lower income.” “We are all across the world; Asia, Africa, South America and our main goal is to empower couples on their reproductive health and build a world where couples have a say in how many children to have and one where every child is wanted,” he adds. Question: Why did you choose Tanzania as one of the countries to have our presence in? Daniel: Tanzania is a big and important country and one we believed we could make a difference in, in terms of the health impact. We measure our success by how many people and how many couples we impact every year. Kevin: DKT’s aim to focus on countries with high populations as well as middle to lower income populations to benefit those most in need has led to the emphasis being on emerging markets. In terms of our unique skill set then, Tanzania presented an opportunity for us to widen our ability to improve more lives, give people choice and helping every child feel wanted. We then registered and set up in 2015. Q: What have been the wins thus far? K: Our goal is social impact. In 2021, we impacted 54 million people’s lives across the globe by providing them with quality products so they can make a conscious choice on how they want to conduct their activities. So that measurement of social impact is what we are trying to achieve and expand. Q: What are the kinds of products and services available? K: Condoms, emergency contraceptive pills, IUD devices, implants, safe early termination pills that are administered by trained medical professionals; which also help prevent a lot of maternal deaths especially in incidents where a woman finds herself opting for a clandestine abortion and risking her life. We are also involved in counselling women in terms of what their options are as well as on their choices. All DKT products are sanctioned by the Ministry of Health and the Tanzania Medicines & Medical Devices Authority (TMDA) and are sold in Tanzania. According to a report titled ‘Costs of Post abortion Care in the United Republic of Tanzania’ by the Guttmacher Institute in partnership with the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) that was published in September, 2021; In 2018, an estimated 77,800 Tanzanian women received post abortion care, and public facilities provided 64 percent of this care. The total national cost associated with post abortion care in 2018 was estimated to be 10.4 billion Tanzanian shillings with the majority of the total costs nationally incurred at midlevel facilities. In hindsight, these numbers would be a lot better had the understanding of reproductive health been less of a taboo and the option to freely choose family planning methods been better communicated. Q: Considering the stigma and societal prejudice towards sexual conversations, self-care and proactive choices and even awareness; what is the state of reproductive health in Tanzania amongst the youth? K: The youth are a focus for DKT because they are the early adopters. Part of that process is in educating and we do so within the regulatory environment. There is a lot of stigma and myth about what certain reproductive health products can do so we look at being factually accurate in terms of what options are available to people and to provide choices for people. The youth as early adopters are going to be able to provide opportunities for their children and in doing so, we provide them with choice and giving them the option to participate in their reproductive health. Family planning methods are still treated as hush-hush, regardless of whether they are legal or not. This fact goes on to speak to the nature of openness and understanding of family planning methods as well as the options availed to consumers. Q: How does DKT International tackle the issue of the contraception burden placed majorly on women? K: Unfortunately, this is not a Tanzanian problem alone, it is global. Men expect women to sort the contraception issue. Prior to bringing Kiss to the market, the majority were very masculine; Bull or Dume. We brought Kiss out to try and combat the stigma that when a woman has a condom in her bag, she’s regarded as loose; a fact that is not necessarily the case in other parts of the world. Part of this process in bringing these products to the market is to try and ensure that women have an equal say in terms of their reproductive health, rather than men assuming that women are just going to take care of things. D: However, prevention of pregnancy is not the only goal. The biggest difference between now and the early 2000s is that HIV is not seen as terminal anymore and it is common to find young people who after the second or so date, easily and completely abandon their protection which is very unsafe. According to data shared by MoH, Tanzania’s progress towards 95-95-95 currently stands at 88 percent being aware of their status, 98 percent on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and 96 percent virally supressed. The 95-95-95 strategy is a tracking strategy that aims to see 95 percent of people living with HIV knowing their HIV status; 95 percent of people who know their status and are on treatment; and 95 percent of people on treatment with suppressed viral loads by the year 2030. DKT International has a variety of condoms, tested and approved that cater to a variety of tastes and preferences. It is no secret that as it stands, the barrier methods, i.e condoms, are the only types of protection that are successful in keeping HIV/AIDS infections at bay. DKT International aims to keep working to ensure people are aware of their options, understand them through education and counselling as well as be able to make informed choices that best suit their individual needs. A change in how sexual and reproductive health issues are approached in our various communities remains a conversation and a work in progress. A lot of unconditioning, un-learning and re-learning needs to be done for us to reach a stage where men and women can take charge of their sexual health without feeling the sting of stigma. There is also a need to sensitize both genders to understand the equal role and responsibilities they each bear in ensuring unplanned pregnancies, needles sexually transmitted infections and clandestine abortions are a thing of the past. It's the content that counts We come to you. We are always looking for ways to improve our stories. Let us know what you liked and what we can improve on. I've got feedback! Supplement Paik Seung-ho pulled one back but by then Brazil were thinking about Friday's quarter-final clash with 2018 runners-up Croatia Croatia reach World Cup quarters with shoot-out victory over Japan Croatia now face either Brazil or South Korea in the last eight. President Samia scraps off Independence Day celebrations Sh960 million budgeted for the event to be relocated to construct dormitories for children with special needs.	10,511
Springpad is a rather new online NoteBook service that has some features from Evernote and some from other ways to organize your ideas, plans and whatever you stumble upon during A Day in the Web. And also in Everyday Life – “done better” as they say it. I found it yesterday and of course, signed […] Posted by kuehleborn on October 27th, 2013 \| No Comments Posted in Geeks Posted by kuehleborn on October 5th, 2013 \| No Comments Posted in Geeks Posted by kuehleborn on September 30th, 2013 \| No Comments Posted in Geeks A new Physics Song by Timothy Blais, a parody of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody (as is obvious from the title). Like Queen’s Brian May, Blais is also a physicist, his thesis is online, and a great musician. Good performance, funny, and, since his thesis was submitted for a master of science, I suppose the science behind […] Posted by kuehleborn on September 17th, 2013 \| No Comments Posted in Geeks Via Time U.S. A Bookless Library Opens in San Antonio. On Saturday, Bexar County Digital Library – a $2.4 million, 4,000-square-foot space, also known as BiblioTech and located on the south side of San Antonio – opens to the public. The library, built with $1.9 million in county tax money and $500,000 in private donations, […] Posted by kuehleborn on September 15th, 2013 \| No Comments Posted in Geeks More Online Courses for Independent Learning. This week on FaceBook via FreeYourKids: MIT Open CourseWare publishes virtually all of its courses online for free. Not entirely new, but still interesting as another option for independent learning. “The idea is simple: to publish all of our course materials online and make them widely available to everyone.” Dick K.P. Yue, Professor, MIT School […] Posted by kuehleborn on September 13th, 2013 \| No Comments Posted in Geeks I have always been very proud of this blog. When I started it, it was hosted on wordpress.com. It is still there, although it hasn’t been updated for a while. You can also read it there with the beautiful and quite popular Andreas04-template by Tara Aukerman. When I transferred the blog to my own server, […] Posted by kuehleborn on June 21st, 2013 \| No Comments Posted in Geeks Costumed Roleplaying is a custom of dressing like fictional characters, better known as “Cosplay”. The WonderCon – convention this year took place in Anaheim, CA, on April 1, 2013. Here is the video: That is fun, and I wish I could have been part of it! On the opposite of the geek-spectrum there is this […] Posted by kuehleborn on May 26th, 2013 \| No Comments Posted in Geeks In my last post I wrote about MyScript Notes Mobile, an app for the iPad. That was before I discovered the Moleskine app, which is a virtual rendering of the original Moleskine Notebooks that I always used before I switched to LiveScribe. THE CLASSIC FUTURE OF DIGITAL JOURNALS The look and feel is classic Moleskine. […] Posted by kuehleborn on February 13th, 2013 \| No Comments Posted in Geeks MyScript Notes Mobile is an application that allows you to create and customize an unlimited number of notebooks or other documents like sticky notes, in which you can write or draw. You can search for keywords and convert your text – although I have to work on my handwriting for that to be efficient :-). […] Posted by kuehleborn on February 6th, 2013 \| No Comments Posted in Geeks « Older Entries The Aesthetics and Beauty of Knowledge Shih was the opposite of facts and raw information; shih was the elegance of knowledge, the insight and skill to organize knowledge into meaningful patterns. As an artist chooses colours or light to make her pictures, a master of shih chooses textures of knowledge – various ideas, myths, abstractions, and theories – to create a way of seeing the world. The aesthetics and beauty of knowledge – this was shih. The attitude thing is about flexibility, portability, creativity, sociability and jamming (ran out of suitable “ity” words!). It’s about improvising – in the practical and musical senses of the word; not getting tangled in boundaries and the “right” way to do things.	4,295
Rhythm Pulze academy, one of the oldest in Ahmedabad, is an institute set up in 2003 by Akul Raval for training and nurturing the students in various melody and rhythm instruments. With percussion instruments like bongo, bongo, thumba, djembe, cajon, darbuka etc., being the heart of the academy, students are also taught instruments like the guitar, keyboard, drums, octapad. Starting with the age of six, the institute is open for all age groups and has till now imparted training to more than 10,000 students. Rhythm Pulze is a group of juvenile and dynamic musicians lead by Akul Raval, based in Ahmedabad(Gujarat). It plays contemporary and conventional pop, rock and a variety of percussion instruments, both brought in across the borders and manufactured in house. By means of diverse instruments and innivations, creativity is at its best here! “Jugalbandis” between dissimilar percussion instrument like Monster Tubelium, Floor Cajon, Pipe Drums, Udu etc. and traditional instruments like Djembe, Darbuka, Tumba, Congo, Electric Drums and other world percussions are composed to entertain the youth as well as the young at heart. Self composed range of fusion music is one of the most promoted curves among the youth which allows Rhythm Pulze to stand out wot difference during live-shows. Keep up to date with the latest news India's best drum circle Taal Inc has visited Rhythm Pulze Institute to showcase advance techniques of playing djembe. Akul Raval has received an Award for Trend Setter Musician from Gujarat Innovation Society for innovating 78 instruments. Rhythm Pulze has performed at Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2015 for Gujarat Innovation Society Now you can download Rhythm Pulze App from Android play store. Rhythm Pulze 13th annual show on 24th April, 2016 at Prakash Rhythm Pulze RD Burman show at Rajpath club on 30th April, 2016. Rhythm Pulze Girls band performed for "Sur Prabhat" at Sabarmati riverfront. Rhythm Pulze band performed at GRTS AC Bus Terminus inauguration ceremony with 80 performers. What our clients says A world of learners where children gain a passport to the world Rhythm Pulze is a group of juvenile and dynamic musicians lead by Akul Raval, based in Ahmedabad(Gujarat).	2,284
I came across a story on TechCrunch early this afternoon about Time Inc’s plans for a digital version of Sports Illustrated. What they’re doing here is really cool and it’s worth a look because a big part of my ideas here are based on what I saw in the video. Clearly I’m not expecting our children to have access to Sports Illustrated magazine while at school! But while many other nations, along with some districts here in Canada and the US, have been experimenting with laptops in schools, in one way I’m glad it hasn’t gone very far here. Why? Because tablets, such as the one seen in the video, are finally far enough along the technology evolution scale that they’re actually useful. What I mean by that is you no longer need a stylus to interact with the computer. What I’m envisioning, instead of magazines, is an era where all students have laptops with instant access to the textbooks the school district (or other governing body) chooses and the textbooks are always up-to-date — almost like Wikipedia, but not provided by Wikipedia (though they can be a part of the equation). When I went to school, my fellow students and I constantly found factual and grammatical errors in our textbooks; textbooks that were often written the year we were born (though we were now 10, 13 or 18 years old). History textbooks that incorrectly stated a series of events or attribute discoveries to incorrect people (Christopher Columbus was certainly not the first to “discover” America, the Vikings found North America long before that) or contained incorrect answers to mathematical equations. How about a world where such things can be flagged, submitted to the publisher and revisions can be distributed as soon as a change is made? I’m also thinking of an era where contextual menus let you share important finds within project groups (highlighting text and sending it around as something the group needs for its final report), or simply sharing interests with the rest of the class. An era where knowledge doesn’t end at the textbook, but where the menu can provide links to Wikipedia entries, search engines, videos on National Geographic or Discovery and the like. An era where a child’s natural curiousity for knowledge can be satiated almost instantly! One other way this helps students is that such dynamic textbooks could easily bend to accommodate for other learning styles – visual, audible, and tactile. Maybe your child learns best by seeing someone else perform an experiment. Perhaps they’d like to have both the audio and video running, so that they can follow along themselves but glance at the video (plus rewind and fast forward) to make sure they’re doing things right. Maybe they’d like to have a virtual sandbox on-screen where they can interact with a 2D or 3D representation before doing it in the real world. The possibilities are endless! One major issue I had when attending school, especially getting into high end math, was that I experienced a lack of support at home. My parents are loving people, and smart, but the day they remember how to solve a quadratic equation — something they probably haven’t seen in over 20 years — is the day I volunteer for a demotion! What can be provided to students is a social networking-type area where they can help each other out after hours. Log on, chat about friends and gossip, whatever kids talk about these days… but let there be a dedicated area where kids can ask for and get help either from within their school, other schools or possibly even the publisher. At the end of the day, I don’t care who produces the textbooks – just that they work well and students are able to interact with them in a way that it properly enhances their educational experience. If they can’t do that, then clearly it’s not worth pursuing. The other obvious caveat is how would schools pay for textbooks that are constantly updated? Well I’d like to see a model where schools pay for a subscription to the textbook on a yearly basis and the vendor guarantees that the textbook is up-to-date and that any updates can be pushed as soon as they are verified. If you would like to see the official demo video, you can watch it below (warning: contains images & video of SI Swimsuit Edition). UPDATE 01/28/10: Good news! I’ve found two organizations doing exactly what I’m talking about above. Check out Inkling and CK-12. Click to print (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) The School of One Archives Select Month July 2020 June 2020 April 2020 March 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 May 2018 April 2018 November 2017 July 2017 June 2017 February 2017 January 2017 November 2016 March 2016 June 2015 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 August 2013 June 2013 April 2013 March 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 August 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 September 2011 August 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 December 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 June 2009 April 2009 March 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008	6,029
A dry fast is an absolute, true fast in which you abstain from both food and water. This is the type of fast that was practiced by Moses (Exodus 34:28 & Deuteronomy 9:18, both times for 40 days), Ezra (Ezra 10:6, length undisclosed), the Nation of Israel (Esther 4:16, 3 days), Elijah (1 Kings 19:8, 40 days), the Ninevites and their animals (Jonah 3:7-10), most likely Jonah himself when he spent 3 days in the belly of the whale (Jonah 1:17), the Apostle Paul (Acts: 9:9, 3 days), and Jesus Christ (Matt 4:2, 40 days). More than likely, dry fasting has been practiced by many cultures and religious traditions throughout history. Dry fasting has been practiced by the Russians for a very long time. There is quite a bit of literature available on dry fasting in the Russian language. However, none of these writings has been professionally translated. I was first introduced to the concept of dry fast by Tanya Zavasta (a native Russian speaker) in her book Quantum Eating. I found the information fascinating, but did not really know where to go with it. Then I discovered the web community forum The Fasting Connection where I met Milena Albert (a native Russian speaker) who had been practicing dry fasting and was in contact with Dr. Sergei Filonov, a Russian medical doctor who has been conducting dry fasts with his patients for 20 years. Then, I was referred to a Google translation of his 400 page book Dry Medical Fasting: Myths & Reality. While the translation leaves much to be desired (being computer generated), enough of the essence comes through to make it a very worthwhile read for anyone who in interested in embarking on this path. There are two kinds of dry fasts: hard and soft. With a hard dry fast, the faster does not allow any water to touch their body, i.e. no washing dishes, no taking baths or shower, no brushing teeth, etc. With a softer dry fast, the faster can allow their body to come in contact with water. When you go on a dry fast, the pours of your skin develop a greater capacity to absorb water through the skin and in a good clean environment will readily absorb moisture from the air. It is for this reason that Dr. Filonov highly recommends undertaking a long dry fast in the mountains where the air if fresh, moist, and pure. He encourages many of his patients to sleep outside next to a stream of running water during their long dry fasts. While several of our Biblical forefathers fasted for 40 days, the longest dry fast on record in modern times is 18 days. However, most modern practitioners of dry fasting do not recommend dry fasting for longer than 12 days. Dr. Filonov always recommends doing several water fasts before ever attempting a dry fast. Then he recommends that a person start with very short dry fasts, 36-hours once a week. After doing this for a while, then a person can gradually do longer dry fasts of 2, 3, and 4 days. Finally, to affect deep cleansing of the tissues and healing of serious chronic illnesses, he recommends a protocol known as a “fractionated” dry fast in which the person does a dry fast for 5-7 days, re-hydrates for 3 days, then does a second dry fast for 9-11 days. He has found this method to be extremely safe over time. In order to achieve permanent healing results, a person must traverse two separate “acidotic” crises, the first between 3-5 days and the second between 9-11 days. So, by breaking up the fast, the “fractionated” method allows the person to go through the first crisis during the first fast and the second crisis during the second fast, thus reducing the stress on the body from too many toxins needing to be eliminated at one time. It should be noted that Dr. Filonov never recommend doing a dry fast for longer than 5 days without supervision. The problem with this is that there is are no medical doctors with experience in dry fasting in the United States. So, we are pretty much on our own if we want to use this method of healing. Another method of dry fasting that Dr. Filonov has found to be extremely safe and beneficial is a protocol he calls “cascade” dry fasting in which the person begins by fasting 1 day and eating 1 day alternately. Then, he has the person fast 2 days and eat 2 days alternately, then fast 3 day and eat 3 days alternately, then fast 4 days and eat 4 days alternately, then fast 5 days and eat 5 days alternately. With this protocol the person is literally fasting one half of every month. In his book, Dr. Filonov says he personally knows a medical doctor who cured himself of a blood cancer by doing 5/5 protocol for a full year. There was an interesting book published a few years ago called The Alternate Day Diet by Dr. James Johnson which advocates eating every other day for weight management and health maintenance. Although he did not have his patients fast completely on alternate days, but had them restrict their calories to 20% of metabolic requirements, his patient have experienced remarkable benefits and many have overcome severe inflammatory illnesses such as asthma (no longer needing medication). I don’t agree with his protocol of feeding on alternate days, and he even says that the results would be far greater if his patients did not eat anything on alternate days, but he feels that no one would be willing to fast every other day (perhaps he underestimates his patients?). His patients consume as much water as they desire. I have communicated with a young man through The Fasting Connection who has suffered from severe irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) for a number of years. He decided to start water fasting every other day and has experienced remarkable improvements. After four months of doing this, he says that his IBS symptoms are 70% less than they were prior to instituting alternate day fasting. He has not changed his diet which he tells me is far from optimal. I wonder if he would get even better results if he dry fasted? In a dry fast, the body does not eliminate toxins in the same manner as it does during a water fast. Instead of removing toxins through the normal channels of elimination, skin, liver, kidneys, urine, and bowels, it actually turns each cell into a tiny incinerator and burns the toxins up inside of the cell. One thing I have noticed since I started dry fasting is that I have almost no body odor or bad breath during a dry fast, while I always experienced this during a water fast. Each day of a dry fast is said to be equivalent to 3 days of a water fast in terms of detoxification, so you accomplish much more in a shorter time. The good thing about this is that a person does not need to take a long absence from their normal life, so it costs less both for the fast itself (if you are going to a facility to be supervised) and for the time taken off from work. Also, you lose less muscle mass and more body fat with dry fasting, than you do with water fasting, and the recovery time is quicker. Returning to normal function after a 10 day dry fast is much faster than after a 30 day water fast. Nevertheless, a person should plan for a re-building time of twice the length of the dry fast. So, for example, if you do a 7 day dry fast, you should plan for a 2 week recovery period. After my first 4 day dry fast, I had so much energy on day 2 of re-feeding that I decided to go dig up a garden bed I wanted to plant and ended up pulling a muscle in my forearm because I was not properly re-hydrated. It took a week to heal and I learned my lesson. Do not overestimate your capabilities after a dry fast and make sure you give your body sufficient time to recover before engaging in any strenuous physical activity. How you exit a dry fast is extremely important. If you do it incorrectly, you can definitely harm yourself. In his book, Dr. Filonov says to drink two liters of pure water very slowly, holding each sip in your mouth as long as possible, over a two hour period. Then he says to continue drinking water for the next 12 hours a little bit at a time. After that you can start to reintroduce other foods and liquids. Dr. Filonov is not a practitioner of a Zero Carb diet, so he recommends making a fruit compote out of dried figs, prunes, apricots, and raisins (all unsulfured and organic) cooked in water to soften before eating, as well as vegetable soup, fish broth, and raw milk kefir. The way I would come off a dry fast is to rehydrate with water as Dr. Filonov recommends and then introduce bone broth. After that, I would begin eating meat again. My preference is for raw ground beef, but rare steak would be my next choice. The key is to not over eat. Just make sure to hydrate yourself well with plain water before trying to eat anything solid. Dry fasting itself is not a “cure,” but it provides the right conditions to allow the body to activate all of its own, God-given, healing powers. Dr. Filonov has seen many illnesses heal through dry fasting; below is a list of the ones he mentions in his book: ovarian cysts yeast infection sciatica herniated disk brain injury eczema inflammationPlease note: There are a number of conditions for which dry fasting is contraindicated; namely, malignant tumors or blood conditions, tuberculosis, hyperthyroidism and other endocrine diseases, cirrhosis of the liver, heart arrhythmia, circulatory failure degrees II & III, underweight, pregnancy and lactation, being younger than 14 or older than 70 years of age. And, as always, is best to check with a qualified medical practioner before deciding to embark upon fast of any kind. 278 thoughts on “Dry Fasting” Susan on July 23, 2015 at 8:56 PM said: Aimienoho Matthew on May 10, 2019 at 7:50 AM said: Can i drink the raw milk kefir on an empty stomach immediately i finished the 3 days dry fasting? Or i should eat the fruit compote and vegetable soup, and fish broth first? Or immediately i finished drinking the water about 2 hours sipping and 12 hours drinking later? Thanks for your teaching. esmeelafleur on May 10, 2019 at 8:19 AM said: Always rehydrate with water first. Then you will have to experiment and see how you feel with the kefir versus the fruit and broth. Everyone is different. LikeLiked by 1 person Matthew on May 11, 2019 at 8:10 PM said: Good morning and thanks for your reply. Is it mandatory to prepare the dried fruit compote with its ingredients? And if I should do, what are the ingredients? Or can I boiled it just like that and eat it? How many minutes does it takes to boil? And can I drink the water with the boiled fruits? Or I should pour the water away? Can I also mix the boiled compote fruit with the raw kefir milk and eat or consume them together the same time? Please, forgive me for boring you with questions. Thanks. esmeelafleur on May 11, 2019 at 8:42 PM said: No it’s not mandatory in my opinion. I’ve never personally done it. I simply share Dr. Filonov’s recommendations. I don’t know how to cook it, but I would let it simmer on low until the dried fruit is very soft. This might take an hour or longer. Yes drink the water it’s cooked in because it will contain a significant amount of potassium that was in the fruit. I don’t see why you couldn’t have the kefir at the same time. John Matthew on June 20, 2020 at 1:24 PM said: Good evening. Please, can I eat water melon in place of the compote dried unsulfured fig prunes, raisins, and apricots? Because I can’t get the dried figs now. Immediately the two hours and twelve hours of drinking water, I want to take fresh water melon. Then I will eat vegetable soup after one hour or more. I’m exiting from 3 days dry fasting. And can I take peak milk in place of the kefir milk? Please, I need your advice urgently. Thanks and God bless you. esmeelafleur on June 20, 2020 at 1:50 PM said: The best thing to do is experiment and see how you feel. Jac on August 3, 2015 at 9:20 AM said: Thanks a lot Taneaha williams on November 10, 2015 at 2:46 AM said: I’m just coming off a three day dry fast.where I didn’t eat at food or drink any water.. how do I break it? esmeelafleur on November 10, 2015 at 4:48 PM said: LikeLiked by 1 person Tia on February 11, 2018 at 5:18 PM said: Three days on three days of for days on for days off just like her said. Start with a two liter bottle of water dipping over two hours. LikeLiked by 1 person Dave M on December 27, 2015 at 6:47 PM said: Currently on day 5 of a 7 day dry fast. First 2 days were soft as I washed dishes and had to swallow medication so needed a swallow of water to get the pill down, last 3 have been hard dry fasting. So yes I fasted since Christmas Eve. hardest and easiest fast so far. Hardest because I did it through Christmas but easiest because of the fact the side effects are minimal compared to water fasting. I have done a 18, 21, and 15 day water fast so far this year. Starting weight was 345lbs in March of this year, as I type this I am 101 lbs lighter at 244 lbs. I like dry fasting and will use it in January to get under 200 for the first time since 1984. Then I will be going ZC to maintain. God Bless you all and Merry Christmas! LikeLiked by 2 people esmeelafleur on December 27, 2015 at 7:43 PM said: Awesome accomplishment! NP on March 11, 2017 at 8:21 AM said: Sophia on January 3, 2016 at 10:31 AM said: Amazing. Good for you! kelisa on January 19, 2016 at 7:30 PM said: esmeelafleur on January 20, 2016 at 12:55 PM said: No, you do not want to put anything in your mouth. All of your tissue becomes hyper sensitive and hyper absorptive. Ikusika Oluwaseyi on February 8, 2016 at 5:45 AM said: How can a three day dry fasting be calculated? esmeelafleur on February 8, 2016 at 1:10 PM said: You begin counting from the time of your last meal. Thabo Maqeba on March 6, 2016 at 11:35 AM said: Thank you & May the LORD bless you. But after a dry fasting, the person eats with difficulty like it becomes painful when swallowing, so, what can be best for eating or drinking fist, to avoid the pain esmeelafleur on March 6, 2016 at 6:09 PM said: It is very important to drink plain water very slowly until you are rehydrated. How much water you need depends on how kind your dry fast was. If you dry fast for more than 3 days, it is probably wise to spend a full day rehydrating your body with plain water before trying to drink or eat anything else. Valtteri Laine on March 15, 2016 at 5:30 AM said: Would doing a 24 hour dry fast once a week be a good starting point? I’ve done a few 24 hour water fasts, and felt energetic the next day. Can you exercise during the dry fast, or the next day? esmeelafleur on March 15, 2016 at 6:28 PM said: I like 36 hours, from after dinner through the next day and night. Liz on February 16, 2018 at 10:56 PM said: I agree with Esmeelafleur, re: “after dinner” 36-hour dry fasts being a good introduction. (And this was after I first tested my ability with a shorter 18-hour dry fast.) Re: exercise, I did exercise the first time I dry fasted and felt great but this time feel drawn to rest. I’d say listening to the body is key, especially given that dry fasting is so much more intense than a water fast. Johan on March 25, 2016 at 7:49 PM said: Amazing content. I have done 25-hour dry fasting and many days of intermittent fasting. Now I understand the healing mechanism behind the simple yet rarely performed magic in the contemporary times. Thank you for sharing and spreading your knowledge. Dallas on April 19, 2016 at 12:39 AM said: How long of regular dry fasting will it take for the body to fully heal itself of every problem and become nearly perfect? Also when my body is fully clean can I eat junk food on occasions without getting headaches etc? esmeelafleur on April 19, 2016 at 7:26 AM said: Everyone is different and it would likely take more than one dry fast. Fasting is something best done periodically and on a regular basis. Dr. Jack Goldstein rite a fantastic book about his recovery from severe ulcerative colitis. He was on the verge of a colostomy, but tried fasting as a last resort. He did a 6 week water fast and it resulted in enough healing that we was able to avoid the colostomy. But he did a 4-6 week water fast every year for 5 years before he felt completely healed. You can find his book “Triumph Over Disease” used through Amazon. The longest dry fast one can do is about 11 days, and that needs to be worked up to. You need to do several water fasts as well as several shorter dry fasts before embarking on a longer dry fast. And a dry fast of that length should be done under supervision. I would never recommend eating junk food of any kind and cannot imagine why one would want to. Dallas on April 20, 2016 at 12:09 AM said: I have been dry fasting for two years. I was even at a point where I was dry fasting 56hr every week which after 3 months I realised was too much and my body wasn’t getting properly rehydrated at the end of ever week. I have done two 4 days dry fast. I don’t bother with water fasts. However my body has become really sensitive to many things which are unhealthy, which I know is a good thing as I have a total clean diet with no junk food whatsoever even occasionally. But It can get rather annoying at times because I get a headache or get tingling feeling whenever I eat or come in contact with anything unhealthy. It has it’s positives such as I know what is healthy or unhealthy for the body but is annoying especially in social circumstances. Can you tell me if such sensitivity will go away after a few more months of fasting? I’m thinking it might be a phase. I believe it might be my immune system being rewired. Do you have any knowledge on such matter? Thanks LikeLiked by 1 person esmeelafleur on April 20, 2016 at 6:38 AM said: I have come to the conclusion that dry fasting is a much bigger deal than water fasting, and that the rehydration process cannot be underestimated. I am currently on an extended fast. I did 5 days of water, followed by 5 days of dry, and now I have completed 4 days of water again. It has taken these 4 days of 2 liters of water per day, sipped slowly throughout the day, for me to feel fully rehydrated again. As far as food sensitivities go, I started fasting because of food sensitivities. Unfortunately, fast, either water or dry, has not improved my ability to tolerate more foods. My story is long and complex, but it started with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome which is notorious for messing up the digestive system. I cannot eat any plant foods at all because they all contain salicylates. Salicylates ate chemical natural toxins produced by plants to protect themselves from over-grazing by animals. Some people, like myself, have trouble metabolizing them in much the same way as diabetics have trouble metabolizing carbohydrates. Fasting has not changed this for me, and I believe this is because I am actually missing the enzymes needed to break them down. Similarly, fasting can improve the health of a diabetic, but it will not enable them to resume eating a high carbohydrate diet since they have lost their ability to metabolize carbohydrates through long term overconsumption. The fact that you body is telling you loud and clear that it does not like certain “foods” which are probably not really ideal human foods at all, is a huge blessing in my opinion, as it is will prevent you from developing a more serious chronic illness down the road. I hope this helps. Dallas on April 20, 2016 at 8:25 PM said: I use to be lactose intolerance but fasting healed that for me. I think if you continue fasting it will heal your sensitivity. Our bodies coevolved with plants and meat as a nutritional source. The main question is were you always intolerant to salicylates? As a kid could you eat plants without any side effects. If so, then your body has the potential to create enzymes to digest it, however it may just be the case of the RNA being damaged and unable to transcribe the enzyme. Maybe if you continue fasting long enough it will destroy the damaged protein and create a new functional protein. That’s how my lactose intolerance got reversed. However it did take a long time to heal. esmeelafleur on April 20, 2016 at 9:13 PM said: Anything is possible. But I honestly no longer have any desire to eat plant foods, so it really doesn’t matter to me either way. Dallas on July 19, 2016 at 4:10 PM said: Just an update for people reading this blog that my food sensitivities are gone thanks to fasting. I don’t get headaches when I eat junk food no matter how unhealthy it is. Although I still avoid junk food like the plague. Dry fasting works and is amazing. Also I never get sick again. No coughs or flu ever LikeLiked by 1 person Sadaf on March 1, 2017 at 10:58 AM said: What kind of energy levels do you experience during dry fasting for say 3-5 days? I work full time and I am concerned that I may not be able to function well at work. Please share your experiences. Thank you. esmeelafleur on March 1, 2017 at 5:20 PM said: Everyone is different. I need to rest during all fasts, but many people I know can go to work and function normally. The best thing to do is just go one day at a time. sleepingwakingwell on January 12, 2018 at 11:47 AM said: So did Dr. Jack Goldstein only do water fasts and not dry fasts – and it was these water fasts and not dry fasting which cured him? If so I would like to water fasting for one day and build it up – dry fasting sounds too scary for me at the moment. esmeelafleur on January 12, 2018 at 12:01 PM said: Yes, only water fasts. He did very long fasts of 4-6 weeks each for 5-6 years in a row. You can find his book in the group files of my Facebook group Principia Lenta and read tge details. josh on May 3, 2016 at 12:33 PM said: this is wild…..i have fasted but not dry fasted. My body loses too much water. I would be afraid of dehydration. However, its been awhile since I have fasted and every time I have done it it sucks at first but after about 18 hours of not eating , my body starts to really cleanse itself. Completely different state and feeling. Dorcia Talks on May 25, 2016 at 4:04 PM said: I’m on day three of my dry fast for the first time. I have been working out all three days at the gym for an hour. What do you suggest when I break tomorrow. I have lost 9 lbs and counting in the 3 days esmeelafleur on May 25, 2016 at 5:08 PM said: My first suggestion is that you never ever work out on a dry fast. It is much too dangerous. I am not sure what type of suggestions you are looking for otherwise? Water? Food? Dallas on May 25, 2016 at 10:59 PM said: Always best to break it with water. Wait a while for the water to go into your stomach and gut so it’s hydrated and then eat. If you do fasts longer then 5 days then you need to break it with water for a day or two and then introduce light food etc. Sara on May 30, 2016 at 3:35 PM said: Please post on Facebook when the PPT is available! esmeelafleur on May 30, 2016 at 4:56 PM said: What is PPT? Joe Stagg on May 31, 2016 at 8:16 PM said: I am interested in this method. I have recently been diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma. Quite curable, but also have high C reactive protein number and elevated white blood cell count, hypertension and type 2 diabetes. What other material would you recommend reading regarding this process? esmeelafleur on June 1, 2016 at 6:55 AM said: If you are on Facebook, you can join our Zero Carb fasting group called Principia Lenta. Go to our group files and download the PDF of Dr. Filonov’s book. Shannon on June 1, 2016 at 2:14 PM said: Why is dry fasting contraindicated in the case of malignant tumors? Thanks for the great info! esmeelafleur on June 1, 2016 at 2:23 PM said: I am not really sure. Dr. Filonov may have discussed this in his book Dry Medical Fasting, but I am not remembering it at the moment. You can get a Google English translation of his book on-line. It is not the best translation, but it is understandable and well worth reading. Shannon on June 1, 2016 at 4:39 PM said: I will look into it…thank you! bello nosa on June 6, 2016 at 11:05 AM said: Is it proper to play game while on fasting esmeelafleur on June 6, 2016 at 11:19 AM said: What kind of game? Adnan on July 13, 2016 at 3:52 AM said: How about dry fasting every single day for about 22 hours?it is said that if fasting done regularly prove to be beneficial?can this method be implemented? esmeelafleur on July 13, 2016 at 6:53 AM said: As long as you rehydrate properly before eating your one meal a day, yes. Dallas on July 18, 2016 at 7:02 PM said: Can I do 42 hr dry fast every week? Or is that too much? esmeelafleur on July 19, 2016 at 2:26 PM said: Yes, that is very doable. Jamie on September 8, 2018 at 11:15 PM said: Do a search for “Porfiry Ivanov” and something called “Detka”. Siya on July 19, 2016 at 7:09 AM said: Thank you so much for the info. I just did a 31 hours dry fast and broke the fast today, the first thing I had was juice but now my stomach is running and now I’m just having fruits (pears and apples) and a sip of water so far. Should I eat meat or what should I eat cause I’m planning to go dry again tomorrow? And I would like to know my dad is on insulin he’s dibetic, is there a method of fasting he can follow that would heal him? Thanks esmeelafleur on July 19, 2016 at 2:27 PM said: Did you drink water before having the juice? You are supposed to drink 2 quarts of water before and other food or drink. LikeLiked by 1 person Thomas on July 31, 2016 at 6:08 AM said: Please can a dry fasting help cure Hepatitis B ?? I need more insight about that. Thank you. esmeelafleur on July 31, 2016 at 9:38 AM said: I have no knowledge about this. john1202 on September 22, 2016 at 9:11 AM said: I was diagnosed with hep c in 2011 (in Thailand). But a test 3 weeks ago said I did not have it. I have been dry fasting regularly (and water fasting) since 2013. esmeelafleur on September 22, 2016 at 12:29 PM said: paka nkali on November 9, 2017 at 10:57 PM said: Fasting erases microbes and dry fasting actually scorches them. I have had infections that disappeared in a very few days with just short fasts. mohd5200 on April 7, 2020 at 1:30 PM said: How was your fast and how long John Walker on April 7, 2020 at 11:25 PM said: I fasted for 34 days – 9 days dry and 25 days water-only. The dry stints were first with 5 days and then two weekends of 2 days each. I was completing a 6-week business course while I was fasting. It was not feasible to dry fast while doing the course on week days. esmeelafleur on April 8, 2020 at 7:34 AM said: John – phenomenal accomplishment! mohd5200 on April 9, 2020 at 11:56 AM said: Did the virus disappear from your blood completely? john1202 on April 9, 2020 at 2:05 PM said: As far as my doctor in Australia was concerned, I had never had it. My first test was in another country and my doctor suggested that it could have been a faulty test. But my partner had the same test and she tested negative. I guess I will never know. Inteli Don on July 31, 2016 at 12:44 PM said: I just finished my first dry fast after 36 hours and am looking forward to repeating this often and then extending the duration. Over the past few years, I’ve done several water-only fasts, including 10, 22, 26, and 30 days with benefits and a gradual healing of my irritable bowel, joint and back pains, chronic fatigue and brain fog. I also did a 60-day grapefruit juice fast following a three-day dry fast. These fasts were done in conjunction with a mostly raw fruit and vegetable vegan diet. Even so, I still have not been able to improve my low adrenals and low kidney function. That’s why I’m cranking it up with the dry fasting. As someone mentioned, the problem with water fasting is that it gets very expensive when you have to take off a month and a half to two months to fast and recover. I had to pay to stay somewhere so that someone knowledgeable was around just in case, plus the loss of income during that time when not working. Thanks for the information! I plan to find a copy of the book you recommended. esmeelafleur on August 1, 2016 at 8:24 AM said: Dallas on August 1, 2016 at 5:29 PM said: I recommend you do a 36-42 hr dry fast weekly and also a 13-18 hr dry fast daily. Just a 36 hr dry fast weekly, although extremely powerful won’t be enough to see substantial healing within short period of time. So please supplement it with daily dry fasting as well. I do 37hr dry fast weekly and a 13 hr dry fast daily. Just make sure you rehydrate before eating your meals Happy Elegance on August 19, 2016 at 10:16 AM said: I have been following your comments on this blog post and appreciate every one of them. This one is especially helpful to me. I am healthy and do dry fasting for spiritual reasons. I have struggled to find an optimum solution to my diet as I feel very sluggish and my meditations not as good when I eat for longer days. Your recommendation would probably fit my body’s very light nutritional needs perfectly. I wanted to say thank you and to the author of this post. sleepingwakingwell on January 12, 2018 at 11:52 AM said: Do you mean two days dry fasting a week and one meal a day when not dry fasting? I suffer from chronic health issues. What would the one meal a day typically consist of? esmeelafleur on January 12, 2018 at 12:03 PM said: I personally eat 1.5 lbs of freshly ground raw fatty beef. sleepingwakingwell on January 12, 2018 at 4:28 PM said: 1.5 pound / 0.68 kg – do you eat that all on one sitting? And is it accompanied with anything? Is it possible at least initially for me to pan fry it about a 1 min each side? Have you tried other meats raw such as as lamb, veal and game (eg venison)? I sometimes eat cooked venison sausages bought from the supermarket. Thanks esmeelafleur on January 12, 2018 at 5:43 PM said: Yes, i eat it all in one sitting. I eat it completely plain because i like to taste the quality and freshness of the meat. Eating it completely raw and completely plain allows me to receive a very ckear “stop” signal when i have had enough. The taste of the meat changes from pleasant to unpleasant, often in only one to two bites. You can try cooking it for a short time on each side and see how you do. I don’t care for the taste of lamb ir veal and I don’t have access to gane meats. If you like the, they are great options. I cannot eat sausage. sleepingwakingwell on January 30, 2018 at 6:45 AM said: I tried rump steak cooked medium raw I only managed to nibble a bit though because it was too chewy and I was put off by the look of blood. If that why you grind your beef? To get of the chewy bits? Thanks esmeelafleur on January 30, 2018 at 8:59 AM said: I would never eat rump. If you want to eat beef raw as a steak, then the best choice is filet mignon or ribeye. Filet is super lean and will need some kind of added fat. I buy ribeye or New York Strip from Costco in bulk packages. They are untrimmed and vacuum sealed. I prefer PRIME grade because it is much fattier and better quality over all, but more expensive than CHOICE grade. I grind my steaks because I digest them better that way, but many in our Facebook group Principia Carnivora will eat a raw ribeye just like they would a cooked ribeye. JLMA on August 30, 2018 at 2:26 AM said: What do you think of only eating+drinking once a day, daily (year round) with a 30-min drinking+eating window every evening? Thank you. Ryan on August 15, 2016 at 1:15 PM said: I have been on, and off zero carb for the last 6 months, overall quite low carb. I have been researching fasting, and am playing around with a 4-6 hr eating window. Do you think there is a benefit to making the 18-20 hour fast a dry fast, or do you think that is too short to get the benefits? Thanks esmeelafleur on August 15, 2016 at 1:58 PM said: I’ve done this with only one meal a day, eating once every 24 hours. The main difficulty in my experience is properly hydrating before eating. You need a good 2 quarts of water before eating. So you might have to start drinking 2 hours before you plan to eat. Can’t hurt to experiment and see how you feel. strongman on August 18, 2016 at 12:50 AM said: Sandra on August 19, 2016 at 7:41 AM said: Hello Esmee! As a sufferer of mold/biotoxin illness who has not been able to tolerate the standard toxin binders, I’m intrigued with this statement: “In a dry fast, the body does not eliminate toxins in the same manner as it does during a water fast. Instead of removing toxins through the normal channels of elimination, skin, liver, kidneys, urine, and bowels, it actually turns each cell into a tiny incinerator and burns the toxins up inside of the cell.” How is this determined? In other words, how do we know that cellular process occurs? esmeelafleur on August 19, 2016 at 10:43 AM said: I honestly don’t know the answer to this Sandra. We would have to ask Dr. Filonov. Tom Anderson on May 27, 2021 at 5:57 PM said: I can tell you one thing, from experience, when you’re about four days into the fast, the whole world looks delicious, and you feel like a furnace. I wanted to jump in every puddle, lake shower or other water because you get so hot. While I was hot, I was losing fat like crazy too. All of a sudden my pants got loose and needed another tighter adjustment in my belt. But I could imagine the cells being like tiny furnaces because I never felt any heat quite like it before, and the craving for coolness and water contact of any kind is very very strong. It was so silly I was outside at 2AM standing in the yard in my shorts just enjoying the rain “wetness”, while everyone else was sleeping! Felt weird, but loved the rain contact. (I guess it’s a tiny cheat) Heard the rain,then had a huge craving to run outside. Lol esmeelafleur on May 27, 2021 at 6:03 PM said: Hi Tom – yes, this has been my experience as well. It’s quite fascinating! Dimitris on August 27, 2016 at 1:49 PM said: Hello esmee, thank you so much for writing this. You were the one who actually convinced me to embark on a dry fasting journey. I found it surprisingly easy. I’ve started with dry fasting up to 16 hours then water fasting to complete the 24 hour mark, instead of starting with a water fast and then transitioning into a dry fast. Was that bad logic on my behalf? esmeelafleur on August 27, 2016 at 3:37 PM said: No, I think that is fine. I have done it both ways. I recently did a 16 day fast that was >>> 5 water – 5 dry – 6 water <<< and I really liked doing it that way. But I have also gone directly into dry fasts from my last meal. Dimitris on August 28, 2016 at 1:13 AM said: Yes, I mean for a person without any previous fasting experience, is it wise to jump directly into dry fasting and do it the way I did? Sorry I wasn’t clear with my question esmeelafleur on September 6, 2016 at 1:43 PM said: It is always recommended to do a number of water fasts first. But go by how you feel. Nayo on August 31, 2016 at 6:52 AM said: I have done 1 day a meal fast for over 20 days. I would drink 4 glasses of water at 6:30pm and eat whatever food i am given at the family table (paying no attemtion to the class of food)at 7 pm I might take water if I am tirsty up till 11:45 am when I start my dry fasting. I will end my first 3 days soft dry fast by mid night today and have no particular plan other than to eat whatever I am offered at the family table. Is this healthy enough? is there any advice you would give me? I am 45 yes old married man and my fasting is strictly for religious purposes.I do not think I have any health problems. esmeelafleur on September 6, 2016 at 1:46 PM said: I would begin drinking water 2 hours before eating and make sure to consume a minimum of 2 quarts/liters before eating. I would not drink and water after eating for at least 4 hours because it dilutes the digestive juices. I believe a person can always benefit from fasting no matter their duet, but I strongly recommend eating only real foods and not too many carbohydrates. Eva on September 6, 2016 at 11:25 AM said: Hi. I am currently on a 24 hour of dry fasting, for spiritual reasons. I started yesterday with intermittent fasting. I have a slight headache but it is not bad at all. I plan to do it for 3 days. I am worried I might fall off the wagon, so how do you keep on going? Thank you in advance. esmeelafleur on September 6, 2016 at 1:41 PM said: Hi Eva – if this is your first dry fast, 3 days might be too much. Each dry fast gets easier. I started with 36 hours and gradually added 12 hours to each one. You will feel very thirsty when you first start them, but this lessens as you do more of them. Also, you can go through a period of hours where you feel very thirsty, but then it goes away. The best approach- in my experience – is to just take it one hour at a time. Don’t look too far ahead. Pray and ask God to give you strength. jaxi on September 8, 2016 at 9:54 AM said: Esmee, why is dry fasting not recommended for endocrine issues? I have hypothyroidism. But other issues that dry fasting would help. How does dry fasting affect the adrenals? (mine are not in a super bad state, just wondering.) What do you think? esmeelafleur on September 8, 2016 at 6:46 PM said: I don’t know the reason. I have CFS which involves hormonal stuff, including adrenal insufficiency, and I have definitely benefited from dry fasting. The best thing to do is try it. Start with short ones and gradually go longer if they seem to help you. lily T on October 18, 2016 at 1:39 AM said: On my dry fast, 24 hrs, felt irritable, mucus in my mouth to cough out on the tissue, some yoga postures help, but felt energy came back started on 36 hrs, will continue till 48 hrs, but not sure if confident to dry fast 72 hr. 2 times waterfast few years back. Recent 2 weeks began raw foods diet, 8 hrs of 2 meals per day, 16 hrs dry fast daily for 2 weeks followed Tonya Zavasta’s Quantum Eating. Appreciate the advice, the significance of rehydrate 2hrs before eating any foods, the way to drink water, staying inside mouth, let it slowly drip, like wine tasting, savoy every drop of clean spring water. Dallas on October 18, 2016 at 9:24 PM said: It’s allright. Work your way up to longer fast. You will realise it gets easier and easier. I’ve done a 7 days dry fast and didn’t even feel thirsty for the first four days. People do 14 days dry fast without even feeling thirsty, or getting low energy or even dry mouth or lips, or weight loss (assuming they are lean). Once you body is clean of junk, It can story water inside your cells instead of junk so you become extremely hydrated. To reach this level of hydration can take a year or two of dry fasting. Cells have vacuoles in them which store wastes and junk to prevent contamination of the rest of the body. However the vacuole has the capability of storing nutrients as well as water. But because of our contaminated bodies all our cells contain junk only. When you dry fast all of this junk will pour out of the cell and slowly be replaced with water and nutrients. There are people out there who can do 40 days dry fast (no food or water). However I do not recommend it unless your body is extremely clean. esmeelafleur on October 19, 2016 at 12:07 AM said: Dallas – I have never heard of anyone going longer than 11 days on a dry fast, and certainly not 40 (except for Jesus Christ). Do you have any references to support this? Dallas on October 24, 2016 at 1:07 AM said: Well I’m actually not sure if the 40 days dry fast is real but I read it here. “Having removed the obstructions from the cells of his body, he is ready to dry fast and truly benefit from it on a long-term basis. I think his longest stint was over 40 days dry and he often does shorter ones regularly.” I don’t know how true it is, but I would obviously never recommend anyone to do more then a 14 day dry fast. This guy or girl has done a 14 day dry fast to cure acne. This guy wanted to kill himself so he starved himself to death and it took him 24 days no food or water to die. I think he did dry fasting. Because 24 days is too little to dry from water fasting. Also he was in the middle of the forest in a tree hut. If it was indeed that he dry fasted, for a experienced faster, it will take longer to die from dry fasting because of a chemically equipped body and a cleaner more efficient and hydrated body. This man was not trained for fasting. This guy did a 12 day dry fast. He is a regular faster. esmeelafleur on October 24, 2016 at 7:59 AM said: Thank you. I have done 11 days, and that was difficult. However, I am a thin person with little body fat. It may be that the more excess body fat a person has, the more cellular fluid they have in storage, thus making longer dry fasts possible. jpt022 on June 17, 2022 at 11:45 PM said: Hi did your 11 day dry fast help to heal your MCAS or any other health issues? esmeelafleur on June 18, 2022 at 1:25 PM said: I have chronic intestinal pseudo obstruction (CIPO) which is autoimmune, and this is the cause of the MCAS and histamine intolerance and all my food issues. Neither fasting nor diet can ever fix or cure this problem. However, both fasting and diet help me to minimize and manage the symptoms. Without my knowledge of fasting and the carnivore diet, I would have been dead a long time ago. The average life expectancy for someone with CIPO is 40 years. I’m 52 and still here, so I would consider that a success of sorts. Andrea on October 26, 2016 at 2:40 AM said: You say: ‘ In his book, Dr. Filonov says he personally knows a medical doctor who cured himself of a blood cancer by doing 5/5 protocol for a full year.’ And then at the end you say: ‘ Please note: There are a number of conditions for which dry fasting is contraindicated; namely, malignant tumors or blood conditions,..’ So which is it? I have secondary breast cancer and am keen to know whether dry fasting would be harmful or helpful. Thanks. esmeelafleur on October 26, 2016 at 7:57 AM said: I have only summarized and shared what Dr. Filonov says in his book. I suspect that it has to do with how far advanced the person’s illness is. If you have an early stage cancer, then I do not see any danger in implementing dry fasting as part of your healing process. amanda on October 26, 2016 at 5:33 PM said: what type of dry fast do you recommend to kill a virus or parasite esmeelafleur on October 26, 2016 at 7:24 PM said: I would try to dry fast as many days in a row as I could for virus. Three days is often all that is needed. Karen Pate on October 29, 2016 at 11:43 AM said: I am a person who has suffered with adrenal fatigue, CFS, low thyroid and serious digestive issues that even water is a problem at times when i ingest it for a number of years. Also, due to so many food intolerances I have a very limited diet. I eat about 4 different foods. Toxic issues also. Unfortunately i got worse again after i had a blood infection last year and had no choice to be on s heavy broad spectrum antibiotic for 12 days. My digestive issues just don’t ever get better even with avoidance of many many things. I came across this website Zerocarb looking for information and help. I am curios about this dry fasting which i had never heard of HOWEVER, I DO NOT have a LARGE INTESTINE. The entire thing was removed in my early 20’s. Many doctors don’t know how to handle my symptoms because of not having my colon and are afraid of detoxing due to this and my super sensitivities to everything. How do I know if this is safe for me as the one thing i feel i cannot do without is water where as food I often just eat two very small meals a day. Any advice?? I am reaching a point of despair with my chronic fatigue, adrenals, brain fog, mold issues etc….and especially my digestive problems. I am no longer enjoying my life as I have been dealing with this for years and trying so many things that don’t seem to help especially any kind of supplements etc…I have spent thousands of dollars with naturopath, holistic doctors. Any advice would be helpful. Karen Pate on October 29, 2016 at 12:11 PM said: I am a person who has suffered for years with adrenal fatigue, CFS, low thyroid and serious digestive issues that even water is a problem at times when i ingest it. Also, due to so many food intolerances I have a very limited diet. I eat about 4 different foods. Toxic issues also. Unfortunately i got worse again after i had a blood infection last year and had no choice to be on s heavy broad spectrum antibiotic for 12 days. My digestive issues just don’t ever get better even with avoidance of many many things. I came across this website Zerocarb looking for information and help. I am curios about this dry fasting which i had never heard of HOWEVER, I DO NOT have a LARGE INTESTINE. The entire thing was removed in my early 20’s. Many doctors don’t know how to handle my symptoms because of not having my colon and are afraid of detoxing due to this and my super sensitivities to everything. How do I know if this is safe for me as the one thing i feel i cannot do without is water where as food I often just eat two very small meals a day. Any advice?? I am reaching a point of despair with my chronic fatigue, adrenals, brain fog, mold issues etc….and especially my digestive problems. I am no longer enjoying my life as I have been dealing with this for years and trying so many things that don’t seem to help especially any kind of supplements etc…I have spent thousands of dollars with naturopath, holistic doctors. Any advice would be helpful. esmeelafleur on October 29, 2016 at 5:48 PM said: I feel for you. I eat only one food, fatty beef, for similar reasons. I also cannot take supplements and react to some waters. I have been sick since age 16, very sick since age 26. I am now 46. It definitely gets old. I only recently figured out that all of my food sensitivities are caused by salicylate and histamine intolerance. Please read each of the links on these at the top of my blog. I was diagnosed with CFS and POTS many years ago, but these may both be symptoms of MCAS (Mast Cell Activation Syndrome). Please google “MCAS and Dr. Afrin” and his book will come up. I recommend you read it. As far as dry fasting goes in your unique situation I really am not qualified to say. You would just have to try short ones and gradually make them longer to see how you do. I wish I could be more helpful. LikeLiked by 1 person Karen Pate on October 30, 2016 at 8:11 AM said: I will look into it. I may have to try just doing protein and water to see if that helps and eliminate the two vegetables that i eat. Its just so hard to digest protein but its worth a try. I will start with going back to 12-16 hour periods of fasting also. esmeelafleur on October 30, 2016 at 10:03 AM said: Zero Carb is not a high protein diet. It is a high fat diet. Approximately 70% of your calories need to come from fat. Karen Pate on October 31, 2016 at 8:57 AM said: I have been reading so much on the Eat Meat &Drinknwater site. I am getting a little overwhelmed and i already have a lot of knowledge going through what I do. I seem to have the sensitivities are caused by salicylate and histamine intolerance. Can you guide me to what meats are best to try and where do you buy your fresh meat? I get mine from whole foods because there are almost no butchers or meat farmers here in Miami. I have trouble digesting 3 ounces of Bison let alone grass fed beef. I feel I get inflamed even when I used to drink bone broth. I stick to mainly two fish but I feel I don’t get enough fat? I can’t touch dairy and I see you are able to do Heavy cream. I feel like the heavier the meat the harder to digest. I never felt good eating chicken. Do I need to try other beef cuts? Sorry for all my questions. You and I have very similar histories except the fact I do not have a large intestine. esmeelafleur on October 31, 2016 at 10:52 AM said: Karen – The only food I have eaten for the past year and a half is fatty beef. I eat no eggs or dairy or broth. I can only eat the fat that comes with the meat. The meat has to be as fresh as possible. The best meat for me is the bulk package of New York Strip Prime grade from Costco. I bring it home and cut it into meal size portions and freeze. This prevents histamines from forming. Then I thaw a portion each night in the fridge and grind it fresh just before eating. I eat all my meat raw. Cooked meat and fat makes me very ill. LikeLiked by 1 person Dallas on October 31, 2016 at 12:08 AM said: You will have to work with what you got. Do short dry fast as esmeelafleur recommended and increase it gradually. 12-16 hrs of fasting is very weak. It’s a start but you will eventually have to increase it to 32-42 hrs dry a week. If your body is in a really bad condition it is highly likely you will either get a fever during the initial fasts. This will go away after your body is cleansed. Because your large intestine has been removed you are missing a lot of microbiota which is involved in immune system development, food digestion, carbohydrate digestion and biosynthesis of vitamins. Good luck. Karen pate on November 1, 2016 at 6:57 AM said: Sorry I thought at one point you did dairy. I have been reading so much and everyone’s testimonials that I am probably getting everyone confused. I dont think I could get myself to eat raw meat. I will have for law one day at a time. I ate 4 ounces of bison which I do once a week as it takes hours to digest. Fish goes down easier but I am missing the fat. I haven’t tried egg yolks. I know I react to egg whites. I know for awhile now I am not getting enough protein and fat. my weight is low. Thanks for accepting me on FB for the website PC. esmeelafleur on November 1, 2016 at 11:52 AM said: I know raw meat is a psychological hurdle for many, but most are surprised at how much they like it once they get past that part. All I can tell you is that my digestion of raw vs. cooked meat is like day and night. Cooked meat makes my body miserable and causes inflammation. sleepingwakingwell on January 12, 2018 at 12:04 PM said: You mention you grind it – what does that entail exactly? Is it just physically pounding it thin or putting it through some machine? What is the name of the fatty beef cuts? I will see if I can get some. Thanks esmeelafleur on January 12, 2018 at 1:42 PM said: I have my own meat grinder. It’s a LEM #12. I buy vacuum sealed untrimmed PRIME grade New York Strip or Ribeye in bulk packages from Costco. This is the freshest, best quality beef with enough fat for the price ($10-11/lbs) that i have found. I need a lot of fat and the only fat i can eat is beef fat. The vacuum sealing keeps histamines low which is important for me. sleepingwakingwell on January 12, 2018 at 4:19 PM said: Ive looked at the meat grinder model and its quite expensive. Would I have any issues eating it raw without using a meat grinder? Is the taste better with a meat grinder? Would it work with a much cheaper meat grinder? About the beef itself – is it ok to eat 28 day aged beef? I think I would find it difficult sourcing beef that hasn’t been aged. Thanks esmeelafleur on January 12, 2018 at 5:38 PM said: Aged beef is fine as long as you do not have histamine intolerance. I chose that meat grinder because i wanted stainless steel and i wanted it to last a lifetime. That model got excellent reviews. There ate certainly less expensive meat grinders, but I haven’t used them and so i cannot recommend any. Not all meat grinders work well. There’s a hige difference in the quality of the ground meat produced. I had a friend with a super inexpensive grinder, and the meat was so bad that I couldn’t eat it. You do not need to grind it to eat it raw. I personally digest it better when i grind it, but many do fine eating it just like a steak. esmeelafleur on November 1, 2016 at 12:02 PM said: Yes, in the beginning, I was eating cheese, butter, heavy whipping cream, eggs, bone broth, and pork. But I eventually eliminated all of these because I realized they were not good for me. I went exclusive to beef, and then exclusively to raw beef. It was a process that took me about one and a half years. In January, I will have been ZC for 2 full years. Karen Pate on November 1, 2016 at 7:05 AM said: Thanks for your reply Dallas. You are correct on what I am missing due to not having my large intestine. So frustrating because a lot of docs even holistic and naturopaths sometimes are baffled or don’t know how to assist. I can’t seem to get past 12-14 hours even on a water fast. I get stomach gas and my joints start to really hurt. I feel my body becomes acidic. I notice when I eat more than 4 ounces of meat especially like Duck and others my joint pain doubles and I get a bad taste in my mouth and I cannot ever mix 2 proteins!!! My stomach can’t digest it. Drives me crazy. Anyway, I am a little bit at a loss lately. esmeelafleur on November 1, 2016 at 11:55 AM said: I can only eat one type of meat at a time also. I presume that our hunter ancestors ate mostly monomeals. I don’t see them having killed a bison and then saying to themselves, “You know, I think I would like a little chicken to go along with this.” LOL Dallas on November 2, 2016 at 9:22 PM said: Joint pains and gas are healing symptoms. The only true symptom of fasting is weight loss and lower energy and everything else is a healing symptom. The gas forming might be that your digestive system is finally breaking down residue products and cleaning it which it couldn’t do before because of the constant influx of food. As your body gets cleaner your symptoms will subside and go away one by one as each problem is healed. Please read my summary on how dry fasting works: I have backed up almost all of my claims with scientific studies and it is important that you read it so you know how it works. Monique on May 31, 2017 at 9:26 AM said: Have a question…….going to attempt fasting slowly. Can this reverse osteoarthritis…..rebuilding cartilage and realigning joints? Have it in most joints and have had 2 knee replacements. Pain is getting worse. Read your article and so much info. Am new to this and willing to try this. Wish I would have tried before getting knees replaced! esmeelafleur on May 31, 2017 at 9:42 AM said: Fasting and and zero carb diet are both very anti-inflammatory and should help relieve your pain. sleepingwakingwell on January 12, 2018 at 12:13 PM said: Please explain – why do some people die when dry fasting and others don’t? Earlier in the post it was mentioned this depressed person starving himself – wasn’t what he was doing called dry fasting? esmeelafleur on January 12, 2018 at 1:45 PM said: It is only safe to dry fast for 11 days and the should be done under supervision and in a controlled temperature environment. You have to do many shoter dry fasts before that. Someone choosing to starve themselves to death has nothing to do with proper fasting. sleepingwakingwell on January 12, 2018 at 4:29 PM said: Can you expand on the controlled temperature environment bit please? I live on the UK and there can quite drastic weather changes in a single day so wondering if this would be an issue to me dry fasting? Thanks esmeelafleur on January 12, 2018 at 5:46 PM said: I just meannto stay inside in a stabke temperature. If you live in a very cold damp climate, keep the room or home comfortably warm. If you live in a hot dry climate, keep the room comfortably cool. Don’t put undue stress on your body to compensate for temperature extremes. Patrick on November 11, 2016 at 10:45 PM said: I have visited different forums where Milena Albert shared her experience about dry fasting. But since quiet some time she seemed to have disspaeared from those forums. Anyone can help how I can get in contact with her? Liz on November 19, 2016 at 11:06 AM said: My husband has MSA, a rare neurological condition. He has been doing intermittent fasts for the last few years. Prior to doing the fasts he had suffered pulmonary embolisms x 3. None recently. No medications. I’m still concerned. So I was checking google for information to backup my plan to tell him he needs to stop his current 5 day going on 6 day dry fast and I found your site. I’m less worried and tending to think he’s awesome. I’ll share the information about gradually rehydration. That seems to be the miserable part. He has done up to 7 days dry fast and 9 days water fasting . Thanks. sleepingwakingwell on January 12, 2018 at 12:15 PM said: Does he take his medication whilst fasting? esmeelafleur on January 12, 2018 at 1:46 PM said: You cannot take medication on a dry fast. If you must have the medication, then you cannot dry fast. Diana on December 6, 2016 at 12:40 AM said: I’m currently on day 9 of a soft dry fast. I’m an experienced water and dry faster, having done both off and on for the past year. I’m not zero carb, at least not yet, but my Weston A. Price diet seems to be getting closer and closer to it all the time. I weigh 170 lbs. I don’t have a set end for this dry fast. I’m listening to my body to see how it does. My previous dry fast was 5 days. This time, I didn’t even have a remotely day mouth at that point, so I kept going. On day 9 now, I’m starting to get a slightly dry mouth, but I’m still not getting desperate cravings for water, so I’ll keep going a bit longer. Here’s my question, though. All tummy hunger went away after a day or so of fasting, but now I’m suddenly getting the same tummy feelings that I had when starting dry fast. I know it isn’t true hunger. I’m not craving food, and I still have plenty of reserves, so I’m sure I’m not having issues with that. But in everyone’s experiences I’ve read on dry fasting, nobody has mentioned that symptom suddenly returning during a fast. I do know that (due to craziness in my life…) I have not gotten nearly enough sleep the last couple nights, and I am desperately tired. Could that be the cause? Anyone else had a similar experience or any theories as to why this might be happening and how long it could last? It’s making this part of the day rather unpleasant, whereas the rest of it has been lovely. I really like dry fasting and prefer it to any other variety. Thanks! esmeelafleur on December 6, 2016 at 10:50 AM said: Yes, stresscan cause a return of appetite before it might otherwise happen if you were able to truly rest with no worries or responsibilities. The longest dry fast I ever did was 10 days and Dr. Filonov says to go no longer than 11 days. Congratulations on you success so far! Mark on December 28, 2016 at 1:27 PM said: Hi esmeelafleur, could you give us some details about you such as your height, weight and whether you stick to some kind of sports regimen? esmeelafleur on December 28, 2016 at 4:25 PM said: I am 5’6″ and my weight is around 110 lbs. I am 46 years old. I do not work out vigorously due to a chronic health condition called Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. I am able to walk my dog short distances, but that is about it. Hans on January 10, 2017 at 5:10 PM said: Hi Esmee, Since you seem to be the only one of the knowledgeable dry fasters still active online, I’d like to ask you about something related. In Milena’s blog of her 40-day combined fast (I assume you are familiar with it) she wrote that on the 9th day we should ‘dip into’ a natural resource of water. Do you know more about this? Should this only be short contact with cold water or could it be longer? Could it be done daily on the remaining days of the fast, possibly more than once daily? Is taking a hot shower OK, i.e. not hindering the fast taking its full effect? Thanks in advance for any help, it’s greatly appreciated. esmeelafleur on February 3, 2017 at 9:40 AM said: A soft dry fast allow contact with water on the outside of the body, while a hardery fast dies not. I would be cautious of temperatures that are overly hot or cold when taking a bath or shower on a soft dry fast. Dallas on January 17, 2017 at 10:52 PM said: Have you heard of urine therapy. It could help your condition. I personally do urine therapy myself and it has really helped me accelerate the healing dry fasting gives me. Urine therapy is just as or almost as powerful as dry fasting in my opinion. You should do some research and try it. Read people’s testimonies. They have healed a lot of stuff from urine alone. Aged urine is even better to drink. The key to longevity is: Dry fasting + Urine Therapy + Calorie Restriction + Mostly Raw diet + Short Burst exercises + Organic wine. You might think urine is a waste product but if you do your research you will realise its not. The amount of toxins in urine is minuscule compared to the amount in your gut. Urea strengthens the liver and thus helps in healing. I always though urine was gross as well but after I tried it I was amazed at the results. I had a broken join and after drinking urine within 15 minutes the pain went down by 50%. Once I had a headache and after drinking urine within 5 seconds the headache went away fully. I had a swollen tonsil and after drinking urine within 40 minutes it was 90% healed. Animals in wild also drink their urine especially if they don’t have access to water. Try it. Try aged urine, its even better. It’s perfect for building the right gut micro biota and has antibiotics to kill viruses. Junk is filtered by the liver and not kidneys, thus your urine is sterile and mostly clean. The little junk it has will only stimulate your immune system to train it more and most of the junk won’t get absorbed. The point is urine has next to no junk in it. Yaro on March 9, 2017 at 8:06 AM said: Dallas you’re absolutely correct..I ve read most of your comments and cannot but I agree on every level, since I share the same opinions and practice just about every thing you do..Im surprised no one here mentioned a name Evgeny Malachov, who is an unbelievably experienced expert in Fasting,Dry Fasting,Urine therapy,and cleansing(detoxing ) you mind and karma..unfortunately(of course!!) his books are in Russian language..Mr.Malachov wrote numerous books and just may be the greatest single source of combined knowledge/ author/ of one’s complete self healing body thru Fasting / Dry fasting and Urine therapy..I run marathons and triathlons.. I water fast and dry fast and do urine therapy..I live in United States..@ Esmee-there is no doubt in my mind, not for a second, that you /would/ find an answer how to rid yourself of your plant based food allergies or get to the point you d be able to exercise or run for miles along w your dog following Mr.Malachov book..there are (2) books of his that I think its a crime no one translated to English yet- (1)Fasting..(2) Complete cleansing of the body…in 30 years he received thousands of letters& testimonies from people around the world,who followed his principles of self curing- mostly hopeless cancer patients that were aborted by their doctors, left to die (bone cancers patients,breast cancer,ovarian cancer,brain tumors, leukemia even HIV patients,every..) I have to stress the point-if you serious about living the life to fullest, happy healthy life ,free o disease -you cannot go half way..as gross and repulsive it sounded to me too years back too (urine therapy,drinking your own urine as medicine)-its a one of the greatest natural cure’s one will ever discover-your own body’s most amazing self healing medicine/remedy..remember-educate yourself, study,keep open mind-and you will be rewarded ..The books are a life changing t..Thank God they were translated to Czech language,which allowed me to read them..there is no maladie on this earth that cannot be wiped out or cured thru repeated fasting, changing of diet, urine therapy and clearing of your karma (inherited or accumulated by you)..Modern medicine and big Pharmaceutic companies of western world has no desire nor are interested in healthy person-there is no profit there..They mask the symptoms with strong drugs,never actually interested in healing the body- pump more& more chemicals into your body, prescribing more and more drugs until they ruined your internal organs completely and you pass away-nice doing business with you..Change today-help yourself and you will be rewarded..God bless esmeelafleur on March 9, 2017 at 9:34 AM said: Thank you for your interesting comments. I hope Mr. Malachov’s are made available in English in the near future. Yaro on March 9, 2017 at 10:52 AM said: No-thank you Esmee for running useful website with wonderful info..Gob bless you for that..also I d like to correct-in case someone would google his name-its Genadij Malachov (not Evgeny)- Gennady P. Malakhov is a famous Russian expert & writer of books on folk-traditional natural healing medicine. He has published more than sixty books, which have been sold in over thirty million copies and translated into several foreign languages. With his books he wants to motivate people to get to know their own body and to heal themselves thru fasting. Many of the treatments which he recommends in his books, he applied to himself (Urine therapy, fasting etc ).He received thousands of letters from people that followed his simple teachings and successfully rid themselves of every possible cancer there is, arthritis ,malaria, tuberculosis, skin diseases, food allergies etc-list goes on and on.. Dallas on April 26, 2017 at 12:20 AM said: Have you done a dry urine fast ie only drinking urine no water? What has been your experience?. What do you think is stronger, a dry urine fast or dry fast? esmeelafleur on April 26, 2017 at 9:17 AM said: A urine fast is not “dry.” It is simply a urine fast. I have not done urine fast. The best book on the subject is The Water of Life. Dallas on May 2, 2017 at 5:25 PM said: I have done a urine fast and have done several dry fasts. In my experience urine fasts are stronger. By urine fast I mean only drinking urine and no water. I would say urine fasts are atleast twice as strong as dry fasts and twice as easy as well and you can go longer on a urine fast as well. I have done 7 day dry fast twice so I can compare. Urine fast open you up and cleans your digestive system. Not to mention that there are a lot of stem cells in urine that can be used by the body. Scientists have made brain cells and teeth in labs using the stem cells in urine. During fasting the stem cell production increases however a lot of the stem cells end up in urine because your body can’t manage that much stem cells at once. By drinking urine you are recycling ketones, growth hormone, stem cells and testosterone so you become a healing, fat burning, energised, growth machine all at the same time. What I have noticed is that during my dry fasts my facial hair doesn’t grow much. However during my urine fasts (no water), my facial hair grows a lot and my body heals more powerfully at the same time. I bet you can build muscles and heal at the same time during urine fast, but I haven’t tried that yet. esmeelafleur on May 2, 2017 at 7:33 PM said: Interesting, thanks! sleepingwakingwell on January 12, 2018 at 12:25 PM said: How do I do a urine fast? Is it just drinking own urine throughout the day when you feel the urge to urinate? Is urine fasting safer than dry fasting? What is aged urine? What is the taste like? esmeelafleur on January 12, 2018 at 1:48 PM said: Read The Water of Life by Armstrong josh on January 23, 2019 at 11:01 PM said: Do you combine urine therapy with the dry fasting? Like save the urine in glass bottles then drink the urine in about an hour window at night so your dry fasting about 23 hours then drinking all your urine in about 1 hour. esmeelafleur on January 24, 2019 at 11:54 AM said: I don’t know anyone who has done that. Daniel on February 3, 2017 at 6:09 AM said: Hi good people My name is Daniel from London, UK…I’m currently on day two of a water fast, my intention is to do a 21 day water fast then break for two weeks before embarking on a dry fast. I am looking for a fasting buddy to help me through. I have done a 7 day water fast before (twice) now I want to start pushing. Yaro on March 9, 2017 at 12:55 PM said: Daniel, if I may- with longer fast (over 15-18 days), you will most likely go thru (2) acidic crisis cycles.. it is very very important to remember-it takes almost just as long or little less to ,,come back” from a prolonged fast( the right way)..I ve read a book by a russian Dr.Filonov who is the leading authority doctor on dry fast and fasting in general in the world..he runs a hospital where people come to fast from all around.. If you plan on water fasting for 21 days-itl take your body minimum of 14-18 days to re-group..you’re going to loose lots of weight& fat , (although some of it will come back fairly quick)-in short -it is not suggested at all to come back from long water fast (in your case 21 days) and (couple weeks later) going back on even on more strict dry fast..what is your motivation ? Is it a medical condition..? spiritual reasons? Loose weight ??..Why dont you improvise now while you at it-you can combine 5 days water then next 2 days dry fast and so forth..by the time ,if you even last 21 days(thats a punishing fast), I think last thing on your mind will be going right back on even more brutal fast ..I ve done some longer water fast & dry fasts and after so many days I couldnt even take water anymore, total dislike..be very careful,especially if you’ve only done 7 day fasts so far..good luck bud.. Daniel on February 3, 2017 at 7:15 AM said: Just a small amendment needed – its Elijah (1 Kings 19:8, 40 days) and not Elijah (1 Kings 19:18, 40 days) esmeelafleur on February 3, 2017 at 9:37 AM said: rubicela on March 9, 2017 at 8:36 PM said: hi how often is it safe to dry fast for 36 hours? esmeelafleur on March 11, 2017 at 11:38 AM said: As often as you want. Pingback: Fasting: Why, Types, and the Health Benefits \| Dumpster Delight John on April 7, 2017 at 12:41 PM said: Hi Esmee and others: over the past year I have done a few dry fasts ranging in length from 48-72 hours. Dry fasting is great for all the reasons said. I even cured a poorly healed shoulder with dry fasting – it no longer makes noises when I elevate my arm a certain way. However, the one problem I still have is an irritant dermatitis. Dry fasting barely makes a dent. Does anyone have experience using dry fasting to cure dermatitis permanently? Do I have to repeat the 48-hour dry fast every weekend? Do I need to perform a longer dry fast (4, 5 or 6+ days) for deeper healing? Memorial Day is coming up and I am thinking of taking a day or two off beforehand to knock this into the stratosphere. Hoping someone can provide any perspective. Ty. esmeelafleur on April 26, 2017 at 9:19 AM said: What foods are you eating? Please detail them for me. John on April 26, 2017 at 9:43 AM said: Hi Esmee, I stick to a paleo diet but I find I cheat once a week with alcohol or pizza or a cheeseburger. In the recent past, I have tried very strict diets like wheat grass only for a week or two but it’s just so difficult to follow. As memorial day nears, I will stick to a strict paleo diet and try my best to limit sugars (fruit only). I really want to beat this because the irritation is a nightmare. esmeelafleur on April 26, 2017 at 10:26 AM said: Okay, well dry fasting will not have a lasting effect if you continue to eat foods that cause the problem. My suggestion would be to do an all beef diet for 30 days and see if it help to improve the skin condition. The skin condition is the result of one or more of the foods you are eating. By eating only beef, you will be doing what I call a Paleolithic version of the elimination diet. If you can afford to eat steak, that would be your best choice. John on April 26, 2017 at 10:28 AM said: Alright, I will give this a shot. John on May 31, 2017 at 8:40 AM said: I managed to go three weeks eating meat and drinking water. I used unsalted butter to cook with. My skin improved a great deal. I have to be more disciplined though as I did not make it the full 30 days (cheated at a BBQ). I recognize the benefits of this diet though. The all meat and water diet helped a great deal and I am going to stick with it as much as possible. I feel great. Thank you. 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I love garage sales. Today I picked up a bunch of Omni magazines for $1. I like to get cheap magazines because I like to use photo references for my artwork, so I have a very haphazard photo library, mostly consisting of ELLE and MAXIM, unfortunately. So if you have any magazines you want to get rid of, let me know! I also got a bunch of used VHS video tapes for 25 cents each. Those old BASF cassettes are really sturdy. “They just don’t make ’em like they used to, son.”. I’ll tape over them all with cartoons etc, although I could watch old episodes of Law and Order if I want. The neighbor next door (they were actually holding the garage sale with some other people from the building next door) called me dirty. How dare them? Well, judging by our deck, they’d be very right. I think she just said that to get back at me for dropping dirt on her head when I was moving stuff on the deck and she was directly underneath during the garage sale – haw haw – I should have changed the kitty litter at the same time just to add insult to insult. I did a bunch of cleaning up today, in anticipation of Kirsten coming over tomorrow (hooray hooray hooray!). Mostly tidying and stuff that I would have gotten around to eventually anyway (so don’t get any ideas, KLM. Or…actually, you can get some if you’d like, I wouldn’t mind in the slightest. Yeah…on second thought: please get some ideas, if you know what I mean). Well, that’s enough for now…Jon should be here any second to pick me up for a BBQ at Kathryn’s in beautiful Langley. Related Ideas Archives Select Month December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 July 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 May 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 September 2019 August 2019 May 2019 February 2019 January 2019 May 2018 February 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 May 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 August 2015 July 2015 January 2015 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 April 2014 March 2014 December 2013 November 2013 September 2013 April 2013 February 2013 December 2012 October 2012 September 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 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 October 2000	4,039
"I thought it was all about money," Trellaine, my companion, replied to the old man. Grey Beard everyone called him. He had no beard. And his hair, well that was black. But it was rumored that old Grey Beard here had broken the monopoly on truth. For the right price, of course. "Time is everything!" he growled, kissing the rim of a bottle, poorly obscured by a paper sack. Payment from a previous visitor. Myself, I preferred cash---on the advice of my pal Trellaine. Good advice that never failed, at least not in the six months I'd heeded it. Grey Beard stretched out his hand, open palm up---surprisingly spotless for this particular street-corner. I fished into my left pocket, but Trellaine tapped my shoulder. "No, no." He breathed as if the air itself held authority. "Come clean, Mister. So time is everything? Explain." "Eh!" The old man growled, but upon realizing no money would be forthcoming, he placed his quarry between his legs. Wiggling his fingers, "Time for this, time for that," he shrugged. "Time to stay, time to go." He pointed at the freeway. "Time flies when you're having fun. No time to argue," he wrinkled his brow, "After all, this just isn't the time." With a wink, he dug his elbow into Trellaine's leg, "Time for a quickie?" A scowl was the only response, but he continued, "What time is it?" He paused and we stared blankly. "Hello! What time is it?" "Oh," I twisted my watch into view. "Around 12:30." He crumbled the sack against his bottle. "You're wasting my time! Now give up!" Before I could move, Trellaine grabbed my arm. "I think not. You don't know anything about truth. You're just a babbling old fool." "See here. We had---" "Ah, come off it. You've got your booze. You don't need anything from us. Would've just been a couple of quarters anyway." Trellaine tugged my sleeve. "C'mon." Grey Beard's eyes followed us as we departed, even as he upended his paper bag. "I should've figured," Trellaine sighed. "All that talk. Nothing to it in the end." He rambled on, and all the while I fingered the few dollars in my pocket. It felt cold, like chilled steel on a snowy morning. That, I couldn't fathom; I was only carrying bills. "I'm going back." "I feel bad for the guy." "Oh, please. He promised truth and didn't deliver. In the absence of product, there is no payment." "Sure, sure." I tossed Trellaine the keys and told him to keep the engine warm. "Here," I said, dropping the wadded bills onto his lap. Instead of glancing down, he glared at me---dead-on. "Had you pegged, I did." Sighing, I glanced at my watch. "I have a lot of work to do." "Yes," he replied, though I'd already turned to walk away. "Time is money, you know!" And his bottle---it gurgled as he shook it toward my retreating back. Please contact the editor for free text versions of this very short story formatted for e-mail, usenet news, or ftp.	3,033
These are the books that impacted my life. I will continue sharing more as I read them. They will help you change, reach your goals, focus your time, be more productive, live happier, etc. I hope they will inspire you. Click on the cover to go to Amazon. This book is a must-have in our busy society. Multitasking is a myth. If you want to get better results and achieve more, you need to simplify and focus. Cut through the clutter, reduce stress, and live a more productive life no matter what your profession and aspiration is. Ok, so, I am not a morning person, but this book is still great. It helps with implementing daily disciple for a lasting change. It's about being consistent, forming good habits, making progress. It's written by a person who values his life as he nearly died twice. Don't waste yours. Who doesn't want to stop worrying and start living! An oldie but a goodie. A guy who wrote How to Win Friends and Influence People is full of practical advice (if you haven't read that book - you should too). A great book to read and to live by. Check your library for a free copy. This book presents lessons on lasting change. It focuses on timeless principles that have to do with character, things that cannot be ignored if one wants to live a not only successful but fulfilling life. They can be used in both personal and professional life. Leadership Leadership skills are essential in every area of our lives, and this book goes over important principles of being a good leader. There are examples and exercises for every concept. Find out about the essential qualities of the leader from the person who's been practicing and perfecting them over the years. The name of this book is actually Think and Grow Rich, but I don't think the meaning is lost even if the last word didn't fit into the image. It actually focuses on personal development and self-improvement. The author studied the habits of successful people that can be applied in our daily lives.	2,135
Yesterday I listened to an interview with Michael Hyatt. He suggested that writing and posting blogs on a daily basis gets to be overwhelming, not only for the author but for the readers. He maintained that his readers thanked him when he cut back because they had been having a hard time keeping up. Am I wimping out? No, certainly not. I find that the writing in the morning is very beneficial to build my skills. And I still have much to write about. Between historical tidbits, student activities, my elderly mother and Muffin, the dog, there are dozens if not hundreds of topics I could continue to write about. That said, I understand how time-consuming and tempting it is to spend hours going through hundreds of Facebook posts. And to stop and read blogs takes forever. Mine are just adding to the overwhelming burden of ‘stuff’ to read. I admit to disapproving of the self-aggrandizing and self-centered world of selfies and personal reminiscences. And I have fallen into the trap as much as anyone. Unless my blogs offer some kind of useful material that adds value to people’s lives, I’m not sure of their worth. I will continue to post, but as Hyatt recommends, I will cut back to once a week on a regular basis – let’s say Sunday, when people have time to read. I also have a selfish reason. By cutting back on blogging, it will give me time to complete the rewrites on my first two novels and finish work on my web page. My beloved Beta readers, some of whom I am meeting with on Wednesday, have given me much to correct and improve on my books. I also have several chapters written for the third book and can now focus on getting “Spanish Rebel” finished. It will be a delight to focus on writing for a longer-range purpose than just a 800-word blog. A few weeks ago, I submitted ‘The Spanish Captain’s Daughter,’ my first novel for competition, or at least the first ten pages, to the Writers’ League of Texas competition. If nothing else, I will get some good input from the readers and judges. It would be even more wonderful to win a review by an agent, but as a first novel, that would be highly unusual. In the meantime, I need to get off my duff and get the manuscripts out there to other agents. I did find out why I have not heard from the agents with whom I signed a contract three years ago. They have not said a peep for a whole year, even after I sent updates and rewrites. When I looked up Pinder Lane and Garon Brookes in the 2016 Agents Directory, they were no longer accepting anything. They are evidently out of business and never let me know. So, look for my blogs once a week on Sunday. I will do my best to “Add value” to your lives. January 26, 2016 Retired Professor Emeritus from Sam Houston State University, interested in writing novels and speaking about topics such as the history of Latin American. Would like to share the AMAZING world of the 18th century in Northern New Spain, that's Spanish Texas and Mexico! Leave a Reply Cancel reply You must be logged in to post a comment. Of Scanners and Governments January 18, 2020 Our government is no... Back from the wars May 5, 2019 My Blog Archives Select Month January 2020 May 2019 March 2019 February 2019 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 November 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 June 2015 March 2015	3,716
Posted byd.e.larsen.dvm March 31, 2020 March 14, 2021 Posted inCommunity, Family, Fly Fishing, Veterinary Medicine, WildlifeTags:Veterinary Medicine, Wildlife I launched the drift boat at the Rock Creek Campground boat ramp. After parking the pickup and trailer. The kids decide that they need to run back to the camp for one last item. “Okay,” I said, “I will pull the boat down by the camp and wait for you there.” With that, I got in the boat that rowed down the bank, so it was close to our campsite. Now I just waited for the kids to show up. Time away from the practice was precious to me. It was rare that everything lined up in a manner that would allow us a weekend away. Craine Prairie Reservoir, on Century Drive south of Bend, was one of my favorite places to fish. It held large rainbows and was big enough that you could avoid the crowds. It was also far enough away from Sweet Home that it would be rare for me to be recognized. When I was away from town, I always avoided any mention of being a veterinarian. Any mention of my profession, even complete strangers, would prompt a long story of their dog, or cat, and their trips to the vet clinic. Being an introvert at heart, I hated such conversations, especially from strangers. I pretty much only fly fished. There were times when we would fish with bait, with the kids, and when we could harvest the catch. We had learned that the fish out of Craine Prairie tasted like mud this time of the year. You almost couldn’t use enough tartar sauce to make them palatable. When we were loaded up, I rowed out to Osprey Point and dropped an anchor from each end of the boat. This would keep it from swaying in the wind. I had made fly poles for the kids. I used inexpensive fiberglass rods, 7 and a half feet in length, and rated for line weight of 4. Since kids cannot cast too far, and the most expensive part of a fly setup is the line, I took double taper floating lines and cut them in two. This gave each rod a 33 foot, tapered, fly line. This was almost perfect for young kids At Osprey Point, there was a deep hole just off the point and large fish for the taking. It was also an area were the kids could fish with their floating fly lines. By using a nymph, about 6 feet under a strike indicator used as a bobber, they could hook their share of fish. This allowed me to fish the deep hole with a sinking line. I would drag an olive Wooly Worm across the bottom of the hole. This made for wild action most of the time. I always believed that when you were fishing with kids, the action was urgent. The quickest way to sour a kid on fishing was to make them sit in a boat, or on a bank, for hours with nothing happening. We hooked fish in the first 15 minutes or a half an hour at most, or we would go do something else. When a kid asks when do they know they have a bite, you have waited too long before going to do something else. We managed to get everyone hooked up with a fish in a short time, but that was enough for most of them. We headed back to camp to drop off the kids. Derek was the only one who wanted to fish more. We needed a lunch break anyway. When I was ready to go back out in the afternoon, Derek was dragging around a little. “I will wait for you at the boat,” I said as I headed down to the shoreline. I was standing there leaning against the side of the boat when I noticed the group of boys. There were 4 boys, walking along the shoreline, coming from the direction of the boat ramp. They looked like they were somewhere around 10 years old. They were checking out everything that looked movable as they came along the bank. One of the boys was carrying something. When they reached me, they stopped, and the one boy handed me a bird he had been carrying. It was a Starling. It had a blowgun dart that pierced through its back just in front of the wings. The wound was days old, maybe a full week. There was extensive tissue necrosis around the dart that extended across its back. Its wings were not functional. Even with comprehensive medical treatment at this point, this bird would never fly again. My impression was this bird would not survive, even with medical treatment. The larger question was how had this group of young boys find the only veterinarian standing on the banks of Craine Prairie today. Even when I thought I had made a clean escape from town, even when I was as anonymous as it was possible to be, they still find me. I knell down, so I am talking at the same level as the boys. This was no rag-tag group. These boys were well dressed for a fishing lake shoreline. I would guess they were all from well to do families. They were probably reasonably well educated. If that can be said for a group of 10-year-old boys when they were grouped with their peers. I point out the extent of the wounds caused by this dart. “I hope the guy who shot this dart is proud of his skill.,” I said, hoping to still some pity for the bird and to just maybe educate the boys on the ethics of killing an animal. “This bird has been suffering for several days, maybe a full week. You can tell by looking at the rotten flesh around the dart.” They carefully examine the wound, probably for the first time. I wiggle the dart a bit, to illustrate that the tissue infection has allowed the dart to loosen in the tissue. “Hunting, and fishing, is something that we do as a people,” I said. “Some people would say this bird should not have been shot, but it is one of the birds that people are allowed to shoot. But to shot the bird and not finish the kill is cruel to the bird.” The boys have some chatter over those statements. Each one of them sort of repeat their interpretation of what I have just told them. “I don’t think this bird is going to survive,” I said. “For us to finish the kill would probably be the best thing we could do today. This bird has suffered enough, and we should bring that suffering to an end.” So now I was in a corner. With 4 boys watching, how was I going to euthanize this bird? One of the boys who, I noticed now, was wearing a cub scout shirt, took the lead. “Set him on the ground, and I will get a rock,” the young scout said. “I can crush him with a rock.” “That might work,” I said. “But you might miss, that wouldn’t be very fair to the poor bird.” “How should we do it?” the young scout asked. “I will take care of him,” I said, hoping the boys would continue their exploration of the shoreline. No such luck, they all stood there, looking at me for the answer. I gripped the bird in my right hand and held it so the body would not respond. Then I took a firm grip on the head with my left hand. With a quick jerk, I pulled the head off the bird. The body quivered in my right hand for a few seconds. “Oh! He pulled the head off!” the young scout said. “That was the quickest way to do it here,” I said. “Now, he is not suffering anymore. You guys remember, if you shoot something, you make sure it is dead.” Then it is over, the boys continue along the shoreline, I toss the decapitated bird into the grass. Derek comes down from the camp about then, realizing he had missed something, but not knowing what to ask. We loaded up and went out to fish for a few precious hours. Surely, they won’t find me out on the lake. Reddit Posted byd.e.larsen.dvm March 31, 2020 March 14, 2021 Posted inCommunity, Family, Fly Fishing, Veterinary Medicine, WildlifeTags:Veterinary Medicine, Wildlife Published by d.e.larsen.dvm Country vet for over 40 years in Sweet Home Oregon. I graduated from Colorado State University in 1975. I practiced in Enumclaw Washington for a year and a half before moving to Sweet Home to start a practice. View more posts Previous Post Previous post: Note to My Readers, No. 2 Next Post Next post: One thought on “A Few Precious Hours” March 31, 2020 at 3:43 pm If there was a chance to save a life, you would give it a shot. Zippy the goat could not pee. Angel the “dog” got her face torn open. So many appreciate your gift.	8,162
We are farmers, we are business owners, we are parents, we are friends. Our work is rooted in the communities in which we exist. We recognize the magnitude of challenges faced by our community and as an extension, the world. We also recognize the opportunity for real sustainable change and the role in which our land, waterways and community will play in the future prosperity of New Zealand and New Zealanders. One Health Nature-based Solutions New Zealand has established itself on the strength of a clean, green image drawn mostly from the beauty, health, and grandeur of its landscapes and waterways. Much of New Zealand’s land and waterways are used for agriculture and production. To date, the link between tourism and the agri-based economy has not been successfully married in a regenerative way. In the last 10-15 years, science and data has enabled us to be better informed about how we farm and the impact that this can have on our environment. In the past, there hasn’t been the awareness and the importance of having a whole approach to the way we live on the land. This is now in front of us and we need to do better. New Zealand as a whole has many positive initiatives in place supporting improvements and identifying better ways of operating. Fit for a Better World has established the Primary Sector’s vision for New Zealand and how we farm. Criffel Station and those who inhabit it are deeply involved in regional and national environmental and community groups including WAI Wanaka, WAO Summit and Our Land and Water National Science Challenge place-based pilot. We believe above all else that with the right practices and vision in place, agriculture can be regenerative and sustainable. An approach that benefits the land, the animals, the environment, and the communities who work in and around rural properties. One such approach is One Health. It is this philosophy which underpins all that we do at Criffel Station. One Health One Health describes the collaboration of varied disciplines working together to provide optimal health of water, environment, animals and people. It is a virtuous self-reinforcing cycle that helps to improve the reputations of New Zealand producers within this country and beyond. It is about focussing not just on the monetary value of the agri-sector but also the esteem in which products are held. We believe this is communicated through the relationship producers have with the land. In 2020, Criffel Station was one of 25 pilot farms that piloted the New Zealand Farm Assurance Plan Plus Framework. This Framework is effectively setting farming standards to support our production in a sustainable way while adding value to our agricultural product. One Health encompasses: This aspect focusses on using Nature-based Solutions in our farming practices, reducing air pollution and waste management See more on Nature-based Solutions below. WATER Developing a sustainable water catchment management plan, that involves testing and where possible going beyond industry standards. Taking a proactive risk-based animal health and welfare planning approach. This aspect requires properties to adhere to the core concepts which the NZ Animal Welfare Act (1999) is founded on: Proper and sufficient food and water. Adequate shelter. Physical handling in a manner which minimises the likelihood of unreasonable or unnecessary pain or distress. Proactive documented animal health plans that are annually reviewed and risk assessed by a veterinarian to ensure protection from, and rapid diagnosis of, any significant injury or disease – being a need which, in each case, is appropriate to the species, environment, and the circumstances of the animal. Or more simply, proactive animal husbandry that results in truly happy animals. PEOPLE Ensuring a safe and healthy workplace where a team feels supported, encouraged and rewarded is just part of this aspect of One Health. It is also about the flow on effect of a rural entity on suppliers, guests and the broader community that supports or, through employment, is supported by a rural property. One Health properties take care to ensure involvement with the community as valuable and respected contributors to the overall health of their rural property. Agriculture is not the end in itself: it is part of a value chain that culminates in consumption – but to be successful we need to ensure our landscapes, our people and the animals are nurtured. Read more Nature-based Solutions Criffel Station is an advocate and supporter of using Nature-based Solutions in our mission to sustain the health of the land, through continuous care, for this generation, the next and for the benefit of all. Nature-based Solutions offer a way forward for addressing conservation, climate and socioeconomic objectives while maintaining healthy and productive agricultural systems. (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). To Criffel Station, Nature-based Solutions are entirely consistent with our One Health philosophy and mission to achieve sustainability, enhance biodiversity conservation and provide opportunities for carbon storage. Criffel Station views Nature-based Solutions as a positive answer in achieving sustainable production and our conservation objectives. It is our belief that we need to relentlessly invest in nature, it is central to our future thinking approach and not an afterthought. Nature-based Solutions are being applied for soil health, soil moisture, carbon mitigation, downstream water quality protections, biodiversity benefits as well as agricultural production and supply chains. Our goal is to make our land healthier year after year. Criffel Station believes it is part of our collective responsibility to tackle climate change and our journey to net zero greenhouse gas emissions. It is critically important to us to demonstrate the Nature-base Solutions concept locally, and our ability to have a greater, more transformative effect on the environment, on our ability to sustain human wellbeing and prosperity, and to restore nature.	6,200
Room is a superb data storage solution. Bedroom offers several advantages, including a simple, secure, and trusted storage alternative. It can also function as a repository for different applications. A data storage area can also be used to maintain large amounts of information, such as e-mails. A data safe-keeping room is usually an invaluable tool for businesses that require to take care of a backing up of info. In this article, you will see about the advantages Our site of Room. Server rooms are routine in modern day office complexes. They are deemed smaller brothers and sisters of data centre facilities. They are a practical solution for corporations with remarkably specialized demands. An onsite web server will save a company money to the cost of a data center, and allow it to improve and control its own data systems. It will likewise be much easier to protect against potential disasters, just like fires or floods. But even when your company grows, you may have to expand the info storage place. While data cabinets are more comfortable with house worthwhile IT equipment, they can can also increase the risk of open fire. Server racks may become overcrowded, causing them to get fire. You need to implement a cooling technique to protect your servers by fire. This cooling strategy should be personalized to the form of server racks you have. This is the foremost way to guarantee the safe safe-keeping of your info. For example , you may use two-post display case design to ensure cold atmosphere is able to circulate freely. ← Previous Post Next Post → 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. The leading health and wellness clinic in Palm City, Florida, Christie Care offers holistic and effective medical services on-demand, empowering you to live a happy and healthy life.	1,998
South Carolina lost one of its most important and historic citizens on Sunday when former South Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Ernest Finney Jr. died. He was 86. Ernest Finney Jr. moved with his family to Orangeburg, SC at a young age. He graduated from Wilkerson High School before attending Claflin for his undergraduate studies. He graduated from Claflin in 1952 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. He enrolled in the South Carolina State College School of Law, earning his law degree in 1954. Armed with a law degree but unable to find work as a lawyer, Finney Jr. moved to Conway and became a teacher at Whittemore High School. He would also supplement his income by waiting tables and teaching veterans it read. Ultimately, Finney Jr. didn’t see much future in Conway. After five years he moved his family, which included his wife Frances and their three children (Chip, Jerry and Nikki) to Sumter. In 1960 Finney Jr. set up his law practice in Sumter. He was also able to find a position at Morris College teaching one course a week to supplement his income. He got involved in the civil rights movement, gaining a reputation as an outstanding defense attorney and civil rights advocate. He and his good friend Matthew Perry, who was Chief Council of the NAACP in the 1960s, estimated that they represented as many as 6000 clients who were ensnared in the legal system as a result of their actions in support of civil rights initiatives. Ernest A. Finney Jr. said “I have never known abject poverty, but I have known segregation in its worst form. I therefore believe the Law is absolutely necessary to protect the rights of all citizens.” In 1963 Finney Jr. served as chairman of the SC Commission on Civil Rights, serving in the vanguard of the movement to advance the cause of racial justice. After the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Acts of 1964 and 65 passed through Congress, it looked to Finney that folks in this state were finally ready to do some business. He felt that Black folks needed to be involved in politics, and that he was crazy enough to think that he might be the man to make a run for a seat in the South Carolina House of Representatives. On his third attempt, he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1972. Subsequently he was appointed to be a member of the House Judiciary Committee, becoming the first Black on this key committee in modern times. He was a charter member of the Legislative Black Caucus, and served as its Chairperson from 1972 thru 1975. He was elected judge of the Third Judicial Circuit in 1976, becoming South Carolina’s first Black circuit court judge. In 1985 Ernest A. Finney Jr. was elected as an associate justice of South Carolina Supreme Court — becoming the first Black American to sit on the state’s highest court in the Twentieth Century. The “crowning jewel” of his political career occurred on May 11, 1994, when Ernest Adolphus Finney Jr. was elected Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court — the first Black American to serve as Chief Justice in the state’s history. Judge Finney would retire from the Supreme Court in 2000. After retiring from the court, Finney served one year as the interim president of South Carolina State University in 2002 before returning to his private practice. In retrospect the Judge states, “I didn’t have any idea that the people of this state would have been so kind and considerate to me or afforded me the opportunity,” said Finney. “I had lots of people who questioned my ability to do something because nobody that looked like me had ever done it before.” Posted in Headlines, Local Rosa Bogar on December 10, 2017 at 1:25 pm My condolences to the passing of Ernest A. Finney who was also the first African American Chief Justice of South Carolina. He was the attorney for the “Friendship Nine” of Rock Hill, SC the first protesters to be jailed by refusing to pay bailed and served hard labor. I’m honored that in 2004 I honored Mack C. Workman one of the “Friendship Nine” during a commemoration for “Civil Rights Remembrance Day” in NYC. He accepted the plaque in honor of all nine of them.” I am a native of Orangeburg, South Carolina and the founder of “Civil Rights Remembrance Day” My collection is at the South Carolina Historical Society in Charleston, SC “A-shaa to Hon. Finney may he rest in God’s divine love.” Name (required) Email (will not be published) (required) Click here to cancel reply. Related Posts July 19, 2020 \| No Comments » Sherry Coutain of Horry County Receives the Murray L. Vincent Outstanding Prevention Professional Award	4,714
Home and Gardening Family and Parenting Dec by No Comments on council owned trees blocking light council owned trees blocking light the lower branches are intruding into our garden. not to mention their roots have extended some 25ft under the garage and into the garden. Check if you can chop, prune or trim a tree on council property: Check if your tree is growing on public land and what happens if you want to trim or remove a council owned tree, or you need to apply for tree owner approval. Adjacent to my house is some green belt land owned by local council. In addition, section 23 of the Act requires the Attorney General to review the Act two years after its assent. The tree is well over the roof of my bungalow, about 10 feet and is brushing on the tiles and against the chimney which will soon be causing damage. The title can be amended only by Community Directory â this is to avoid the chance of it being changed to a different organisation, which may affect links. The main tree in question is still on council property. The council will only undertake works to trees where there is shown to be a significant risk to persons, property or to the long term health of the tree. This means we cannot do anything about a tree which blocks your view or shades your garden. aspx: Check if you can chop, prune or trim a tree on neighbouring properties Last year the council agreed to prune back the lower branches of the trees â¦ We prune or remove our trees when they are: diseased, damaged or dying; dangerous, because the tree or part of the tree has fallen or is at risk of falling; causing damage to a property; getting in the way of vehicles or pedestrians; blocking street lighting, road signs or traffic lights If youâd like to alter your organisation title please contact Community Directory. If your neighbour's tree branches or roots are coming into your garden The encroachment of branches or blocking light into your home may affect your enjoyment of your property. We are responsible for trees on land owned by the council. My neighbours have several trees planted right on the edge of their 6foot fence on their side. Are there any laws about the height that these trees are allowed to grow and who should maintain the branches and leaves that come over my side of the boundary. This tree is located in 2 Burnt Ash Lane, Bromley and is made up of 4 flats all of which I believe are Council owned. Tree in council owned property is blocking light to adjacent gardens. So we would like that looked at. The Tree Officer is usually an employee of the local Council. The status of a tree should be checked with the local authority before work starts. The tree and branches are too high up to lop off so this would require a tree surgeon. We will speak to the neighbours about their tree. More serious problems that could arise include the roots causing subsidence or affecting the water content of the soil. Show reporterâs name Reported in the Public tree requires pruning category anonymously at 12:52, Sat 14 October 2017 Sent to Bromley Council 3 minutes later zoom. If a hedge or two or more trees in a row are blocking light and you can't reach a resolution, you should follow the procedure to submit a complaint to your local council. It is also possible to establish a right to light if you can demonstrate that you have had 20 years of uninterrupted enjoyment. There are no laws that allow a right to light per se and you will be unable to force the neighbour to do anything. Trees that block your view or grow close to your land. also both trees are beginning to meet in the middle whilst also shedding leaves and seeding. Lidtop2013 Posts: 3,567. If a neighbourâs tree is dangerous or is blocking your view or light, you can apply for a special type of District Court order to get the tree removed or trimmed. Council trees For enquiries or concerns relating to council-owned trees, please send an email to the Parks Team, at mail.parks@reading.gov.uk . Trees and Hedges - private and Council-owned. Tree is blocking light from our owned property. In the case of the Tree Officer within the Planning Department this is achieved by maximising the many and varied benefits that trees provide to the Councilâs administrative area, through an input into I suffer from SAD (seasonal affective disorder) and need direct sunlight to ease this condition. Even if your neighbour's tree has caused no damage, but is simply being a nuisance, perhaps by blocking sun or light, they may still be liable for the cost of getting the nuisance resolved. I live in England. Neighbour Planting Trees blocking light Just about to finish building my new home and my neighbours are starting to plant a row of trees in front of our view and evening light. Note: Some trees are protected by the Resource Management Act 1991. Tory MP Helen Whately is locked in furious row with neighbours who claim trees at her £1.35m Kent farmhouse are blocking sunlight into their homes and shedding leaves into gardens 1.3 Sometimes, however, trees on private land and the way they are (or are not) maintained can cause disturbance to neighboursâ use and enjoyment of their own land. These are troublesome neighbours who only use the field for agricultural purposes and their house isn't anywhere near the trees or our house, we can't even see their house. ... block our rain gutters, infiltrate into the engine area of our cars, and land on the house roof to form an unsightly thick lawn like deposit. a tree is blocking light (we don't deal with this problem) a tree has aphids or honeydew is falling onto cars or property (we don't deal with this problem) a tree is touching or damaging overhead wires: contact BT (Openreach) instead; a tree is obscuring a street light: report it as a faulty streetlight instead I can no longer do this as the tree in the picture is now blocking the sun from my back garden. This is because tree owners should take reasonable steps to stop the trees interfering with their neighbour's enjoyment of their own properties. The following list are issues the council do not prune or fell trees for. If you feel a Council tree is dangerous and requires urgent attention, contact Access Trafford on 0161 912 2000 between 8.30am and 5.30pm. On this land there are some large trees, 3 of which run adjacent to my property. A "right to light" is an easement that gives a landowner the right to receive light through defined apertures in buildings on his or her land. You can use the online enquiry form at the top of this page to report a problem with a council owned tree in a street, park or open space, such as: damage to your property from a tree; trees blocking street lights or signs; We don't deal with reports about: falling leaves or â¦ The aim of this review is to determine whether: â¢ the policy objectives of the Act remain valid, and Trees restricting light that fall within the terms of the High Hedges Act might be contested on these grounds rather than the Right to Light Act. My neighbor however is the parish council and the tree is in the village hall car park. Before reporting an issue with a council owned tree, please ensure you read the councils tree asset management plan, which can be found on our Tree asset management plan page. Their job, like any other Council employee, is to serve the interests of the public. In law there has been no tested case to prove or disprove right to light and as such there is no absolute right to light, to either land or property. Tree in council owned property is blocking light to adjacent gardens. The council can only potentially intervene in concerns over trees blocking light if those trees meet the criteria of being a âHigh Hedgeâ. The trees are now quite mature and seriously affecting the light in my garden. If you do find that a tree is causing you nuisance, a discussion with the tree owner may resolve the problem. The fact that trees are deciduous may (depending on the extent of the leaf fall during the winter) mean that during certain periods they will not continue to obstruct the dominant ownerâs light (at any rate to â¦ â¢ trees on Council land, â¢ trees which block light or views, and â¢ trees situated in non-residential or non-urban zonings. In relation to trees there is no legal right to light or a view. Rules and regs regarding council trees. A frequent source of neighbour disputes involving tree branches is that they block off natural light and you should carefully check your deeds to find out if they contain a specific right to light. In theory the same case can be made for large trees blocking light but trees are rarely implicated because they grow slowly and it is difficult to be precise about when the loss of light occurred. Council owned trees damaging my property. You can take the owner to court, but the council cannot become involved. 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It all started when I decided to break up with my dentist. It’s sad, actually, because I really like the dentist (actually a married wife/husband dentist team, both of whom are absolutely delightful and skilled). The problem is my hygienist. We go to a large office where there are several hygienists and the first time we went, everyone was assigned one randomly, and I have a different one than the rest of the family. She’s a very nice lady and we always find plenty to chat about but after every single cleaning, my mouth is a total mess. Bleeding, soreness, awkward feelings when I chew. I have two crowns right next to each other in the back of my mouth and after every cleaning they kind of felt “shifted” – not sure that is even possible, but they always felt really oddly out of place, and I would keep getting all kinds of stuff caught in them, and they’d bleed all over, and it would take weeks before I felt like everything had settled down. (Caveat: I have been through SEVERAL dentists and hygienists in the past 15 years, to the point where it MIGHT be me, and not her – either my over sensitive gums or my over sensitive heart. But WHATEVER.) So all five of us had a cleaning coming up in August – today, actually – and as the day got closer and closer I found myself dreading it. And then I had a thought: what if I just cancelled it? But then: what if they want to know why? But then: I could say I just need a break! Or that the insurance is maxed out due to the root canal I had back in February! Or whatever! So I called and cancelled, and they didn’t even blink an eye or ask me why, even though I am obviously not busy as I am bringing in all three children at the exact same time. Success! But it was a bit of a scary thing for me, because I actually have not gone longer than six months between cleanings since I was a baby. My mom was passionate about our dental health, and I had an awesome dentist growing up who I loved (also: a pretty good hygienist), so regular cleanings were just part of the lifestyle, and I always totally bought into the idea that my teeth would turn black and fall out without the regular attention of a dentist. So to counteract my daring act of rebellion, I bought myself some antiseptic mouthwash to use after brushing and flossing, and made it a pact to take better care of my teeth myself, in order to avoid the hygienist. I started nightly rinses with the stuff (Crest ProHealth if you want to know). And then, after about three weeks of having a super clean mouth, I noticed that my bottom teeth had these weird brown marks on them, like really bad stains from a life time of smoking and drinking coffee, neither of which I do. I thought maybe they’d always been like that, and I just never noticed, but then I had a sudden flash of inspiration and I read the label of the mouth rinse, and it said this: “Staining of teeth may occur with this product, but it can easily be removed with a professional cleaning.” I immediately stopped use of the rinse and, in desperation, went out and bought some whitening toothpaste. (Sensodyne Whitening, if you want to know). So I’ve been using the whitening toothpaste for about two weeks and LO, the stains are almost completely gone. And I even feel like my teeth in general are more glowy and shiny, without looking really fake-white. I’m not sure I will continue to use it once the stains are gone completely, but it has more than solved the problem. So to sum up: yes, whitening toothpaste works. Related Previous Next One thought on “Whitening Toothpaste” I always find it funny how obsess North American are with their teeth. I mean, nothing wrong with that. But it makes us, European, feel bad. A check up every year? Yeah… I’m pretty sure most French go much longer between check ups. And cleaning is virtually unknown. We don’t have that many kinds of toothpaste and toothbrushes and all either. August 13, 2014 at 3:14 pm Comments are closed. My name is Lynn. I live in Ottawa, Ontario, with my husband and three kids. Turtlehead is my mother’s word for that groggy feeling you get when you’ve overslept. I swear I didn’t know about the poop connotation until much later. Got something private to tell me? Find me at lynnturtlehead at gmail dot com. Looking for Something? 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365 days ago I was panicking about starting my business. I had planned and researched. I had worked hard for eight months. I had spent hours preparing and slaved over my first batch of MISTIs. I was in tears and scared out of my mind. I felt like the life I had was about to be over. I knew things were going to be different. I made my first post and it was official. Then.....nothing happened. I felt relieved that my life was not over. A week had pasted and nothing happened. I started messaging other card makers on YouTube to check out my videos. Still nothing. My husband would ask each day if I sold a MISTI and I would say no. I just knew that he wanted to say I told you so. I remembered the words of my husband's uncle, "Only forty of your closest friends and relatives will buy one. You are too close to this." I was a little disappointed that when I showed paper crafters no one said, "I will buy one." Eleven days had past. Then there was a sale. I sold one. I sold one to Kelly Marie Alvarez from Lawn Fawn. I thought I hit the big time. The orders were going to roll in now. Nothing. The pity party started. My mind thought, "Kelly bought one because she felt sorry for me. What a sweet lady! I really like her more now." Oh well...what am I going to do with the other 59 MISTIs. A couple days passed and I had another sale. A couple more days passed and I had another sale. I thought that this was a good pace. If I can sell two or three each week I could handle it. A steady stream is all I wanted. I knew God would not give me more than I could handle. Then Splitcoast Stampers happened. Qtpy posted and then the world went crazy. God has slowly eased me into this. Every step I wade deeper and deeper in He is whispering to me the whole time that everything will be okay. Thanks for everything you do. Now there have are times that I start to splash too much and feel like I am sinking. During these times my friends and family remind me to be still and listen for God's whisper. Thanks for everything you do. Splitcoast Stampers will forever have a place in my heart. My eyes well up with tears of gratitude. There is this unexplainable feeling of support there. Encouraging, joyful hearts live there. My cheerleaders have become good friends. Thanks for everything you do. It floors me that you are reading this, that you care what I have to say, that you take the time watch my videos. It overwhelms me to hear your comments. Thank you for your support and most importantly your time. Thank you for everything you do, Giveaway: In honor of the handmade MISTIs I used to make, all blog subscribers will be entered in a random drawing for an original laser etched MISTI. If you already subscribe, you don't need to do a thing. If you aren't a subscriber, all you have to do is sign up to enter. Winner will be posted on the anniversary of my first sale, July 29th. I told you so! Posted by Iliana at 2:00 AM Scrapthat July 18, 2015 at 3:09 AM Those are lovely words Illiana. I have followed your blog in my reader for some time now but I choose to subscribe to your blog, not to get a MISTI (which is a totally sweet giveaway!) but to let you know what a fabulous product you have and how happy for your success I am and so I will subscribe to let your Uncle David know....she did tell you so! :D ReplyDelete Replies creatingincolors July 18, 2015 at 7:13 AM Yes, Iliana - we love you - we care - and we admire you for all you have accomplished. You persevere, and you believe. But there's more..... you have not just become an awesome inventor and businesswoman....... through your blog I am learning that you are also a beautiful and heartfelt writer. ReplyDelete Replies Iliana July 25, 2015 at 12:26 PM Writing scares me! I thought I would not have to worry about it after graduating school. Thanks for the compliment, I am insecure about my writing. Delete Replies Anonymous July 18, 2015 at 9:12 AM Thank You for sharing God's goodness. ReplyDelete Replies Pegcraftalot.blogspot.com July 18, 2015 at 9:16 AM Your Misti is the best thing since sliced bread! I subscribed as soon as I found you a few months ago! I ordered from SSS for the Misti and all accessories from you and my stamping is so much better because of you. Thank you for the chance to win a very special Misti ReplyDelete Replies sabbycat July 18, 2015 at 9:17 AM What a sweet post and how precious! God is good! The Misti is an incredible product and crafters are so grateful to have such a wonderful tool. SO glad you chose to persevere. So very happy for your success, sweet girl! ReplyDelete Replies Katie July 18, 2015 at 10:05 AM Iliana, I loved your heartfelt post. You and the MISTI have helped in ways you might not have thought. My Mom is 96. She loved stamping and making her own cards. She gave it up after she could no longer stamp good impressions because of unsteady hands. After I purchased the MISTI and played around with it, I showed Mom. She did some stamping with it and was amazed how well she could stamp her cards. Long story short, you have brought back a joy once thought gone. So tell Uncle David that! Thank you bunches from Mom and me. ReplyDelete Replies Iliana July 25, 2015 at 12:23 PM So glad you and your mom have a passion for stamping. I wish my mom lived closer so that we could do that together! Delete Replies Gabby July 18, 2015 at 10:05 AM Congrats on your upcoming '1st MISTI Sold' Anniversary! Very thoughtful, kind words in your post. We MISTI owners are very appreciative that you created this helpful tool which has helped thousands of crafters. I'm enjoy the videos you and other crafters make which help me learn various ways to use it more. Continued blessings, Iliana. xx :) ReplyDelete Replies Unknown July 18, 2015 at 10:24 AM Iliana~ A friend introduced me to the MISTI and I had to have one with all the accessories It has changed my card making life in immeasurable ways - all for the positive. Other friends have tried mine and have bought one as well also with all the accessories. I am so glad that you made the decision to persevere. Had you not, card making life would have amounted to much wasted paper. Congratulations to you on your anniversary and a BIG HUGE thank you from me for your ingenious MISTI!!!! ReplyDelete Replies Iliana July 25, 2015 at 12:22 PM Awe shucks! Thanks for spreading the word. Just think of all the trees we have saved! Haha! Delete Replies Shirley July 18, 2015 at 10:34 AM Love your video and card. Congrats on your upcoming year of sales. MISTI is a must item for all crafters/card makers. ReplyDelete Replies Deborah Daniels July 18, 2015 at 10:49 AM Congratulations on your Blogiversary! Love the card, thanks for sharing. ReplyDelete Replies Pat July 18, 2015 at 10:52 AM Ordered my Misti in November after watching Jennifer McGuire using it. What a neat tool, find myself using each time I make a card. You did an excellent job creating it. ReplyDelete Replies Amy July 18, 2015 at 10:57 AM What a lovely post! I watched and watched your little company, and then I jumped in! Congratulations on your success! My MISTI makes me so happy. ReplyDelete Replies BunnyC's July 18, 2015 at 11:08 AM Congratulations on your success. It's a wonderful tool. I love mine. ReplyDelete Replies Ruth July 18, 2015 at 11:28 AM Congratulations on your success, your belief, and your perseverance. The MISTI is a great tool, and I use it regularly. I wish you many years of success. What other cool ideas do you have that would make a crafter's life more fun?! ReplyDelete Replies Iliana July 25, 2015 at 12:21 PM I am working on another! Stay tuned! Delete Replies Looney Laura July 18, 2015 at 11:34 AM ReplyDelete Replies Kay July 18, 2015 at 11:35 AM I love my Misti so much that I ordered another for my daughter's Aug. 2 birthday. Thanks for your vision in creating this fantastic tool. May God bless you and your company abundantly! God is Good! ReplyDelete Replies Iliana July 25, 2015 at 12:20 PM Delete Replies Looney Laura July 18, 2015 at 11:39 AM ReplyDelete Replies Jan Castle July 18, 2015 at 11:40 AM Delightful card Illiana...thanks for sharing how you made it! Like the tips you gave too! Happy for your success and God's blessings!!!! ReplyDelete Replies bonapartelady July 18, 2015 at 11:50 AM I have had my original Misti since your early days....last August I think. I use it EVERY time I stamp! Mine actually has Catherine Pooler's name lightly etched on the edge. LOL. I cherish it. So happy you have found such success. ReplyDelete Replies Iliana July 25, 2015 at 12:20 PM I wonder how that happened! I am mortified! Delete Replies Robin Cooper July 18, 2015 at 11:57 AM Happy blogiversary Illiana!! Amazing story. Thanks for sharing it. I LOVE my MISTI and am very thankful that you invented it. Thank you for your videos too! I always look forward to seeing other ways I can use my MISTI or even to use it more efficiently. ReplyDelete Replies joy July 18, 2015 at 12:01 PM Congratulations! YOU DID IT! You had a dream and with God's help you made it come true! You made them, packed them and prayed over them!! ReplyDelete Replies Debbi JSKW July 18, 2015 at 12:08 PM Happy MISTIversary! You have wonderful story and a wonderful product. And we have a wonderful God! Many blessings to you and your family. ReplyDelete Replies LEG Studios July 18, 2015 at 12:12 PM Awesome story! So happy for you and your success! ReplyDelete Replies Becky July 18, 2015 at 12:14 PM This comment has been removed by a blog administrator. ReplyDelete Replies Becky July 18, 2015 at 12:14 PM Iliana, you are too cute. And God IS good. And Uncle David was wrong. Congratulations on your anniversary. ReplyDelete Replies Iliana July 25, 2015 at 12:19 PM All the time! We have a good laugh with him every time we see him. He tells me he is proud all the time. Delete Replies Snatertje July 18, 2015 at 12:25 PM Wow Iliana, congratulations, I am a new MISTI owner and I am so happy I bought it. I love your video's and hope to see many more. Big Hug to you all the way from The Netherlands. ReplyDelete Replies Cathie July 18, 2015 at 12:25 PM Thanks so much for sharing your story. I just love my Misti and am starting to wonder how I used to get along without it. It is a fabulous product and think you should start doing wholesale as your business would just explode. Have a great day and congratulations on your anniversary. ReplyDelete Replies linda July 18, 2015 at 12:31 PM Congratulations on Misti i think every stamper should have this product. Misti makes stamping fun and easy. ReplyDelete Replies Isabel Z July 18, 2015 at 12:36 PM I am SO very happy for you and the success that has come your way. I found out about MISTI on the PTI forum and it has become my #1 tool that I could not live without. Okay, I might be able to live but it is definitely my favorite tool and I recommend it to everyone. ReplyDelete Replies Iliana July 25, 2015 at 12:17 PM LOL! Delete Replies Marie July 18, 2015 at 12:38 PM I love my MISTI !!!! Congratulations!! I have to also remind myself to listen to God and follow His lead. ReplyDelete Replies Rubeena I. July 18, 2015 at 12:45 PM Congratulations on your success!!! Your hard work paid off <3 ReplyDelete Replies Luvpurple July 18, 2015 at 12:50 PM I love MISTI! And would LOVE an original ReplyDelete Replies irisesther54 July 18, 2015 at 12:50 PM Congratulations, Iliana. So glad for your success. I have been dreaming of getting a MISTI for quite some time. I hope I can get it soon. Who knows, maybe I will win it. ReplyDelete Replies Unknown July 18, 2015 at 12:51 PM Gonratulations for MISTI! I hope this giveaway is international... Some fellow crafters have MISTI here in Finland, and I just love it! I would sososo much like to have my own MISTI. ReplyDelete Replies Deeper Than Paper July 18, 2015 at 12:53 PM Beautiful card! And yay for your year. It's a fantastic tool, I'm glad it's found it's way into the homes and hearts of many stampers :) ReplyDelete Replies Eileen L. July 18, 2015 at 12:55 PM Congratulations Illiana on your anniversary. I for one was lost without the MISTI and avoided stamping as much as I could, since I dont fret stamping at all. Loved reading your post and am so happy you persevered. I know many are now enjoying their stamping much more also. ReplyDelete Replies Mary Director July 18, 2015 at 12:57 PM Received my MISTI last week and already LOVE it. So glad you took the leap of faith with your idea/product. You have made it so much easier for us to stamp our images. ReplyDelete Replies Scrapinkats July 18, 2015 at 12:57 PM Congratulations! The craft world is a hard place, people are always looking for a bargain, steal your ideals, and crash your dreams. I once had a store so I feel your struggles so hard who to trust , what to advertise, how to to deal with the pace at times, it is so hard to be a one woman show, but your post is very inspirational, have faith and continued sucess! sadly I have not bought a misti , I have a lot of issues in my life, and have to justify my spending these days. It is on my wish list thinking it would make me the next best stamper! ReplyDelete Replies Iliana July 25, 2015 at 12:15 PM Thank you. It is true there are some pretty inconsiderate people out there. So much lack of integrity that makes them not ashamed of their actions. It is up to us to be an example. Better yet to gently rebuke them with a compassionate heart. Don't lose faith! Delete Replies Amrita July 18, 2015 at 12:57 PM ReplyDelete Replies Gingin July 18, 2015 at 1:09 PM Your card is absolutely beautiful!! Congratulations on your one year anniversary!!! Your hard work and faith and the support of your family, friends and fellow crafters have proven to be a success for you and your business. Best of wishes to you. And Uncle David I am sure you are proud of Iliana :) ReplyDelete Replies Betty Harnage July 18, 2015 at 1:14 PM No MISTI here yet but hopefully in the future. An amazing creation. Enjoyed your story. ReplyDelete Replies Unknown July 18, 2015 at 1:24 PM The Misti is definitely on my wish list! ReplyDelete Replies Candy July 18, 2015 at 1:28 PM Congratulations on your First Anniversary with MISTI. I also love how you started and continue your business with God always in front of you. Blessings ReplyDelete Replies DebiKT July 18, 2015 at 1:32 PM Congratulations on your upcoming anniversary. Bless you for sharing your MISTI journey with us and for recognizing those folks who have encouraged you along the way! The MISTI is a huge success - continued best wishes as your journey continues onto the next stage! ReplyDelete Replies Unknown July 18, 2015 at 1:36 PM This brought tears to my eyes! Congratulations on one year and may you have continued success... Some day I'll own a MISTI too! :D ReplyDelete Replies Tona July 18, 2015 at 2:00 PM I subscribed to your blog. I have heard nothing but good things about your Misti tool, especially the original ones. Happy 1 year anniversary! I hope that you have many, many more successful years to come. ReplyDelete Replies Unknown July 18, 2015 at 2:05 PM I guess I have to do this over. I love your MISTI and it will be used with love, because you have put so much love and energy in producing this Product. Thank you for all you do. continued success in all you do..Aloha and Mahalo, carol ReplyDelete Replies Leslie Hanna July 18, 2015 at 2:07 PM I love my MISTI! At a crafty retreat in March I showed it to several friends and they sighed, went online, and ordered. These things sell themselves! I follow you through Feedly (RSS feed). Congratulations on your success! ReplyDelete Replies Amy McCue July 18, 2015 at 2:18 PM I have a misti. I got it back in december, right around New Years. I LOVE it! I am so happy for you! ReplyDelete Replies Patricia July 18, 2015 at 2:48 PM thank you for your lovely invention-it sure has changed the way i stamp! So glad you are being paid for your hard work ! Once you see it in action-you know you have to have it!!! ReplyDelete Replies Unknown July 18, 2015 at 2:54 PM You have created a product that has changed the stamping world. It is so fabulous and truly has made a difference in my crafting world. ReplyDelete Replies Barbie July 18, 2015 at 2:57 PM Congratulations on your 1st anniversary, I'm sure there will be many more to come. God knows what He is doing but we have to listen and trust Him and you did. ReplyDelete Replies Sue P July 18, 2015 at 3:17 PM I recently received my Misti and I am in love. Thank you for creating this fabulous product. Happy 1st anniversary!!! ReplyDelete Replies Elly P July 18, 2015 at 3:29 PM I'm in the uk but just had to have a mist!!...and it's one of the best things I've ever bought....and I love all your videos...thanks again for helping us along on this crafty journey we all are making!!...happy blogoversary and big hugs from the uk x x ReplyDelete Replies Unknown July 18, 2015 at 3:45 PM Congratulations on your Anniversary and well done, Thanks for the chance to win ReplyDelete Replies Maggie July 18, 2015 at 3:46 PM Thank you for a chance to win a Misti, it has been on my wish list. Congratulations on your one year anniversary. So glad it is doing well for you. ReplyDelete Replies Carol July 18, 2015 at 3:46 PM Congrats! I love my Misti and don't know what I would do without it. Thank you for taking a chance and believing you could do this. All the best! ReplyDelete Replies Therese July 18, 2015 at 4:14 PM You had an idea, and you listened to your gut feeling. Bravo on a GREAT product. Wishing you much success in the future. ReplyDelete Replies SandraMaria July 18, 2015 at 4:28 PM LOL @ your message to Uncle David. =) Glad you hung in there Iliana because I love my MISTI!!! I would love to win one to give to a friend. I am subscribed to your blog in my RSS reader (RSSowl), but I don't think it shows up on the Blogger website. Happy anniversary!!! =) ReplyDelete Replies SandraMaria July 18, 2015 at 4:30 PM Okay, I have subscribed here on Blogger so you can see!! Thanks for the chance to win!! =) Delete Replies Debbie July 18, 2015 at 4:56 PM A big congrats! I'm so proud that you didn't give up. My Misti is one of my favorite stamping tools. I tell everyone about it. Keep up the good work! ReplyDelete Replies Alanna July 18, 2015 at 5:16 PM Congratulations! . I got my misti in December and have loved it dearly. ReplyDelete Replies Brenda Lee July 18, 2015 at 6:35 PM Iliana, you are one inspirational lady!!! Your story brought a little tear to my eyes. I appreciate all the hard work you put into creating and distributing the MISTI. It truly lives up to it's name. I can't stamp without it. It not only helps me stamp like a pro, but more importantly it has added sanity to my stamping life. I don't know how many times I would step away from my craft desk full of frustration because I couldn't get a good, solid image. Now, I can spend hours stamping and not even want to leave my projects. One thing that's close to my heart is making cards for a local charity. The MISTI has allowed me to donate even more cards. I thank God for YOU, Iliana!!! I'm so glad that you stuck with this even when things looked gloomy. Congratulations on your upcoming 1 year anniversary. May the Lord continue to bless you and your family. Looking forward to celebrating many more anniversaries with you. {{{INKY HUGS}}} ReplyDelete Replies Brenda Lee July 18, 2015 at 6:41 PM Also, thank you for the chance at winning an original MISTI. I would love to own one with the etched surface. If (that's a huge IF with all the subscribers you have) I win, I plan on using the one I have with the stamp groups that I'm in. I've been very protective of my MISTI and won't allow just anyone to use it. Friends who I have allowed to "test" out the MISTI have bought their own. LOL!!! Delete Replies Iliana July 25, 2015 at 12:10 PM Thank you so much! I had tears writing about it! Big smile reading your comment. Delete Replies christi July 18, 2015 at 7:14 PM oh, I just want to tell you that I was talking about your product the other day at lunch. my "remedial" buddy (we both can make the silliest mistakes) asked me what was "new" in the stamping world and I spoke gobs about your product. she got so excited that she immediately looked it up. she was like I "need" one of those. the excitement was hard to contain. I love this product and wish you great things. I shall subscribe so I can have a chance to win one. ReplyDelete Replies Iliana July 25, 2015 at 12:08 PM Thanks for spreading the word! Delete Replies Lissa July 18, 2015 at 8:02 PM I had a long time to think on getting misti. What changed my mind was some crafter who used it to mass produce her cards and that it was darn easy to use it with Altenew Rose set. Lol. Thank you for bringing in MISTI. ReplyDelete Replies Sandy July 18, 2015 at 8:04 PM trying again...sorry....I just love my MISTI ReplyDelete Replies Unknown July 18, 2015 at 9:19 PM Congratulations on your success. It looks like an awesome tool and I would love to own oneI ReplyDelete Replies Shari Winterstein July 18, 2015 at 9:31 PM The best thing that has happened to my stamping ministries is your wonderful MISTI!!! I use THEM whenever I stamp! Last Thursday I had the privilege of having two young moms and their daughters to stamp and we used the MISTIs. It was such fun as they stamped, didn't quite get a good coverage . . . then they stamped again and voile happiness! Wonderful product! ReplyDelete Replies Iliana July 25, 2015 at 12:08 PM I have neglected the card ministry. I need to be more disciplined and make sure I continue with it. Thanks for the reminder Delete Replies ohsuziq July 18, 2015 at 9:59 PM Just adding my thank you's to everyone elses. My MISTI has saved me lots of $$$ as I was ready to throw away all the cheap-0 stamps that didn't stamp well. Now, I have a whole cabinet full of 'new' 'old' stamps that work!!! And I'm getting them all organized so I know what I have, because I can use them now! Thanks, and congrats. Your faith in your product has blessed the cardmaker world! ReplyDelete Replies Iliana July 25, 2015 at 12:07 PM Don't forget that all that money you save leaves you more to spend on new stamps! Delete Replies Virginia L. July 18, 2015 at 10:26 PM You already know that I am a huge fan of MISTI. I am thankful that God gave you a plan....lucky for us stampers, too. Be blessed! Congrats on your success! ReplyDelete Replies Iliana July 25, 2015 at 12:05 PM Thanks. I love to watch you make cards! Thanks for the beautiful card you sent me! Delete Replies Charity Chamberlain July 18, 2015 at 11:05 PM I personally am so happy that God had a plan for you. People don't often understand how something as small as a crafting tool can change someone's life but not only did this MISTI change yours, but it did mine as well. The MISTI has helped me accomplish so much in my stamping and made it a whole lot easier for me to craft. I have health issues that often affects my hands, so using acrylic blocks can be extremely difficult at times, but with the MISTI I don't have to struggle with that issue any longer. Using the MISTI has allowed me to stamp without the extreme pain I would have when trying to grab a block. Plus I can do so many amazing techniques with this fabulous tool. Imagine all the other lives you have changed too. God definitely had a grand plan for you and I am super blessed he did! Happy Blogiversary! ReplyDelete Replies Iliana July 25, 2015 at 12:04 PM Thank you. I was so frustrated making cards and I had to find a way to make it easier for myself. Stamping has always been relaxing for me but sometimes it would be not as enjoyable. MISTI relieves some of the pressure to get it right. So glad it has helped you. Delete Replies Unknown July 19, 2015 at 12:08 AM I love the Misti. I never liked stamping because I always messed up and had to start over. With the Misti the results are AWESOME. I now have purchased lots of stamps and love to create with the Misti. Thanks ReplyDelete Replies Unknown July 19, 2015 at 2:38 AM I have been looking on ebay, Amazon and could not find where to buy one of the Misti's. I told my kids that's what I wanted for Christmas. Don't know what the new lazer one is, but would be interested. Can't find a video on it either. Would love to win one. Thanks for the chance. ReplyDelete Replies Iliana July 25, 2015 at 12:02 PM You can buy a MISTI at www.mysweetpetunia.com. The laser ones are the ones I originally made before going to manufactured. It was too expensive to continue with the laser model. I have spare parts form when I used to make them. So I made one to giveaway. Delete Replies Efrat July 19, 2015 at 3:53 AM I love my misti!! And I am really happy for you that it is going so great, you really deserve it. If I win this one, I will have a blog candy on my blog for my subscribers (I don't need two and why not spread the love). Happy Blogiversary from Israel! ReplyDelete Replies Lissa July 19, 2015 at 6:02 AM Thanks for my MISTI. You have made a lot of people very happy. That's the best gift to give somebody. Thanks!! Lissag123@verizon.net ReplyDelete Replies Marie July 19, 2015 at 6:56 AM So nice to hear your story here, and we are all so happy that you stayed true to your product and kept going until more of us found out about the MISTI =) It seems like an amazing tool for crafters that, like I, are sticklers for precision! I wish I could try it out, but right now it's too expensive for me... But anyways, have a happy anniversary! ReplyDelete Replies Arcadia FL Native July 19, 2015 at 7:12 AM Thank you for not giving up on your dream and also for letting God lead you in His time!! This amazing tool, the MiSTI is going to change my whole stamping ability. I am one of those who could never get it right. I would love to win one, but if not, then I will definitely be ordering one from you. A friend, Sharon Gable, a teacher at the Craftin Cow, where I take craft classes, introduced me to the MSTI and I will be ordering one very soon. Thank you for sharing your very innovative product with all of us!!! Penny pennym@embarqmail.com ReplyDelete Replies Me July 19, 2015 at 7:43 AM Congrats Illiana on your anniversary and many many more to come! ReplyDelete Replies Karen Dunbrook July 19, 2015 at 10:16 AM Big congrats. I feel truly blessed by your kindness as well so: Thanks so very much for your kindness in sending me a MISTI. I reach for it every time I stamp now. It is fantastic for getting the rich, dark sentiments in the right places and not crooked. It is fab for stamping crisp, clean images and helping me to not waste any more cs with the mistakes I made. The day it arrived I felt like I won. My friends didn't get it (they are not stampers) but I was thrilled and dancing around. I felt showered with love and kindness. ReplyDelete Replies Iliana July 25, 2015 at 11:58 AM Non crafters do not understand us. That's okay we have each other! Delete Replies Elise S. July 19, 2015 at 11:51 AM Huge congratulations and Happy Anniversary! I'm glad you listened to God and didn't give up or throw in the towel. I love the card, and I want to wish you continued success! I remenber how nervous you were about making the road trip to IL and I have been Praying for you ever since! Keep up the great work, your invention has been blessing stampers everywhere! Thank you for offering someone a chance to win! You're so sweet! ReplyDelete Replies Renee V July 19, 2015 at 12:11 PM Thank you for sharing your feelings with us! I am so happy for you and am crossing my fingers that I can win this!!!!!! I've wanted one since they first came out :) Congrats to you! ReplyDelete Replies bzyPTmom July 19, 2015 at 1:34 PM Love your story, gives me hope as a just starting out business owner! Yep, I keep praying every day that I'll get more clients! I'm thinking I need one of these tools, would love the chance to win one! ReplyDelete Replies bzyPTmom July 19, 2015 at 1:35 PM forgot to mention, I've become a subscriber! Delete Replies JulieK July 19, 2015 at 9:59 PM Would love one of the original MISTIs. Thanks for sharing your story, it is beautiful. Glad that your dream has come true. ReplyDelete Replies shelene July 20, 2015 at 12:28 AM Thanks for sharing your story. It makes me happy to see success stories like yours. You deserve all the rewards that come from your hard work. ReplyDelete Replies Gracie July 20, 2015 at 6:45 AM ReplyDelete Replies Anonymous July 20, 2015 at 8:24 AM ReplyDelete Replies Molly Downing July 20, 2015 at 10:39 AM This comment has been removed by a blog administrator. ReplyDelete Replies Molly Downing July 20, 2015 at 10:40 AM This tool looks like an answer to a prayer for me! thanks ReplyDelete Replies Linda Mc July 20, 2015 at 3:45 PM ReplyDelete Replies Kate July 20, 2015 at 5:15 PM Happy blog anniversary! Thanks for the chance to win :) love your vids ReplyDelete Replies Angela Walters July 20, 2015 at 8:50 PM Happy Blogiversary! I love my MISTI. It is fabulous, if for no other reason than perfectly stamping on die cuts! God is good all the time, no matter what the circumstances! ReplyDelete Replies Cindy O July 20, 2015 at 9:36 PM Congratulations on a great first year! I love using my MISTI. Thanks for a wonderful invention. ReplyDelete Replies jezebel July 21, 2015 at 8:07 AM I have not yet gotten my misty but it is on my list of need to haves. It seem like it is the ultimate stamping tool that has been missing all these years! ReplyDelete Replies wilson.marie65 July 21, 2015 at 1:11 PM I loved reading your blog... What a inspiration you are.. God is good and yes you're right, he was slowly easing you into something amazing!! I wish you the best on your business.. I am wanting to start my own business and you have inspired me to jump and keep moving forward Thank you so much :) ReplyDelete Replies Iliana July 25, 2015 at 11:56 AM I just need to remember to be quiet to hear Him. Delete Replies Jessica July 21, 2015 at 4:08 PM Congratulations on finding your niche! What a great product! You are an awesome inspiration! Here's to many more years of success! Thank you for the chance to win a MISTI. ReplyDelete Replies Eva Laney July 21, 2015 at 8:51 PM Beautiful words, love the misti from the videos I have seen I am so getting one as soon as I can :) ReplyDelete Replies Dianne July 22, 2015 at 12:02 PM Every time I use the MISTI, I'm in LOVE all over again. Thanks for your videos to help us learn more all the time. ReplyDelete Replies stephV. July 22, 2015 at 12:37 PM Congratulations! I enjoy your videos and someday i hope to have a MISTI too! ReplyDelete Replies Unknown July 24, 2015 at 10:59 PM Fantastic tool!!! I used my friend's and loved it. Hope to have one of my own soon. :) When will they be back in stock? ReplyDelete Replies Iliana July 25, 2015 at 11:54 AM The beginning of the week. Delete Replies Unknown July 25, 2015 at 1:35 PM Yay!! Thank you. :) Delete Replies Carol Ric July 25, 2015 at 1:23 AM i have watched all the Misty vigeos on you tube. I love it and want one. I can not find any where to subscribe to you on your blog. Please point me in the right direction. ReplyDelete Replies Carol Ric July 25, 2015 at 1:28 AM I found the email button and have now subscribed. Thanks Delete Replies Carol Lucas July 25, 2015 at 6:46 PM I love the MISTI and I'm so glad you thought of inventing it. It makes stamping effortless. How did I ever stamp without it? Crookedly is the answer. Thank you, thank you, thank you! ReplyDelete Replies Teresa Kline July 25, 2015 at 9:15 PM congrats, i still do not have a Misti...hopefully one day! July 29 is my birthday, so I will remember your anniversary sell date for sure! wishing you years of success! ReplyDelete Replies Teresa Kline July 25, 2015 at 9:18 PM congrats, i still do not have a Misti...hopefully one day! July 29 is my birthday, so I will remember your anniversary sell date for sure! wishing you years of success! ReplyDelete Replies Stampnms July 26, 2015 at 9:31 AM Congratulations on making it for a year. You deserve all you have achieved . ReplyDelete Replies Unknown July 27, 2015 at 1:11 AM I wish I had known about the MISTI earlier, I would have definitely gotten one sooner!! It was the BEST investment I've ever made! Thank YOU! You are inspiring to me for your perseverance and your belief in God throughout your experience. Thank you for opening up your heart and telling us your story. You did make a difference, in many ways :) Congratulations MSP!! PS: You may have a small niche market for people who would like the laser etched MISTI. Something to think about :) ReplyDelete Replies di July 27, 2015 at 10:54 AM Congratulations on your success. I have heard a lot of great things about the Misti tool. I am looking forward to giving it a try sometime. Thanks for thinking out of the box and getting this on the market. ReplyDelete Replies Verna Angerhofer July 27, 2015 at 5:50 PM I love my MISTI. Great tool for me and especially so when I make multiples. I am glad your venture is successful! ReplyDelete Replies mimi July 27, 2015 at 8:16 PM Congrats congrats on making this wonderful product, I don't have one yet and would love to win it. It's been on my wish list for a long time. ReplyDelete Replies krussellstudio July 28, 2015 at 6:22 AM I just discovered the MISTI recently and don't know how I've lived without it. It seems like such a wonderful product and great for stammers at all levels. Thanks for the chance to win. I can't wait to tell all my friends about your product. Thank you also for persevering when you could have decided to give up. You are truly an inspiration. ReplyDelete Replies Karen July 29, 2015 at 7:06 AM Hello and thank you for your heartfelt words. It's inspiring to see a young woman with such passion and creativity. I'm a late bloomer and own one stamp. I have not even purchased ink yet. I'm the kind of person that searches tutorials and researches everything to the point of exhaustion before I dive in and make a purchase. I came across your blog a few months ago and I find the Misty is on my "need to have" list! I can't wait to start crafting and The Close to my Heart" stamp was my first of many. Your tutorial on the thank you card was so helpful! Best of luck in all you do and I'm sure I will be on your customer list soon. ReplyDelete Replies Judith D July 31, 2015 at 9:47 AM Congratulations Iliana, your success is well deserved. I've had mine here in the UK for a few months now and love using it. I spend time watching youTube tutorials and then trying out the techniques myself. Brilliant tool!	36,197
"Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; truth isn't," Mark Twain wrote, and it's a notion that author Dick Ellwood knows all too well. During his 25 years as a Baltimore City police officer, he saw more than his fair share of strange things. Since retiring, he has used those encounters as fodder for his true crime books. A resident of Oak Crest, an Erickson Senior Living community in Parkville, Md., Dick has published two autobiographies, two crime novels, and a children's book. His sixth book, LEO Legends - A Look Behind the Badge, is due out this year. (LEO is an industry acronym for law enforcement officer.) "Every cop has stories. They tell them in the locker room, the parking lot, in courthouse hallways, at retirement parties, at funerals, and bars - especially in bars, where cops go to let off steam," wrote Dick in the introduction to his first book: Cop Stories: The Few, The Proud, and The Ugly - Twenty-five years on the Baltimore Police Department. A collection of true short stories, Cop Stories, highlights moments from Dick's career, ranging from arresting his childhood baseball hero, Mickey Mantle, for public intoxication to responding to the civil rights riots of 1968. A legacy of service "I started out writing the history of my family in the Baltimore Police Department," recalls Dick, a third-generation officer. "I realized it was going in too many directions, so I changed gears and decided to write short stories about my career on the force. As I was writing, one story would remind me of another. I could have included hundreds of stories, but I decided on 38." He continues, "My latest book is about police officers that, in my opinion, were legends in law enforcement. These legends are people I either worked with in the Baltimore City Police Department or I have firsthand knowledge of their contributions in law enforcement." Raised in an Irish Catholic area of East Baltimore, Dick joined the Marines when he was 17. He followed in his father's footsteps four years later by joining the Baltimore City Police Department. "We have four generations of police officers in our family going back to the mid-1850s: my grandfather on my mother's side, my father, and my brother John," says Dick. "I think I knew at a pretty young age it's what I wanted to do." Dick started as a beat cop in the same neighborhood where he grew up. "I still had relatives and friends living in that neighborhood, and at times, it was a challenge," says Dick. "Back then, officers who walked the post were really respected. We didn't have walkie-talkies, so we relied on the people in the neighborhood. On certain corners, there would be a telephone with a yellow flashing light, and if you locked someone up, you had to get them to walk to the call box and then call to have someone come and arrest them." After five years on the streets, Dick moved to specialized units in vice, robbery, homicide, and the arson and bomb unit. "I enjoyed the camaraderie in the police department; it was strong," says Dick. "You had a squad of 8 to 10 people, and we became really close." Dick left the police force when he was 46 and went to work for Nationwide Insurance, retiring for good in 2008. In 2012, he penned his first novel, Charm City's Blue Justice. The novel follows two friends who both chose careers in law enforcement, but they go about policing in very different ways. His second novel, The Dark Side of Blue, was published in 2016. It was followed by Cop Stories II: Policing Baltimore - A Real Conversation two years later. In 2014, Dick took a respite from crime stories to try his hand at an entirely new genre - a children's book called The Secret Zoo. In 2021, Dick and his wife Sharon traded their townhouse in Timonium, Md., for an apartment home at Oak Crest. Dick writes from his home office, which has a large picture window that, he says, "allows me to take in the weather and do some serious thinking." When he's not writing, Dick enjoys exercising at Oak Crest's on-site fitness center, playing cards and tennis, and participating in a men's book club called Men Like Books Also. With his sixth book now under his belt, Dick's passion for writing isn't waning. "When you get to the end of a book, and it's finally published, it's a pretty good feeling, especially when people tell you they liked your book," says Dick. "It motivates you to keep going." To learn more about affordable, independent senior living at Oak Crest, request your free brochure to get the scoop on amenities, floor plans, and so much more. Logo for Oak Crest Senior Living in Parkville, MD	4,901
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Candidate Biden campaigned to bring unity to the country. But the horrific seizing of the Capitol on January 6, 2021, gave Democrats and the soon-to-be Biden administration the justification to ditch the calls for unity. And ditch them they have. The Biden administration is pursuing a radical progressive agenda by Executive fiat, stretching the limits of Executive authority more than the Constitution allows. The immediate issuance of 17 Executive Orders (EOs) on the first day was surprising to those expecting some bipartisanship due to Biden’s comment that “you can’t legislate by executive action unless you’re a dictator.” When Biden issued more EOs every day, Fox News pounced, claiming he was acting as a dictator. The fact-checkers countered that the quote was taken out of context. In six days, 43 EOs and presidential memoranda requiring all new regulations implementing policies that are not contained in the laws passed by Congress were signed. Assuming the quote was taken out of context, it is not credible to believe that these can be implemented by a president without exceeding lawful presidential authority. President Biden, however, confirmed his many EOs were policy changes when stating, “I’m not making new law, I’m eliminating bad policy.” But his policies will be formulated and implemented as new laws through regulations, so he is changing law without congressional approval. The curious aspect of the EOs is that they were issued with Democrats having the votes to control both houses of Congress. Either Biden does not believe he has the votes to secure passage of his programs or he views Congress as his handmaiden subject to his every order? The most troubling of all Biden’s orders is the Memorandum on “Modernizing Regulatory Review” which requires new regulations to achieve racial justice, social welfare, environmental stewardship, human dignity, equity, and the interests of future generations—in addition to statutory requirements. These new, more undefined goals, would require substantive provisions in regulations that are well beyond the scope of the laws passed by Congress. This policy directive could have a massive social and economic impact since agencies issue around 4,000 regulations a year, about 80,000 pages worth of new law. Related Posts November 7, 2022 November 7, 2022 1748 October 30, 2022 10077 Are Drug Addicts and School Shootings the Price of Liberty? (VIDEO) October 29, 2022 2093 To Whom Does an Elected Official Owe a Duty of Loyalty? October 27, 2022 2767 Policy changes by EOs go far beyond the laws to be implemented Cancellation of permits for the Keystone XL pipeline and suspension of new federal oil and gas leases will directly put thousands of workers, with well-paying jobs, out of work. Thousands more who work in the service industries along the route will lose work. It will ensure the U.S. is no longer energy independent, reduce export supplies and dramatically increase the price of energy. It will also disrupt Canada’s oil production. Less U.S. oil and gas production will, make more Canadian oil available to China and ensure a market in the EU for Russian oil and gas. Biden re-joined the Paris Climate Agreement and ordered the reversal of most of Trump’s environmental orders and regulations. These EOs will increase the cost of fuel for cars, energy for homes, manufacturing, and most retail products. With China being exempt from compliance with the Paris Agreement, China becomes more competitive by having a less costly regulatory compliance. China will continue to grow as the world’s largest economy. Simultaneously stopping the construction of the southern border wall, while allowing undocumented, untested Covid-19 immigrants from Central America into the U.S., will likely increase the spread of the virus. Caravans are on route. Conversely, with an open southern border, Biden reimposes a travel ban on EU countries, our truest allies. The EO relating to nondiscrimination of the transgender population effectively ends girls’ sports. So much for Title IX protections. Biden ordered face masks be worn by all on federal property, but arbitrarily exempts himself. It’s Governor Newsom’s law of hypocrisy – laws only apply to us little people we call citizens. Biden provides billions to public schools to defray the cost of opening but does not require teachers to return to teaching. Workers can continue receiving supplemental unemployment compensation for as long as they “fear” returning to work. Texas immediately took action to defend its citizens and industries. In a few days, it secured a nationwide injunction against the immigration EO. A few days later, it announced it was suing over the climate EO canceling the Keystone XL pipeline and suspending new oil and gas permits. The large number of EOs will be a constant source of litigation as to presidential authority. Also, each proposed regulation that attempts to incorporate one or more of the new policies set out in the Memorandum on “Modernizing Regulatory Review” will likely be litigated. For decades, presidents have expanded their executive power through EOs and new regulations. Congress has assisted in this power grab by passing broad and vague laws that give presidents reasonable support for asserting such power. An imbalance has created a strong executive voice and an irrelevant Congress. The Biden presidency may inform us whether presidents need a supportive Congress to implement their agendas or whether Congress is an irrelevant handmaiden. Part II will focus on how the vitriol in Congress unifies Democrats to implement a permanent one-party rule by packing the Supreme Court, voting for DC statehood and eliminating the Electoral College. previous post The Impact of COVID-19 on the Restaurant and Hospitality Businesses next post William L. Kovacs authored the award-winning book "Reform the Kakistocracy: Rule by the Least Able or Least Principled Citizens." His book received the 2021 Independent Press Award for Social/Political Change; the 2020 Nonfiction Authors Assn. Bronze award and 5-Stars from Reader's Favorite. He was senior vice president, U.S. Chamber of Commerce; chief counsel on Capitol Hill, and partner in DC law firms, He participated in hundreds of federal rulemakings and testified before Congress forty times. Follow him @WilliamLKovacs and www.reformthekakistocracy.com	6,641
Buck: Welcome back to the show everyone. Today my guest, he is no stranger to the show. He’s my asset protection attorney, he is my friend, he is Doug Lodmell of Lodmell & Lodmell and he is the guy I trust when it comes to asset protection and also the guy really who you know helps me get an overall sense of structure along with you know my tax team with Tom Wheelwright, he helps guide and work with my estate planning all around it’s good to have a guy like Doug. Doug welcome to the program. Doug: Thanks Buck, happy to be here. Buck: So Doug I wanted to have this show because you actually wrote a paper which I thought was incredibly useful because a lot of the same kinds of questions happen all the time in the real estate space, which is namely you know how do I protect my assets? And there’s a lot of you know there’s a lot of bits and pieces of information out there, but what you’ve done is you’ve created essentially like a white paper which we are sending to all of our subscribers and also will be able to be downloaded but from from WealthFormula.com but I want to walk through it. So first thing I got to ask you is you know when I read your paper one of the things you say is real estate is one of the most difficult assets to protect, so why is that? Doug: Yeah it’s it’s difficult because it’s physical. It can’t be moved. So if you have a piece of real estate it’s in the jurisdiction of a judge and if you have a case in that jurisdiction there’s not much you can do with the physical piece of real estate. It doesn’t mean it’s not protectable, in fact it’s very protectable. It’s just more difficult when it comes to cash securities liquid assets um we can move those we can physically even gold bullion and cryptocurrency, all that can be physically taken to a place that a judge can’t actually reach it, where real estate can’t. And for that reason you have to take different steps and use different strategies to protect real estate. Buck: Got it. So let’s go over these concepts and again they are in the paper, people can read this when they get their hands on it, but you go over some key concepts and the first concept is related to a saying: gross is vanity, net is sanity and cash is king tell us what that means in terms of asset production. Doug: Yeah so I learned this you know in in the strategic planning that I do for my own businesses and one of our leaders said gross is vanity net is sanity cash is king and what that means in the context of both business and in real estate is your gross income if you’re at a party and you want to seem like a big guy you say yeah I gross one hundred million dollars a year. Buck: With a 1% margin right? Doug: Right big guy. Net is sanity, like okay well how much do you net out of that? Oh well four percent so 4 million, okay still not terrible. But cash is king and cash, what’s your cash flow well I’m negative I’m bleeding money you know okay so now we have a different issue. When it comes to real estate the same thing applies. Gross is the vanity so am I using the paper. An example of a client as a twenty five million dollar portfolio that’s a really nice healthy number that’s good so when he’s at parties he says yeah I’ve got twenty five million dollars for real estate great. Net is his sanity that’s the amount after the mortgages so in his case he’s got twenty million dollars of mortgages so he’s got a five million dollar net still not bad right, still got five million dollars of net real estate. But his cash flow is negative and cash is king so if that was a five million dollar portfolio with a positive cash flow and he was making $500,000 a year positive cash flow after he serviced his debt well then he’d be sitting pretty. But in his case he’s actually negative he’s negative over a million dollars a year because it’s a particular play that he’s making that is not fully covered it’s called a covered land play. So there is some rental income but not enough to cover the twenty million dollars of debt. So he’s bleeding cash having to come up with it from other sources in order to hold on to this portfolio his goal is that it’s going to be worth 75 million dollars. So he’s willing to feed it that extra million dollars a year because he thinks it’s gonna explode and that’s calculated risk on his part. From an asset protection standpoint that guy is already not a super attractive target because his net is only 5 million and his cash flow is negative so anybody coming in, one they’d have to take care of the banks before they ever got in a position where they could take his real estate because the best they could do as a judgment creditor is get a second lien behind the the the banks, in his case the bank’s gall cross-collateralized there’s no you know it would be very difficult for a judgment creditor to come in and feel like they’re ever gonna get a penny out of that thing. Add to that negative cash flow and I’m pretty sure that the judgment creditor wouldn’t even bother getting a lien on it because it’s not gonna be worth anything. So in the context of asset protection what I care about is the net, so when clients call me and say yeah I’ve got you know six million dollars with the real estate, okay I say how much in mortgages? Four million. Great two million net that’s what I care about, we’re protecting 2 million, we’re not protecting 6 million. The more you have in mortgages the less you have in equity the more asset protected you already are so it makes your cash flow more difficult but it makes your asset protection easier. So that’s just a concept and we’re gonna build on it but it’s important to know that that net is what we’re really counting on, what we’re looking at when we were protecting real estate. Buck: So we’ve talked about it fundamentally is you know get a debt in the form of mortgages and liens is probably the most solid asset protection you can have and that’s kind of what you’re talking about. Just as an aside, what is your take with your personal residence you know there’s a lot of reasons in my view not necessarily to try to pay down your personal home yeah but from an asset protection standpoint I would think that’s the last thing you’d want to do. Doug: Yeah so it is a little bit of a you know double-edged sword here yeah everybody wants their home paid for yeah everybody’s wife wants to paid for home, it feels good, you’re like hey I’d you know at least that’s always taken care of unless you live in Texas or Florida or one of the states with an unlimited homestead exemption in which case paying up your home is a great idea, but if you live in California with very minimal homestead exemption and in California you know it doesn’t take much to have a two million dollar home, I mean a three bedroom home is two million dollars, so it’d be better if you said hey purely from asset protection, don’t pay it all right leave it fully mortgaged not only that I mean just as an aside you do get the the tax you know write-off for the mortgage to the extent that you can yeah so that’s that’s positive for you. So we just have to decide which is more important, paying off the home or having it mortgage. We can protect the home without paying it off by using the bridge trust which we know we’re gonna talk about a little bit, but yeah I mean debt is good from an asset protection standpoint. Buck: So let’s go back to these concepts on the paper you talked about inside versus outside liability in real estate. What’s the difference? What are you referring to there? Doug: Yeah this is an important concept and one that most people don’t really understand because no one’s ever explained it there’s two types of liability that I’m worried about. Inside liability which is liability that the property itself creates is so it’s inside. So if we create an LLC or something to hold a piece of property and that property has a mold issue, that is inside. So it doesn’t matter how many layers of protection we have around a piece of property if the liability occurs inside, then whatever’s inside that bubble is at risk. Outside liability is liability that occurs from anything else, but the common element is the ownership. So you own a piece of real estate but let’s say you own a multi-family apartment complex and then you have a liability unrelated from another direction from a car accident that exceeds your auto insurance. Now that judgment creditor is looking from the outside in at your real estate and saying can I get to it. So it’s important because inside liability determines how many entities we need to use. So I’ll give you an example I had a guy from California call me. He had three $1,000,000 properties. He had them all in a single member LLC one LLC and he had a mold issue on one of the properties. The mold issue was a five million dollar claim his insurance was a million so he had a four million dollar excess judgment issue outstanding. Because all three properties were in one LLC all three properties were at risk, so that judgment holder could go into that LLC and catch all three of his properties even though only one of them had the mold issue. That was because it’s inside liability and he mixed all those properties together. If he had had three separate LLC’s, then that judgment creditor could have gotten into the one with the mold but the other two would be excluded because they’re not in the same bubble. So you can think of it as like a safe hit your house whatever is in that one safe, if the burglar cracks the ones safe they get everything. If you have a lot maybe you want to have more than one safe in your house and they get into one you still have the other two so that’s the difference between inside and outside. Inside liability means we need more than one LLC for various properties. Outside liability is different. Outside liability it doesn’t really matter how many LLC’s we have because the liability is coming from the outside. So back to our mold guy. If he has all three million dollar properties in one LLC and his issue wasn’t inside it was outside the judgment coming from a partnership issue and he got a judgment creditor that LLC would protect equally whether it’s 1 or 3. So outside liability really you just need minimal number of LLC’s, inside liability we break it up and we usually look at the value you know, a million dollars is definitely enough to start a second LLC, usually even about half that. Buck: At least a million dollars of property value or a million dollars in equity you think? Doug: See that’s a perfect question back to concept number one a million dollars net protectable. He might have a twenty five million dollar property but if it’s got twenty four million dollars of debt on it it’s just a million dollar property to me from an asset protection standpoint so it’s net that we care about not gross. Buck: Right right and one of the things from the standpoint of outside liability even again just taking a slight digression there there is a difference in terms of the types of protection you can get from the different states that these LLC’s you know like in California for example, California LLC is pretty much worthless isn’t it I mean compared to say like Arizona or Wyoming, is can you talk about the levels of protection in terms of different states? Doug: Yeah so this is another confusing area because you hear about Wyoming and Nevada and Delaware and in Arizona and Alaska and you hear about these states that are really good about protecting their LLC’s and some of those states have privacy and so people say oh it’s better to do that. Well it comes down to an issue of what are you holding? So if it’s California real estate that you’re holding and you do a Wyoming LLC because somebody on the internet told you it was better and then you go and you bring it in to California and you hold a key piece of California real estate, you have converted your Wyoming LLC in effect to a California LLC because you’re doing business in the state of California, not only you’re gonna pay the franchise tax, but if you ever have a liability issue the judge in California is gonna apply which law? California law right not Wyoming law. Judge in California doesn’t care that your LLC is a Wyoming registered LLC, what they care is that it’s doing business in California. So for assets that are real estate, I recommend using the state that the real estate is located because you’re not buying anything by using another state you’re just doubling your maintenance costs. Now you have to maintain the LLC in two states. Alternatively what you do do is you use one of those good jurisdiction as you’re holding. Buck: Right okay and that that brings us to the next concept which is layering. And so yeah let’s talk about that because that sort of feeds right into that. So layering is the next next level of protect. Doug: Yeah so what layering is is taking protection and so I spend a lot of time in Colorado. I have a mountain home up here and when I first got here um they said okay dress in layers and they literally have a system. There’s a base layer it’s made out of merino wool you put it on against your skin it’s the perfect thing and then you want the mid layer which is usually a little thicker it can be a synthetic or it can also be the wool and then you want an outer shell which is waterproof the reason you want that is you’re much warmer with all three of those layers, but you’re also much more flexible. If it gets hot you’re skiing you can take the outer layer off or you can take the inner layer off or the middle layer you can adjust and you’re definitely warmer and more flexible. The same thing applies with asset protection. So the base layers your LLC holding your real estate that’s your base layer. Your mid layer is your holding company and in the mid layer we do want to use one of those states that has really good protection around the LLC’s and the LPs so Arizona, Nevada Wyoming it could be even Utah some cases, Delaware, Alaska. We want to use one of the states that has stood up and said hey we’re serious about protecting these. We’re gonna make it a multi member entity, whereas the base layer it’s okay to make it a single member entity the reason you’d want to do that is that single member entities get disregarded for tax purposes but they also can get disregarded for asset protection purposes. So we want it disregarded for tax purposes because you know when a client comes to me with fifteen pieces of real estate and we need fifteen LLC’s, what he doesn’t want is fifteen tax returns that’s what he doesn’t want. And so if we make them a single member which is usually how they come to me they’re all they’re all single member and if the individual is the member now we have a problem from an asset protection standpoint because the court is has a tendency to disregard those single member LLC’s as you said in California, a single member LLC how by an individual is about worthless, however if we have that single member LLC held by a multi member partnership in Arizona as an example, now we have layered the protection. We’ve solved the single member piercing of the corporate veil issue and now we’ve also got that jurisdictional benefit of being in one of the good states and so that’s the first two layers. Buck: There’s a lot of really important things that you kind of spread in there that I think are of value too just to emphasize beyond the fact that there is just this additional layer the concept of the single member LLC versus the multiple member LLC, that’s a really important one because I see people creating LLC’s all the time and they’re just single member LLC’s and what I understand that you’re saying at this point right now is that in many cases, and I’m sure it depends on the state, the court often looks at these as disregarded and so if you’re gonna do an LLC it’s probably a good idea to have you know some kind of partnership between I don’t know maybe you and your wife, you and your kids you know. Doug: And at the holding company level it’s much better because if you do it at the LLC level, now you’ve improved your asset protection situation but remember you like that disregarded entity status from a tax standpoint.So unless you want to end up with those 15 tax returns the grass structure is to use the multi-member at the at the mid layer, the single-member at the base layer and then this works best if you then use the outer shell, which is the bridge trust. Buck: So now let’s talk about the outer shell and we have talked about bridge trust before but I want you to kind of talk about this in the context of you know what it is and how is it different from some of the other you know options that are higher level asset protection like you know a foreign asset protection trust and domestic asset protection trust. Doug: Yeah so everything that’s out there that’s legitimate, I’m not talk about the illegitimate trust, I know we’re gonna do a webinar talking about some of the problem trusts out there, that’s a whole nother webinar, but I’m talking about of the legitimate options which would be the domestic asset protection trust, the foreign asset protection trust, and the bridge trust. Of those, and there are some other ones that are also legitimate that you know are non grantor and do some other things, of all of them, they all have their place. There’s not one that’s just automatically always better and that’s kind of the problem is that a lot of people are out there saying this is always better you know foreign asset protection trust is always better here’s why. Well here’s the issues they all have their pros and their cons. They all have a cost associated with them and if we start with the foreign asset protection trust, I’m a huge fan. I mean I have lots of experience actually using foreign asset protection trust to protect client assets and it’s worked so well, I mean I it is proven to me over the past 22 years of doing this that it is a rock-solid tool. The challenge with it is that it’s expensive, it comes with a loss of control, it has a lot of compliance issues, it comes with foreign bank accounts that a lot of domestic clients are unfamiliar with those are more expensive than regular etrade accounts. So you have this whole extra layer and what I see is a lot of promoters out there just saying hey this is best everybody should have this, no it’s not true some people should have that but it’s not best for everybody so in my own client base better than 98% of the clients will never and have not ever needed to trigger their bridge trust, which means it’s less than 2% of the clients that would really need the foreign asset protection trust and so yes in the right moment it’s the best tool, it’s the best tactical tool, it’s not the best strategic tool because the best strategic tool leaves you with the most options and unfortunately when you go straight to the offshore trust you have limited your options. You have narrowed them down you’ve made your choice now you have this offshore trustee you need to get the assets offshore you change some of the taxation issues which Tom Wheelwright and I talked about pretty regularly with you know some of the investment because once it’s a foreign trust it comes into a little bit different tax regime even though it’s still a grantor trust. So you have some considerations. So yes it’s the best tool in the right circumstance. I’m a huge fan of it. Let’s talk about the other popular tool which is the domestic asset protection trust. These are done in it was seventeen now sixteen US states have some type of domestic asset protection trust legislation or authority that allows for them. It’s the same concept which is a self settled spendthrift trust a trust that you can be the beneficiary of which also protects assets from creditors. The difference is that it’s domestic. So with the foreign asset protection trust and the reason they’re so good is that in the foreign jurisdictions like the Cook Islands, the statute actually says that the Cook Islands is statutorily prohibited from recognizing a judgment from any other jurisdiction in the world including the United States. That’s really good if you’re protecting. Well if you do an Alaska asset protection trust or a Nevada domestic asset protection trust they cannot say that, they cannot statutorily say that. In fact Alaska tried to do that tried to say all issues related to the trust must be adjudicated in Alaska and it was struck down that was recent. And so we have article 4 section 1 of the US Constitution which says the states must grant Full Faith and Credit to the other states’ laws and judicial proceedings so that means a judgment from California is valid in Nevada, it’s valid in Alaska and so when they come and domesticate it now we have a-whole-nother set of challenges whereas in the Cook Islands they would just tell you to get out of out of court in Alaska they can well. Not to mention the federal courts the bankruptcy federal bankruptcy courts the federal district courts those all supersede state law. So if you look at all those and you look at the history of the domestic asset protection trusts that have been litigated, it’s not nearly as rosy as with the foreign trusts. Buck: Those domestic trusts that were litigated did that happen pretty recently because we’ve even in the last couple of years have had you know fairly well known people you know talk about that as an option that may not be good but I’m kind of curious you know because from what you’re telling me it sounds like doesn’t sound like a very good idea at all. Doug: Well okay so yeah there have been litigated and and recently I’m like I said the most recent one was the case out of Montana where it was a real estate issue and they tried to use an Alaska protection trust and it just all fell apart and the courts all sided with with Montana Court with the underlying judgment and the Alaska Trust failed. So when push comes to shove, I’m not a huge fan of domestic asset protection trust. It doesn’t mean they don’t have their place if you’re a resident of Nevada it’s a totally different issue than if you’re a California resident trying to do a Nevada asset protection trust. So if you’re a resident of Nevada and you have the right facts and circumstances that you want to protect from is actually something that the Nevada asset protection trust is good at well then i think it’s a realistic option for you. I think what’s happened buck is that the foreign trust is kind of unpalatable to most people it’s too expensive it comes with too many hurdles of comfort to get over that you want to use it that a lot of attorneys have just kind of taken the domestic asset protection trust as hey it’s better than nothing and I will say it’s better than nothing and probably they’re not going to need to use it so it’s statistically we’re not gonna have a lot of failures, I’m probably not gonna be one of those cases and they’re saying hey this is a lot easier to do let’s just do this. And I would agree in many cases. I would agree more though if there wasn’t a better option and so when I looked at this whole landscape and this was before there really was a domestic asset protection trust statue, when I looked all this I asked the question well wait a second how can we keep my clients in the domestic world for simplicity and yet put them in the offshore world once the time comes? And the answer was the bridge trust. So what the bridge trust is, is it is a foreign asset protection trust. So the trust is actually registered offshore. It has a foreign trustee listed in the trust documents that signs when the is created and accepts the role of special successor trustee, which means that in the future if they’re called upon, then they will serve as the full trustee and that trust can be a fully foreign trust, but in the interim when we don’t have a life-threatening crisis we bring the trust, we bridge it back into the United States and under 7701A30E of the Internal Revenue Code there’s a two-part test which determines whether a trust is domestic or foreign we meet the two-part tests it’s called the court test in the control test, so we make sure that a court in the US has primary supervision over the bridge trust and that a person in the US has primary control, that person is the client as the trustee. So the client gets to serve as their own trustee. And that stays that way unless we have a crisis. If we have a crisis we pull the trigger we cross the bridge we we call upon the offshore trustee and the offshore trustee then take steps to make it move the assets offshore, remove the client as a trustee and do everything necessary to make it a fully foreign trust. The reason this works is that the trust itself is registered offshore already and is recognized in the Cook Islands not from the moment we cross the bridge but from the moment it was originally registered. And so we have at that point a 10 year old offshore trust and that’s extremely powerful, but we cut out of all the maintenance and the IRS compliance in the meantime. Buck: So this is I mean it’s fascinating to me. So basically it’s a domestic it’s a foreign trust that’s been domesticated back into the US is that right? Doug: For tax purposes. Buck: For tax purposes yeah, tell me about the process to going from the bridge to fully have you had to do that? Doug: Oh yeah yeah in 22 years I’ve had to do it a lot. Buck: And so what does that look like? Doug: What happens is the client calls me and he says we gotta trigger the trust we gotta cross the bridge and my first thing is they okay well tell me what’s going on and I will tell you about nine ten times my advices we don’t need to cross the bridge, just stay steady relax it’s not as bad as you think because remember I see this everyday it’s just like if you’re a real estate investor and you flip homes for living and you flipped a hundred homes you walk into a home and what you see is a lot different than someone who’s never tore down a wall and ripped out a kitchen and put in a new floor. You see it you know exactly what its gonna take to get the job done yeah they see it and go this is a disaster, I’m not gonna buy this home, same thing. Buck: So and I totally get that because you know when I first started out in business you know getting any letter from a lawyer or anything like that, I mean literally god I’m terrified and I’d had adrenaline going through my body and it would ruin my day and it’s gotten to the point where you know as you know my business stuff is fairly robust and it’s almost impossible not to have some kind of a letter come your way and at this point, I just send it to somebody else I sometimes don’t even open it I just don’t open it, I just send it to the attorney. But that being said when it happens I’m curious on the mechanical level how quickly and how nimble that process of de-domestication and making the bridge into foreign trust happens at that point. Doug: Okay so in the 10% of cases when they call and I say I agree with them okay yeah let’s cross this bridge, the process is twofold. One is declaring an event of duress. So the protector and I’m normally the protector for my clients would draft at literally a document which says declaration of event of duress. That goes to the client to sign and acknowledge they’re not approving it they’re not the ones writing it they’re just acknowledging that they understand the protectors making this declaration. The protector signs it, it goes to the offshore special successor trustee who’s already got the trust and says here’s what’s going on here’s the situation as protector I am discretionarily declaring an event of duress. That causes that offshore trustee to become a full trustee, the minute that happens there the trustee. In conjunction with the client, now they are gonna take steps so that happens very fast that’s gonna happen within a couple days as soon as I write the letter get it signed by the client email to the trustee the trust is now technically triggered. The next step is okay now we got to figure out what does that look like from an asset protection. Do we need to move the assets? Well I can tell you if we’re triggering the trust we need to move the assets. There’s no point in triggering the trust and not moving the assets and this is where a lot of people get fouled up. Even people who start with foreign trusts the ones who sell a foreign trust his best start here, oftentimes they just connect it to domestic entities and they have all the assets here so they’re actually in the exact same position as someone who’s just triggered their bridge trust. Now the offshore trustee has to say okay what are the assets okay there’s two million dollars in a brokerage account, okay what are we gonna do with that well the trustee needs to open a new account. Where are they gonna open that account? In a safe jurisdiction that’s gonna be Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg could even be Australia, any jurisdiction where there’s not a comedy of recognizing and judgments from another jurisdiction. I say Australia because I recently had a client ask me to do a paper, I did all the research ask Australia it’s actually very good they do not recognize foreign judgments and it’s very hard to get one recognized there. So if you happen to have a bank in Australia that you’re comfortable with that would be okay. Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Luxembourg also are good. So that process is gonna take time. That’s not gonna happen in a week so triggering the trust it’s gonna happen quick. So now we have a foreign trust. Buck: What about real estate? Because that because now we had this process where we had this holding company that was owned by the bridge trust but that holding company was presumably holding you know entities in different states vis a vis different LLC’s different state LLC’s. So what is the process, I mean is what happens in that case or that stuff to be owned by by the trust? Doug: So this is really the key part of the whole thing, this is where the rubber meets the road and it doesn’t matter if it’s a foreign trust from day one or a domestic trust or bridge trust doesn’t matter, same issue the exact same issue which is what do we do with the net equity back to concept number one, with the net value of that real estate, we’ve got to get it out of there. So you can get it out of there one of two ways you can strip it out through loans, that’s way number one. So you can use conventional loans if you still have access to the conventional loan market. You can use private money, you can use hard money, you can use any kind of money you want but you have to use a real loan. So some other people out there on the internet are saying oh you create your own Wyoming company nobody knows who owns it and you record a mortgage against all your property, that’s a phony loan, it doesn’t hold up when put under scrutiny whatsoever and it usually ends up creating more damage than good because the courts now think that you’re a shady kind of guy that is creating fake loans to hide your own real estate. So I’m not a fan of the fake loans with Nevada or Wyoming companies, you have to get real loans that’s way number one. That’s a job and there’s no way around that job and it doesn’t matter if you started offshore trust from day one you still have the exact same job. How do you pull the equity out of this real estate? You need to have time you need to start as soon as it becomes apparent that this is going to be critical. Do you need to pull a hundred percent of the equity out no because whatever you leave you know ten fifteen to even twenty percent of the equity. It’s not super attractive because the costs of selling it, the costs of taking care of all the previous mortgage holders all of those things are there some costs in that will eat up some of the value the net value. But I’d like to see eighty percent or if possible ninety percent of the equity out. The stripping of the equity is possible always, I’m just going to tell you that. It’s possible. The question is how much is it going to cost you. So there is always a hard money lender that is out that are willing to give you 80 property right. Buck: Let me ask you this though in terms of what is the additional value that the foreign component gave you then if really you’re just stripping out all the equity. Doug: Well you gotta have some place to put the equity, that’s where it goes. So if you’re stripped the equity out and you put it in your bank well now you haven’t done anything, you’ve actually made it easier for the creditor because you strip all the equity out let’s say you have five million dollars egg-free you strip it all out you do all this work you go through all these hoops now you got five million dollars sitting at Charles Schwab the creditor comes and goes oh thanks I was gonna have to do a lot of work to just that equity you just did it for me. So the foreign component you have to have a place for that equity to sit that is just the safest place and that’s where you still need that foreign bank account, you still need a place to put all that equity. So that’s option number one option number two is sell the property. So if you’re looking at a catastrophic loss, liquidate everything. Now I will tell you, I thought honestly I understood this well even when I first started practicing, I’m like wow okay real estate is tough. I thought I was going to go through a lot more challenges with real estate then it turns out I have. It’s surprisingly the LLC with the holding company with the trust on top of it in and of itself has dissuaded 95% of the creditors from even bothering and we haven’t had to strip equity or sell real estate nearly as often as I had presumed we would when you know 20 years ago, it’s just turned out that it’s it’s actually pretty effective without stripping the equity. Buck: In 20 years how many times have you had to do it? Doug: I’ve had to do it god it’s a handful Buck, I mean I had to do it a couple of times with offshore lenders and and you know but at fairly high cost and you know but these were huge cases with multiple banks going after the client. I’ve asked clients to go out and get loans when they still could just to be prepared and I’ve done that multiple times I don’t think any of those circumstances that we actually needed to send that particular money offshore, but I would say it’s just a handful. It’s surprising how well it worked without actually going to that final stripping the equity selling the property. But I always tell clients you got to be prepared for that because if I tell you how it’s going to work without it and you’re the case where it doesn’t well you know you know no we have a problem. Buck: I always it’s sometimes I’ve said in the past that I think one of the major purposes of asset protection is really making yourself look like the most unattractive person to go after in the whole world right, is just turning yourself into a complete prune and and making yourself effectively into a massive pain in the ass for any creditor. Doug: Yes that’s accurate and that’s one of the arguments that the domestic asset protection trusts only people use right is that hey just it’s already gonna be such a pain in the ass you like you know yeah this may not be as good but it’s still gonna do the job 90% and if that’s their argument I’m okay with that argument. I still think it’s why wouldn’t you want to have the bridge offshore like why wouldn’t you but I’m okay as long as the client is aware of that what bothers me is when the clients not told that when they’re when they’re misled into thinking that somehow it’s as good as sliced bread and it’s not quite you still have to slice that. Buck: What are the, if any, what are the critiques of the bridge versus you know just doing a straight up fact I mean are there are there you know people out there who say you know I don’t think it’s a good idea to a bridge and you know what are their arguments if they do that? Doug: Yeah yeah there are people out they’re almost exclusively people that sell one of the other two things. I haven’t found anybody that unbiased Lee has said in fact all the unbiased people I talked to are other attorneys and their their comment is overwhelmingly oh my god this is great, this is what I want to represent Buck: And if it’s work I know I should just add to that too you just said something I think is critically important: it’s been tested it’s not like this thing is you’ve not you know that it’s a theoretical thing you’ve used it multiple times in the last two decades. Doug: Oh yeah, no, upwards of a hundred times I mean I have I have we have used it a lot and remember once we cross the bridge, we’re not a bridge trust anymore right we’re a FAP, we’re a foreign asset protection and it’s back dated so it’s not dated as of the original registration day. Doug: Rright so but the criticism is oh well you won’t have time to trigger the bridge. That has only proven to be true if guys with three-letter yellow initials and windbreakers come into your office, that is the only time that’s proven to be true and I tell clients hey if there’s a chance that three-letter governmental agencies in windbreakers and SWAT teams are coming into your office grabbing your computers and threatening you with jail bridge trust is not the tool we want to use for you or if it is, just no it’s not gonna work we will not have time. If they slap a temporary restraining order on that kind of client then the bridge trust is done, we’re not we’re not gonna trigger it. But let me tell you that’s actually been a benefit I have had clients in that exact situation and I’ve told them look if that happens, this is not working there’s no asset protection feature whatsoever to it if that’s what happens and that has happened and the client has called me and the net result was actually in the favor of the client because we didn’t have it they were able to stay out of jail it simplified their case, the criminal attorney that I spoke to was absolutely overjoyed that it wasn’t offshore because he said this was offshore this guy was going to prison. Buck: Why would that have been? Doug: Well because once you once you go offshore, one your optics change the optics of offshore is not good in general it’s considered a little bit fishy, it doesn’t play well with a judge or a jury to say yeah well he’s got all you know all these millions of dollars sitting in this foreign trust, it plays poorly and that’s a consideration. Now sometimes we’re okay with that sometimes we’re okay if it plays poorly. If it’s a normal lawsuit where there’s not a criminal component and not a govern agency involved, I don’t really care if the judge doesn’t like the looks of it. If we protect the assets we’re gonna get this thing settled. Doug: If you’re a criminal, don’t call me. If you’re a criminal then I don’t want to do the bridge trust or the foreign trust. I don’t want to do a bridge. But if you’re just in an industry that’s targeted, and I do have clients that are in the industries that are targeted they’re not illegal but they’re not liked, then we are very we look very closely at this entire situation and usually for those people we just go with the foreign asset protection trust or we go with the bridge knowing that the bridge in that case the bridge is not gonna help but I will tell you having the option in 99.9 percent of the cases is where we’re not talking about the government coming into your office in windbreakers, the bridge is giving you the flexibility to make those choices. Buck: Let me ask you one more question here about you know many of people in our group because we have this Investor Group, our accredited investor group yeah primarily passive investors through limited partnerships and so but you know they you know some of these people are millions of dollars of interests as limited partners, you know so say they have something coming externally, what are some of the suggestions for these kinds of people who are invested primarily is limited partners, because in this scenario say for example you have all your interests in you know from that limited partnership or from that holding company that’s owned by a bridge or a FAP or whatever, in that scenario you may not have you may not have the ability to sell those securities because you don’t control them so you can’t liquidate them. And then I don’t know, maybe you could still get some sort of loan against them, I don’t know maybe you could sell them, I don’t know, but can you address that kind of an issue because that property affects you know a lot of people in our group. Doug: Sure. So I’ll just give you a quick history of Lodmell & Lodmell. The other Lodmell is my father, Gary Lodmell. He became an asset protection attorney because before he was an asset protection attorney, he was a real estate syndicator in Arizona in the 80s. So Arizona in the 80s early 80s they would got do raw land and he owned swaths of Chandler and places now that are completely developed. He saw it. He was the guy that literally knocked on the farmers door and said hey you know would you be interested in selling this land and the farmer said what’s the price? So buy by the acre and then ultimately sell by the foot. The returns are big but you have a long waiting period in there in eighty six if you remember Reagan came in and he changed the tax code and he got rid of the depreciation benefits of being in a a you know a limited partnership and it threw the whole industry into complete chaos I mean it was just chaos and so what happened is a lot of his clients had serious financial troubles and their creditors started coming to him as the General Partner of these syndications and saying I want this guy’s limited partnership interest and what he was able to say to them is sorry he doesn’t have any right to it he has no right to demand that because he’s a limited partner so you can get a charge against that interest that’s what Arizona law provides for but you can’t get the interest in you don’t get to become a partner. And so who’s my father friendly to the investors that have been with him for years or the creditors he’s friendly to the investor so he didn’t he first of all this was raw land it had a long time frame anyway it just you know there was no horizon where the creditor thought this was gonna be a quick payout. He watched every single one of his clients settled with those creditors for pennies on the dollar. He was so impressed with that happening that he actually started going, well what if we did this for real, what if we actually did this on purpose for the purpose of asset protection he traveled down to Belize which just enacted a statute mirroring the Cook Islands statute he started researching. That’s how he became an asset protection attorney because the limited partnership interests were so good at protecting client assets even without the foreign component. So I say all that to come back to your question what about all the investors where they have limited partnership interests well first of all those interests are already pretty well protected because they don’t have any right to demand that money, the general partner has that right and the general partner is definitely friendly to them. So not saying it’s a guarantee that there’s not going to be a distribution if the partnership dissolves the real estate sells and there’s got to be a distribution well it’s got to be a distribution. However, if the member of that partnership is the holding company owned by the bridge trust guess who that distribution goes to goes to the holding company which in turn goes to the bridge trust so that’s a much better place to have that distribution pointed at than the individual investor. So my recommendation to all those people is that yes you want to get your name off of that limited partnership just in case you do get a creditor and they are willing to wait until that partnership distributes. Have it into your asset protection structure. Buck: So in that case, just to just to review kind of what you said the because you’re in a bridge well that’s not that eventually may become liquid but by that time you’ve already pulled the trigger and you’re foreign and so when that you know whatever partnership that you had if you get some sort of divestment liquidity event that’s gonna go to the foreign account, so you’re you’re in good shape. Doug: Right yeah I mean if we’re in that kind of situation we’re gonna go ahead and trigger the bridge it’s going to notify the investment partnership please make any distributions to the bridge and the bridge is gonna send wire instructions saying make them here in Switzerland. So when it finally does distribute its gonna go there. Now the creditor here can try to pierce the veil and do all sorts of things but now we’ve just made it massively more difficult and again a huge chunk of the asset protection, you said it earlier Buck, it’s about making yourself so difficult so unattractive that you can put the table back to if not level tilted in your favor so you can get this thing settled, I mean if you have a real debt, settle it. You know the number one way to solve a debt problem is to pay the debt, that’s the best way to solve a debt problem. Now you don’t have to pay it for full value you can pay it for 10 cents of value. Asset protection is designed to enable you to get that debt settlement it’s not it can tell it can be used to tell the other guy to pound sand but that’s only about 10 percent of the time, the rest of the time we’re using it to settle the debt. Buck: Right. Great well this has been I have to say I think I feel like I understand it even a lot better than I did before. Doug the paper we’ve already sent out, well certainly by the time this is gone out we’re going to send it out. We’re gonna put it on wealthformula.com as a real estate asset protection download if you want that, but also tell us how cuz there there are plenty of people who need some help here. By the way a lot of people think they don’t. I’m talking to doctors all the time and they’re like I got insurance, I don’t need this, I mean they won’t listen but maybe you can address that and then tell people where they can get ahold of you. Doug: Well okay so I’ll just that there’s three things that I think comprise someone’s need for asset protection. The level of assets they have so more assets you have, so the more you should probably be consider protecting them, the level of risk that you have in your life, so the more risk the more things you do that create and cause risk the more you should probably protecting and then number three is the most important, your personal level of risk tolerance and that’s the one that really matters. So I’ve got clients with just a tiny amount of money that have spent you know a significant portion of it to protect that tiny amount of money because their risk tolerance is virtually zero, they can handle no risk they have to keep this money. I have other clients with obscene amounts of money that are so risk tolerant that they don’t really see asset protection as a need because they can handle almost any kind of risk. So what I would encourage you to do is not be just an ostrich sticking your head in your sand saying it’ll never happen to me that’s unrealistic. It may never happen to you but if it does it’s much better to say hey I can handle the risk. So determining whether you need this or not my advice is talk to me or talk to someone like me that you can go over it with me and I’m happy to talk with any of your clients. The best way to reach me is just email me [email protected] my last name is Lodmell and that’s also my website which is lodmell.com. There’s a ton of information in my website, tons of videos or you can call and schedule an appointment. You can call our 800 number: 800–231–7112 just say you heard me on Buck’s show and you want to schedule an appointment. There’s no cost if you’re coming from Buck’s show I and we’ll sit down well it’ll take about 30 or 45 minutes on the phone we’ll just go through it all. If it makes sense for you to have any kind of tools or or there’s some benefit I’ll tell you what it is, and if not I’ll say well you know what you’re good you have a home in Texas and you’ve got a 401k plan you don’t need any additional asset protection if that’s the only two assets you have. Sometimes just knowing what you have that’s protected and what’s not is a huge relief so I’m happy to talk to anybody. Buck: I should also point out that Doug did a full asset protection webinar for us sometime last year and and that is also on wealthformula.com and that’s also nice way to reach out to Doug if you want because the I just forward all those anybody who downloads that over to Doug. Doug thanks and thanks again for being on wealthformula.com and it’s always a pleasure. ©2017 by Wealth Formula. Your privacy is very important to us Invest with me! According to the SEC, you are an accredited investor if your annual income exceeds $200,000/year ($300,000 if filing jointly) OR you have a net worth of greater than $1 million excluding your personal residence. If you meet these criteria, congratulations! Check the box and someone will reach out to you within 24 hours to set up a follow up phone call. Yes, I am an Accredited Investor This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Accredited Investor Invest with me! According to the SEC, you are an accredited investor if your annual income exceeds $200,000/year ($300,000 if filing jointly) OR you have a net worth of greater than $1 million excluding your personal residence. If you meet these criteria, congratulations! Check the box and someone will reach out to you within 24 hours to set up a follow up phone call.	50,659
The Azimut 55S revolutionises the traditional spaces with a new layout that sees the three cabins dedicated to the owner and guests located amidships, offering comfort and larger volumes, and with the crew cabin positioned in the bows. There are also new spaces above deck: towards the bows with a sofa looking forward, separated from the large sun deck, and aft with the introduction of the pivoting bathing platform. With a view to promoting the specific features of the Collezione S, the Azimut Yachts yard has brought into play the greatest energy to breathe life into a project with the same innovative force as underscores the 68S, the first boat in the Azimut sporting collection, and the first Open in history to place the door, open the hard top and insert the windows in the hull. Today, it is the Azimut 55S that innovates, surprises and revolutionises the sector. The revolution starts from below the waterline, and specifically in the engine room, that houses a triple Volvo IPS-1 system: three 435 hp engines with pod and double counter-rotating propellers placed at the front. The choice of the Volvo Penta system in this unusual configuration was fundamental for the dynamics of the project. Compared to the same power output from just two engines, the triple installation makes it possible to reduce the bulk and length. Moreover, since it involves a vertical transmission with pods, and not in-line propeller shafts, it was possible to place the engines right aft and assure the space needed to include a garage able to stow a 2.85 m tender. The total power output of 1,305 hp in new Azimut 55S is accompanied by limited overall weight, thanks to the use of glass-carbon composite for large areas of the deck and deckhouse and, above all, thanks to the making of structural parts in pure carbon fibre. An innovation that the yard has introduced to strengthen and at the same time reduce the weight of these structures by 37%. The use of glasscarbon composite has resulted in an overall reduction in the weight of the hull by 10% compared to a hull of equal size made from traditional fibreglass. The sporty performance is proved by a top speed of over 36 knots, as shown by the sea trials undertaken. Moreover, the choice of three engines rather than two opens a vast chapter of benefits: at comparable horsepower, three engines weigh less than two, consume less than two and produce fewer emissions. If one engine should break down, the remaining output will be two-thirds of the total (whereas with two engines, it would be halved). Three turbo-charged engines have less inertia than two and respond more quickly, with increased reactivity and sense of sportiness. And finally, the distance between the two external engines, and thus between the two external pods, is greater. This allows for increased effectiveness in manoeuvring, especially in mooring. Stefano Righini, Azimut’s long-standing designer, has taken the opportunity offered by the new layout to optimise and innovate all the spaces aboard, starting with the stern. Wholly new, original and innovative, the bathing platform appears at first sight to be a normal teak platform jutting out about a metre over the sea. But a simple press of the button transforms the zone: the garage door, which is fixed to the bathing platform in an L shape, opens and bends towards the sea. As a consequence, the original bathing platform in Azimut 55S dips into the sea and disappears underwater, replaced a few seconds later by a new bathing platform (the internal part of the door, which is also panelled in teak), which thrusts out almost two meters over the sea. To launch or retrieve the tender, one need only slope the door/bathing platform further and make the boat slide over special rollers. It is rather inappropriate to speak of “inside” and “outside” as though they were two distinct settings in a boat of the Collezione S. The opening of the sliding hard top, available either in GRP or with large glass panels, makes it effectively a single space, thanks also to a continuity of design, style, materials and colours that are identical in both the saloon and the cockpit. Here, the large teak table can be lowered electrically to the level of the C-shaped sofa. In this way, with the addition of cushions, the dining area can be transformed into an enormous area in which to relax and take the sun. The main deck of Azimut 55S is formed of a single uninterrupted level. On top of assuring greater comfort and safety, the lack of steps has enabled the designers to include a forward-facing sofa in front of the windscreen, thus adding a new setting (unique in this category of boat) in the forward relaxation and sunbathing space. The crew’s cabin in new Azimut 55S is located right in the bows, with access from the main deck through a hatch. Its positioning here gives the owner a greater degree of privacy, as it avoids the crew-member having to pass through the cockpit to reach his accommodation. At the same time, it also offers the crewmember greater privacy, as the bow area is generally visited less, especially in port during the evening. As a result of the moving of the crew accommodation, the VIP cabin, third cabin for guests and Master cabin can be moved aft, being located amidships where they benefit from greater volumes, the widest point of the Azimut 55S and greatest stability. The lighting panels are full height in all the cabins, while the luminosity attains new levels with a new design for the horizontal windows in the hull, providing a generous amount of daylight in both the VIP and guests’ cabin. The Master cabin also has the traditional six hull windows on each side of Azimut 55S, providing an unparalleled amount of light. If you would like more informations about Volvo Penta, you can find them here. If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it. Comments are closed. Enter your email address below to receive updates each time we publish new content. Project overview The number of large yachts under construction has more than tripled over the past ten years. Few marinas in the world can accommodate superyachts (vessels over 24 metres in length) let alone offer onshore provisions and crew services to complement the standards of the facilities found onboard. Porto Montenegro will aim to redress [...]	6,626
Since it is now a new year, I thought I would write a post about our travel plans for the next four months. But first, a recap of where we have been. As I write this we are located on the Alabama Coast near Gulf Shores and have now been on the road for four and a half months. On August 25, 2017 we moved out of our home and into our trailer. In the past four plus months, we have traveled through 11 states and stayed at 25 different RV parks. For some reason it seems like we have been gone longer because we have seen so much and stayed so many different places. Living in such a small space has been a challenge. Finding room for everything and keeping our belongings organized in a 21 foot trailer takes some work. I used to think my house in Modesto was small, but it doesn’t seem quite so small any longer! Sometimes I would like to have more room to spread out and perhaps a comfortable chair or couch to recline on. It would be great to have more counter space when cooking, a bigger refrigerator and more cabinet space to keep our food stuff. Perhaps our biggest challenge has been dealing with the weather. Traveling through the South and especially along the Gulf of Mexico has been much colder than we expected. We had snow in Louisiana and the owner of the RV park said he hadn’t seen weather like this in 20+ years. We have had chilly temperatures in Mississippi and Alabama. During our stay in Mobile, temperatures were below freezing for five nights in a row. I was glad I brought along my heaviest coat. Mark is a whiz at knitting hats and he knit this baby alpaca for me during our trip. (When we left California, he had to trade his wood shop for a set of knitting needles). I have been taking advantage of his hats and scarves! This little guy below was a welcome fixture in the trailer. When it is freezing outside it can be cold inside, especially since we sit near the door. We have heat and air for our trailer, but having a space heater warming my legs is really comfortable. We recently replaced “old faithful” for a newer, quieter model. The funny thing is that it took us several weeks to locate a replacement. They were sold out of them in five major stores in Mobile after the cold weather hit! Mark even tried to order one on Amazon and there were none in stock. When we reached Gulf Shores, Lowes had a model that was just right. The sacrifice of space and comfort though is definitely worth it to be able to explore our wonderful country. In each state, city and town we have visited we learned things we didn’t know about the people, their culture and history. We have seen beautiful scenery in every state we visited. Being able to hit the road and go from place to place whenever and wherever we want is truly a delight. It does take time and research to figure out where to go, attractions to visit and the best places to stay, but it is a small amount of work for all the adventures we find in each new place. Although Mark and I are sometimes a little sad to move on, we usually feel we have seen and done most of what we wanted to and are looking forward to what the next location has to offer. Our travels have opened our eyes to so many unique places and people. It is neat to see the pride that people have in their states, cities and towns and how happy they are to show it to visitors. No matter where we go, I believe we will find much to interest us, even in the out of the way, lesser known and visited places. The difficulty is not being able to see everything as we can only scratch the surface of what is out there. This is especially true since we are trying to visit as many states as possible. From January through April, we will continue our travels through the southeastern part of the U.S. Here is where we are hoping to travel during the coming months. It will be interesting to see if we keep with this plan. There is so much to see, it is easy to get distracted! January: We will be staying in Alabama’s Gulf Shores area for another week and then heading January 23 to the Florida Panhandle. February: We plan to spend a month in Florida with the first few weeks in the Pensacola, Destin or Panama City areas. I hear that finding an RV site in Florida in the winter can be tricky as others who are wintering here have reserved their spots months in advance and parks could already be full. It will be interesting to see where we end up. As I have probably said before, I don’t like making reservations way in advance because I feel it ties us to a schedule we might not want to keep. After our stay in the Panhandle, we will head to St. Augustine, Florida on the Atlantic Coast for a few weeks. Excited to visit the oldest city in the United States! Around February 20, we hope to move on to Jekyll Island, Georgia for a week stay. I visited here for a few days some years ago and vowed to return for a longer visit. March: We hope to be in Savannah, Georgia a few days before the beginning of March and spend two weeks there. This is a city I have been wanting to visit for some time! After leaving around March 13, we will move on to Charleston, South Carolina to spend around 10 days before continuing to North Carolina. At this point in planning, I am looking at staying in Winston-Salem for a few weeks as it is mid point between the Blue Ridge Parkway and other cities of interest in this state including Raleigh, the Capitol. April: This month will find us moving into Virginia and staying in the Richmond or Williamsburg areas. There are a lot of historic sights including Colonial Williamsburg, the capitol building in Richmond, Montpelier, Jamestown, Yorktown and Monticello. Around April 20 we will travel into Maryland and hope to stay in the vicinity of Annapolis the Capitol for two weeks. Although our first four months went pretty close to what we planned, the next four could wind up going in a completely different direction. We hope you will continue to follow along with us and appreciate your support through our journey. Just a reminder, that you can subscribe to the blog and then will be notified when new blogs are published. Author Beth MorrisonPosted on January 14, 2018 Categories Uncategorized 8 thoughts on “Where We Have Been and Where We Are Headed” January 14, 2018 at 8:51 pm I can’t believe it’s only been four months on the road for you! I’ve been following along on your journey and it seems like you’ve been on the road longer! I’m excited to hear more about the new places you’ll visit. Safe travels! January 17, 2018 at 12:03 pm Great to hear from you Anacani! I hope this finds you and your family well! I agree, it does seem longer than four months! Each day goes by fast but it seems we have been on the road for at least six months, maybe more. We appreciate you following us on our journeys! Arlene jones says: January 14, 2018 at 11:10 pm Love your recap and also reading about your future plans. Hats off to you for accomplishing such an auspicious goal!! Trip of a lifetime! Amazing!! Safe travels, January 17, 2018 at 12:05 pm Thanks so much Arlene! We really appreciate your support, it means a lot! Thank you also for reading our blogs. I hope this finds you well and busy as ever! John Boisa says: January 15, 2018 at 4:47 am After I left the Navy, I spent a summer in Pensacola. I took a job as a bar back at the Flora-Bama Lounge and Package. Have a drink for me! January 17, 2018 at 12:08 pm It was great to hear from you John! It was nice to read about you being in Pensacola – we plan to visit there soon and see the Naval Museum! We will try to stop by the Florabama bar but Mark says there is no way he is telling anyone he knows you (ha, ha). matt says: January 24, 2018 at 9:24 pm Love seeing that travel map, you guys have gone so far! Are you keeping a tally of your miles? Any thoughts on keeping some sort of a GPS record of your routes? January 26, 2018 at 8:35 pm We are keeping track of the miles, but dad needs to update it. We would love to keep an online or electronic map if we could but we haven’t so far. Something to think about though and thanks for the tip! Also, thanks for all your many comments on the blog – we appreciate it and it is fun to read them!	8,337
It’s hard to tell who gets the most out of Lance Armstrong’s true confessions – the disgraced former Tour de France champion or the one-time champ of daytime TV, Oprah Winfrey. To say that the two seem to be made for each other is like saying bicycles have tires. Just review the run-up to the already celebrated interview that hasn’t even aired yet. First, its leaked to the New York Times days ago that Armstrong is going to come clean – pardon the pun – after years of denying what everyone knows, that he is a serial (cyclical?) cheater. That scoop is followed immediately by vehement denials by unnamed sources “close to Armstrong.” The plot thickens. Finally, Winfrey – her struggling cable channel looking about as successful as Al Gore’s did before Al Jazerra came calling – says she’ll sit down with Lance for the big interview. The content, we now learn, is so compelling that Oprah has decided it needs to be spread across two – count ’em – two nights of TV. But, before the klieg lights could cool word leaks that, yes, Lance has confessed. How could he not confess – tearfully, perhaps – sitting on the American family sofa in Oprah’s living room? Then the interviewer, the most accomplished sports interlocutor since, say Brent Musburger – hold on – speaks on CBS This Morning! Yes, Lance did confess! Film on Thursday. Stay tuned. Was he contrite? Well, Oprah says, I’ll leave that to the viewers. And, by the way, he really, really surprised me with the way he handled the interview. And, did I mention, its so darn good “my team” decided we needed to spread out of the goodness over two nights. One of the best lines on all this comes from Dave Zirin writing in The Nation: “(Armstrong) is attempting to use the forgiving, New Age, healing glow of Oprah to please multiple masters with a mix of candor, charm, and puppy dog sympathy. There is a slight flaw however in this plan, which would challenge the smoothest of operators: that’s the stubborn fact that Lance Armstrong is also a person who makes Rahm Emanuel look like Tickle Me Elmo.” In one respect, Armstrong and his lawyers are engaged in a brilliant piece of damage and mind control. In the age of Twitter, by the time the damn interview airs this week Lance’s confession will be like yesterday’s garbage – take it to the curb, we’re done with it. This is, of course, what the cycling cheater had in mind all along. No sense confronting the people Armstrong has defamed or the real reporters he has mislead while repeatedly, vehemently and righteously putting himself above his sport and anything approaching a shred of sportsmanship, not to say honor. In the curious world in which we live some cheaters – Pete Rose and Barry Bonds come to mind – are consigned to the dust bin where failed heroes go to sulk. Others, if they have the moxie, are given a second or third act. Lance Armstrong is using his Oprah moment in just as cold and calculating a manner as when he engaged in one of the greatest sports cheating scandals of all time. Stay tuned, after the confession comes the phase where Lance will turn state’s evidence and in the blinding white light of rehabilitation cast himself not as the guy who forever tainted an entire sport, but as the guy who now comes to clean it up. 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I have used many web programs to help me lose weight over the years, but none of them has given me results that last. Using Heart In Motion has allowed me to lose 60 pounds so far by making simple changes every week. This program has completely changed my relationship with weight and food forever! What I love most about Heart In Motion are the weekly Q & As. They really keep me motivated. Heart In Motion breaks down weight loss in such a simple, easy to understand way. I am finally able to understand that weight loss doesn’t have to be complicated! Heart In Motion has helped me lose weight in a way that's not overwhelming. Focusing on small steps makes it easier to stay on track. I LOVE the fact that I can go immediately to the website and find information I need to help me make the healthiest choices! It is easy and I NEED easy.	868
Romans 1:20 “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” This past week, the Sample family popped up our pop-up camper. The endeavor always includes a bunch of dust, bugs, and squeals. The kids are ecstatic, and we are about to pull our hair out. But, the small amount of stress and kid-wrangling does not overpower the joy that the camper brings: the great outdoors. If any of you are avid campers, I apologize for what I am about to say. I like glamping. Glamping is when you camp in style. Our pop-up might not be a fifth-wheel camper, but it has all the amenities we need. And, since we have the amenities, we can enjoy nature without being drowned in worries or discomfort. Again, if you are an avid camper, I apologize for my weak spine. Hopefully, you will agree with what I will say next. Enjoying nature is essential. I yearn to leave the confines of town and bury myself in the fresh air, surrounded by open spaces. Amid nature, I find God. Now, I am not saying that God is in nature. He is not contained in a tree or a flower or a cloud. I am saying that God has revealed Himself in nature. He created everything that we see. Not only did He create all things, but He designed all things to show who He is. No one can spend an hour in a forest without realizing that someone created those trees. Someone designed the intricate patterns of moss. Someone programed the instincts of birds and other animals. Everything screams the realization of a creator. These plants and animals also show God’s character. He is the one who clothes them and feeds them. He cares when a sparrow falls to the ground. He brings life to barren land. When tragedy comes, he shapes it to benefit those under his care. My faith expands when I leave the man-made streets and buildings and am surrounded by the creative result of God’s will. Not only is my body refreshed by fresh air, but my soul is refreshed by reflecting on who God consistently is. This summer, I hope that you can immerse yourself in nature and spend time reflecting on our God. Leave a Reply. Pastor of Calvary Bible Church, Neligh, NE. Missionary with RHMA. Husband to Maggie. Father to Grace, David, and Daniel. Saved by Jesus Christ	2,374
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In general you cannot directly change the wording of any rank (ranks appear below your username in topics and on your profile depending on the style used). Most boards use ranks to indicate the number of posts you have made and to identify certain users. For example, moderators and administrators may have a special rank. Please do not abuse the board by posting unnecessarily just to increase your rank -- you will probably find the moderator or administrator will simply lower your post count. When I click the email link for a user it asks me to log in. Sorry, but only registered users can send email to people via the built-in email form (if the admin has enabled this feature). This is to prevent malicious use of the email system by anonymous users. Posting Issues Easy -- click the relevant button on either the forum or topic screens. You may need to register before you can post a message. 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Whom do I contact about abusive and/or legal matters related to this board? You should contact the administrator of this board. If you cannot find who that is, you should first contact one of the forum moderators and ask them who you should in turn contact. If still get no response you should contact the owner of the domain (do a whois lookup) or, if this is running on a free service (e.g. yahoo, free.fr, f2s.com, etc.), the management or abuse department of that service. Please note that phpBB Group has absolutely no control and cannot in any way be held liable over how, where or by whom this board is used. It is absolutely pointless contacting phpBB Group in relation to any legal (cease and desist, liable, defamatory comment, etc.) matter not directly related to the phpbb.com website or the discrete software of phpBB itself. If you do email phpBB Group about any third party use of this software then you should expect a terse response or no response at all.	17,153
Their precept was that no particular person should be succesful of usurp all powers of the state, in distinction to the absolutist theory of Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan. Sun Yat-sen’s Five Power Constitution for the Republic of China took the separation of powers further by having two further branches of presidency – a Control Yuan for auditing oversight and an Examination Yuan to manage the employment of public officials. We believe the legal professionals of tomorrow may also be specialists in business, communications, health, know-how, international studies, social work, education, and emergent fields. As a vital part of the University of Pennsylvania household, we enable our college students to counterpoint their authorized schooling by offering them the chance to take graduate stage programs at one of our sister schools as properly as joint degrees or certificates of examine. The executive in a legal system serves because the centre … 07/06/2022 by Ra Bathroom Decoration Recent Posts State Board Of Education News Kitchen Cupboards 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 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 about addition automotive basement business companies concepts contractor contractors design designs drywall dwelling education enchancment estate fashion flooring handyman health house ideas improvement improvements kitchen lavatory leisure loans lowes mortgage online plans remodeling renovation repair residence reworking small sunroom technology toilet transform transforming travel value	2,195
As local communities continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, understanding the population and resource availability becomes increasingly important. Accessibility and affordability of healthcare are crucial during these times, as the virus does not discriminate against whom it affects. While the pandemic has caused changes in everyone’s lives, individuals without health insurance, access to transportation, and access to mental health services are a part of the population that is being particularly negatively affected. To focus on the specific challenges faced by a local community during this pandemic, this blog will focus on the Albany, New York area and its population (1). Health Insurance In the U.S., there are over 28 million uninsured individuals (2). It can be incredibly expensive to try and afford basic care without health insurance, and patients without health insurance are limited in the providers they can see and make appointments with. Uninsured people are therefore far less likely to get medical care, which means they are not receiving yearly checkups and don’t have access to preventative measures, such as cancer screenings or blood pressure tests. In many cases, medical care is only sought in emergencies. While the uninsured rate in New York has decreased in recent years, there are few options for those that are uninsured in Albany. One of these options is Surya Immediate Medical Care– while not currently accepting any ill patients due to the pandemic, the center accepts patients without insurance and allows self-payments. A new visit costs $150, while an established visit costs $100. Charges for additional services like strep tests and x-rays are listed on their website. For dental health, Aspen Dental in Albany is a practice that provides free exams and x-rays on the first visit, without insurance. Access to Transportation Being able to make an appointment is one thing, but actually getting to the doctor’s office is another– access to transportation is something that can often prevent patients from receiving the healthcare they need. One of the COVID-19 testing sites in Albany is at SUNY Albany. However, to be tested, individuals need transportation to the testing site and must be in a vehicle when they are being tested. Some resources that provide transportation include UberHealth, Medanswering services for individuals with Medicaid, and CDTA transit for Albany county resident seniors over the age of 60. More recently, some mobile testing sites have become available and are listed here, which can allow some individuals to have access to testing without needing transportation, depending on where they live. Mental health is an equally large component and contributor to overall health and wellbeing as physical health. With the COVID-19 pandemic, many individuals are experiencing loneliness, anxiety, and other mental health issues as daily lifestyles have changed due to quarantine and social interaction is limited. To try and support individuals at home, some hotlines have become available 24/7 or throughout the week to provide help. A COVID-19 support line is available at (518) 269-6634, from 8 am to 8 pm every day. Additional hotlines and mental health resources in Albany are listed here. While the Albany area has begun to respond to changes in healthcare availability and accessibility due to the pandemic, there are still some areas that can be improved upon, such as increased access to basic care and preventative services for people who are uninsured. Additionally, access to health insurance, transportation, and mental health services are only a few of the determinants of health and wellbeing– what do you think your local community can improve upon when it comes to the health of its population? 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After the disappointing resignation of Harriet Miers, one of President Bush’s Supreme Court nominations, the President chose Judge Samuel Alito on October 31, 2005. The selection was met by effusive praise from inside the Republican Party and wary criticism by the Democrats. Conservatives identified two qualities in Alito that they felt Miers had lacked. He has judicial experience, having written over 700 opinions. The veteran ex-prosecutor currently holds a post on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. The man also has well-defined stances on hot-bed issues like abortion, gun control, and free speech. Liberals attacked a record that they contend is too conservative and too reactionary for the American people. A thorough examination of Alito’s record depicts him as a conservative-leaning judge who believes in judicial restraint. For the very contentious issue of abortion, Alito appears at first to be a firm anti-abortionist. In Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1991), Alito dissented. He believed that a Pennsylvania law requiring wives to tell their husbands before receiving an abortion did not create an “undue burden” for mothers. He provided a few exceptions to this rule; namely, the father cannot be located, her husband is not the father, the pregnancy was a result of a reported sexual assault, or the notification would lead to physical violence against the woman. In another court case, Planned Parenthood of Central New Jersey v. Farmer, Alito struck down a law regarding intact dilation and extraction or “partial birth abortions.” Supporters of Alito cite this case as evidence of less extreme conservative views and a steadfast adherence to precedent set by the Supreme Court. A nearly identical case in Nebraska by the Supreme Court struck down a similar law, so Alito responded by obeying the highest court. For the issue of the separation of church and state, Alito ruled to uphold the display of religious and secular symbols at city hall. In ACLU v. New Jersey, Alito decided that the display did not violate the Establishment Clause. He noted that the Supreme Court precedents are vague as to what is allowed and what is not. He wrote that due to these ambiguities, “Under these circumstances, the mere fact that city officials miscalculate and approve a display that is found by the federal courts to cross over the line is hardly proof of the officials’ bad faith.” He concluded that the lawsuit against the city should be dropped. The case also followed the Supreme Court precedent of County of Allegheny v. ACLU where the court ruled that religious symbols like a Menorah are allowed if these displays also include secular symbols. Alito ruled in Chittister v. Department of Community and Economic Development (2004) that the Family Medical Leave Act supercedes Congress’ power. The Act required employers to give employees time off for childbirth or health conditions. Alito disagreed with the Act writing, “Unlike the Equal Protection Clause, which the FMLA is said to enforce, the FMLA does much more than require nondiscriminatory sick leave practices; it creates a substantive entitlement to sick leave.” Critics have argued that this case demonstrates Alito’s restriction of workers’ rights while supporters have argued that it indicates Alito’s preference for a smaller national government and Alito’s aversion to broad interpretations of the constitution. In the case Doe v. Groody (2004) Alito dissented with a majority in a ruling about unreasonable search and seizures. The police were executing a standard search when they strip searched a mother and her 10 year old daughter, which was not covered within the warrant. Alito believed that reasonable police officers would interpret the warrant to include such a search, especially considering that drug dealers frequently hide contraband on young children during police raids. He writes, “The majority notes that this passage does not literally state that narcotics dealers often hide drugs on family members and young children, but this is precisely the sort of technical, legalistic reading that is out of place in interpreting a search warrant or supporting affidavit.” In this case Alito takes a practical stance on crime-fighting. He argues that the search should be valid considering it combats the hiding of contraband. His critics argue that this search comes at the cost of the rights of suspected criminals. In Saxe v. State College Area School District (1999), Alito struck down a public school district’s anti-harassment policy. Alito wrote that free speech should cover offensive speech as well, including “statements that impugn another’s race or national origin or that denigrate religious beliefs.” Shore Regional High School Board of Education v. P.S. deals with the case of a student who transferred to a different school due to Shore Regional not protecting him from a habitual bully. Alito ruled with a unanimous court that allowed such a transfer since the school had not made accommodations for the students under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The issues and rulings in these cases regarding strict free speech and disability rights seem to not fit the profile of modern conservatism. Perhaps Alito’s most controversial ruling, U.S. v. Rybar, deals with machine guns. Raymond Rybar, Jr. was convicted on two counts for violating a law making it “unlawful for any person to transfer or possess a machine gun.” The court struck down his challenge that claimed the law was beyond Congress’ commerce power and violated the Second Amendment. In Alito’s dissent, he shifts the debate from gun rights to federalism. He cites the precedent of U.S. v. Lopez and votes to overturn the law since, “Congress made no findings regarding the link between the intrastate activity regulated by these laws and interstate commerce.” His ruling was unpopular among other judges and is quite distressing to gun control activists. The ruling should figure prominently in his confirmation hearings. Alito’s record reveals a judicial philosophy that is much more complex than many would claim. He ruled in favor of free speech protections in Saxe v. State College Area School District and he ruled in favor of broad applications of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. However, his decisions on gun control, search and seizures, abortion, and religious reveal a definite conservative slant. The rulings indicate less of a conservative political ideology like Justice Scalia but more of a conservative judicial philosophy of judicial restraint and strict constructionism like Judge Rehnquist. The best example of this is in his ruling in Planned Parenthood of Central New Jersey v. Farmer where he struck down a partial birth abortion ban in deference to the Supreme Court. Certainly he agreed with the law, but he had to vote against it due to precedent. Judicial philosophies are historically notoriously difficult to determine before a Justice actually begins to hear cases. Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed Earl Warren and later remarked that it was “the biggest damned fool mistake I’ve ever made in my life.” Likewise, Presidents Richard Nixon and George Bush Sr. would certainly like to rethink their appointments of Harry Blackmun, the majority opinion writer of Roe v. Wade, and David Souter, a dissenter in Bush v. Gore (2000). Arguably, the framing of a candidate by his opposition is just as important as the record to his judicial confirmation. There exists a process of myth-making by the opposition. The critics of a candidate choose a negative theme to highlight about the figure. Oftentimes, this theme is personal. Politics are certainly not absent from the judicial process. The myth-making process is most obvious in the past four failed nominees for the Supreme Court. In 1970 Richard Nixon appointed Harold Carswell to replace the liberal-leaning Abe Fortas. The Carswell nomination was marred with many problems; the candidate had praised White supremacy early in his career and 58% of his decisions were overturned. His detractors cast Carswell as a mediocre man, unsuited for a position on the venerable court. The framing of the candidate as a mediocre intellect worked so well that even his supporters appeared to agree with the sentiment. Republican Senator Roman Hruska famously remarked, “Even if he is mediocre, there are a lot of mediocre judges and people and lawyers. They are entitled to a little representation, aren’t they?” The nomination was rejected 51-45. In 1987 President Reagan nominated legal scholar Robert Bork to the court. His nomination was blindsided by a comment by Senator Edward Kennedy made only 45 minutes after the announcement of the nomination. Kennedy said, “Robert Bork’s America is a land in which women would be forced into back-alley abortions, blacks would sit at segregated lunch counters, rogue police could break down citizens’ doors in midnight raids, children could not be taught about evolution.” The comments depicted Bork as an arch-conservative whose opinions are clearly outside of the mainstream. His nomination failed by a vote of 58-42. The Bork nomination is the most apparent example of the importance of myth-making in opposing a candidate. Immediately after Bork, Reagan nominated Douglas H. Ginsburg. Investigations revealed that Ginsburg used marijuana. Critics painted him as a hypocrite, especially considering these allegations were disclosed at the height of Reagan’s War against Drugs. Amidst all the controversy, Ginsburg withdrew his name. The most recent example of myth-making is the nomination of Harriet Miers. This nominee is unique in that her harshest criticism came from her own party. While the Democrats questioned the appointment as an act of cronyism, right-wing Republicans attacked her as unqualified and intellectually incapable. William Kristol wrote in a Weekly Standard editorial, “I’m disappointed because I expected President Bush to nominate someone with a visible and distinguished track record…[Miers] has no constitutionalist credentials that I know of…I’m demoralized, surely this is a pick from weakness.” George Will less subtly editorialized in The Washington Post, “There is no evidence that she is among the leading lights of American jurisprudence, or that she possesses talents commensurate with the Supreme Court’s tasks.” The Miers nomination was met with opposition from both sides. They labeled her as an unqualified political crony. In order to avoid a contentious nomination battle, Miers withdrew her name from consideration. The process of negative myth-making has appeared to avoid the Alito nomination so far. Elliot Mineberg of the People for the American Way believes, “[Alito’s] record that is not just conservative, but we would consider it out of the mainstream of conservatism.” This criticism has not picked up steam among more mainstream liberal media outlets. The New York Times ran a story entitled, “Alito is seen as a Methodical Jurist with a Clear Record.” The story’s mostly laudatory contents could hardly be considered an expose into his record. The nomination seems like it will avoid the pitfalls of negative myth-making that befell the Carswell, Bork, Ginsburg, and Miers nominations. On the ideological side, Alito appears conservative but not as extremely conservative as Scalia and Thomas. The nomination will be opposed by many Democrats but it seems safe from a filibuster. Alito is not conservative enough to warrant a filibuster from the Democrats. If they opt to filibuster, I doubt that the rest of the country would support the move. President Bush has expertly chosen the perfect candidate in this respect. Alito is unabashedly conservative, yet his record reveals he is more judicially conservative than politically conservative. His views occupy the perfect place on the political spectrum. If he were any more conservative, a filibuster would have to occur which would halt the rest of Bush’s agenda. If Alito were any less conservative, the right-wing of his party would revolt in a similar fashion as the Miers nomination. In addition to Alito’s record, he has impeccable credentials that free him from any attack like the criticisms against Carswell, Bork, Ginsburg, and Miers. Complaints of mediocrity, reactionary opinions, drug use, or a lack of experience do not fit here. The confluence of Alito’s judicial philosophy and the lack of material for a personal attack by opponents bode well for the fate of the nomination. Works Cited Kristol, William. “Disappointed, Depressed, and Demoralized.” Weekly Standard, 3 October 2005. Lewis, Neil A. and Scott Shane. “Alito is seen as a Methodical Jurist with a Clear Record.” The New York Times, 1 Nov 2005. Reinart, Patty. “Battle Begins over Alito Record.” Houston Chronicle, 2 Nov 2005. Filed under Political Science December 7, 2015 at 3:49 pm They said the same thing about Thomas.I’m just curious. What is it you think will hpeapn to women, miorities and the environment when Alito is confirmed?And when was the law passed that says no conservatives allowed on the court?You have to win elections to make appointments. I don’t care if they’re liberal or conservative they must only be qualified for the job. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Δ Competing Visions and Invisible Treaties: The Formative Era of Federal Indian Policymaking Globalization & the September 11 Attacks Racism at Home & Racism Abroad Communications Education Health Law Terms and Conditions All trademarks and copyrights on this site are owned by their respective owners. Comments are owned by the poster.	14,428
Originally consisting of an informal gathering of retired lighthouse keepers, their families and friends, the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association (GLLKA) was officially incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 1983, making it one of the nation's longest-lived lighthouse preservation groups. With a mission statement calling for "the preservation of lighthouses, the stories of those who kept them, and developing a new generation of preservationists", the Association's second President Dick Moehl realized the group needed to find a lighthouse to restore in order to fully bring its mission to reality. Finding the abandoned 1873 St. Helena Island light station to be in deplorable condition, the group set its sights on adopting and restoring the abandoned relic. In 2004, we received the deed to the Cheboygan River Front Range Light, and fundraising for the restoration of that lighthouse is underway. We also work to support other lighthouse groups throughout the Great Lakes and across the nation. To find out more about our accomplishments, visit the "GLLKA Chronology" page. Map of all the Great Lakes Lighthouses How you can get Involved Become a Member Members of GLLKA receive our quarterly magazine THE BEACON and can be involved in our volunteer programs and lighthouse events Volunteer GLLKA is welcoming volunteers of all trades to help at our lighthouses or lead lighthouse excursions and fundraisers Participate We offer lighthouse cruises on the Great Lakes as well as various workshops and events at our lighthouses	1,564
The web has supported multiple media since its inception however, only recently has it become a viable platform for building audio applications. The talk will examine the journey of audio in the web platform, the intersection of interesting technologies that make this a pivotal point for audio and the web, and will highlight the opportunities unlocked by web audio and where we go from here. Chris Wilson is a Developer Advocate on the Google Chrome team. He started working on web browsers in 1993 when he co-authored the original Windows version of NCSA Mosaic before working on Internet Explorer for fifteen years at Microsoft. He has separate and combined passions for digital audio, music and the web, and co-edits the Web Audio and Web MIDI specifications at the W3C. He also specializes in playing many different instruments badly. abstract = {The web has supported multiple media since its inception however, only recently has it become a viable platform for building audio applications. The talk will examine the journey of audio in the web platform, the intersection of interesting technologies that make this a pivotal point for audio and the web, and will highlight the opportunities unlocked by web audio and where we go from here. Chris Wilson is a Developer Advocate on the Google Chrome team. He started working on web browsers in 1993 when he co-authored the original Windows version of NCSA Mosaic before working on Internet Explorer for fifteen years at Microsoft. He has separate and combined passions for digital audio, music and the web, and co-edits the Web Audio and Web MIDI specifications at the W3C. He also specializes in playing many different instruments badly.},	1,736
Month * Select Month January February March April May June July August September October November December Issue : November - 2021 A mistake to learn from Issue - November - 2021, Posted On: November 01, 2021 The patient, a pregnant lady, was admitted to the hospital at 1:30 PM. C-section was performed at around 10 PM and a healthy baby girl was delivered. Unfortunately, the new mother developed disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). She lost a lot of blood, and eventually her life. Court says no need of consent for outdoor day-care procedures Issue - November - 2021, Posted On: November 01, 2021 Is it necessary to take patient’s consent for outdoor day-care procedures such as dental treatments, etc.? The Consumer Commission in this case has ruled in the negative. Emergency services demand adequate facilities Issue - November - 2021, Posted On: November 01, 2021 The pregnant patient was taken to a primary health centre in the wee hours of morning. She delivered a healthy baby girl but soon thereafter developed postpartum haemorrhage (PPH). An ambulance was called for transferring her to a higher centre, which unfortunately took more than thirty minutes to arrive. Hospital & docs clubbed for not doing ‘spade of work’ Issue - November - 2021, Posted On: November 01, 2021 Any unreasonable delay in providing treatment after confirming diagnosis is negligence. Such delays could also prove fatal for patients, as happened in this case. Issue - November - 2021, Posted On: November 01, 2021 The patient, with a history of ectopic pregnancy, conceived second time and approached a hospital where the gynecologist prescribed medicines. After about a month she experienced pain in abdomen and visited the hospital again where she was referred to a higher center as the embryo was developing in fallopian tube. Quality of biomaterials, buyer’s responsibility Issue - November - 2021, Posted On: November 01, 2021 Who is responsible to ensure the quality of plates, implants, stents, lenses, etc. used for interventions? Hospitals / doctors if it is bought by them on behalf of patients. You can call a Rose by any name, but not the patient Issue - November - 2021, Posted On: November 01, 2021 A worrying trend is beginning to emerge. Doctors and hospitals are erring in a number of instances while following non-treatment related protocols such as taking improper consent, writing incorrect names, etc. These administrative lapses do not help the cause of healthcare providers in a court of law, as is established in this case.	2,694
Having only built the Red House a couple years before, I was having the time of my life planning and planting gardens around it. Since I don't have many friends who like gardening, lucky Mr. Red House got to hear all about the gardening in excruciating detail. He is the one who begged suggested that I start a blog. Red House front garden in fall When I started, I had no idea what a wonderful garden blogging community I would find online. I have enjoyed 'meeting' all of you other garden bloggers tremendously. I have learned so much and been so inspired by reading your blogs and seeing your gardens. It has been so great to find people who get as much joy as I do out of gardening and even just being out in nature. Red House front garden during the very mild winter we had I have learned so much this year just by writing this blog and taking photos for it. Taking photos lets me go back and look at a plant or animal in detail, which has been very useful in identifying some plants and quite a few critters. And the teacher in me makes me want to learn as much as I can about something before writing about it. Red House front garden in spring (Why in the world don't I have more pictures of such a glorious time of year?) Another unexpected blessing of writing a blog - I have a terrible memory, and this blog has been a great way to document what is going on in my garden. (What was the name of that cultivar? Oh, I think I did a blog on that - let me look it up...) Red House front garden full of blooms in summer I can't believe it's already been a year since I started blogging. It's been a fabulous adventure, going from just needing an outlet to channel my excitement about gardening to being part of a garden blogging community that continuously inspires me. I wonder what the next year will hold. So what have you other bloggers gained from creating your own blog? Posted by Indie at 11:03 PM 32 comments: Carolyn August 7, 2012 at 12:10 AM What have I gained? Countless virtual friends... like you... who inspire, lift and bless me with their posts. Happy Anniversary! So glad you blog! ReplyDelete Replies Unknown August 7, 2012 at 12:38 AM Echo Carolyn, I have been blogging since March 2012, and also wanted to try something new, after starting my garden the year before, and I just said to someone, cannot believe I waited so long. It is fun and I have seen so many new inspirations. So happy anniversary. May it continue! LT ReplyDelete Replies Nadezda August 7, 2012 at 3:08 AM Happy Anniversary to you and to your blog! Your Red House is very nice, in red, white and gray colors. It looks complete and thoughtful, like your blog. ReplyDelete Replies Donna@Gardens Eye View August 7, 2012 at 5:50 AM Such an exciting milestone to reach. I remember when mine came and I was so humbled that I had stuck with it for a year and that others were actually reading my blog. I have gained so much personally as I find my way through this time in my life and I am grateful for all the readers even if they only visited once. But the best part has been all I have learned through such wonderful virtual friends who have touched my life in ways I would never have imagined. You have been one of these wonderful virtual friends and I look forward to your second year Indie! ReplyDelete Replies Your red house is beautiful. Everything fascinates me. ReplyDelete Replies Clint Baker August 7, 2012 at 7:09 AM So pretty! I have gained lots of great friends through blogging as you, God Bless! Oh, I will be in Winston-Salem this weekend to visit my family! ReplyDelete Replies ZielonaMila August 7, 2012 at 3:18 PM Beautiful photographs, very pretty flowers. I am greeting ReplyDelete Replies Denise August 7, 2012 at 3:27 PM Congratulations Indie! You have a wonderful blog. Like you I have learned a lot about my garden since I started blogging. Just by taking photographs and doing research for blogposts. And of course by visiting other people’s blogs, like yours. ReplyDelete Replies Nitty Gritty Dirt Man August 7, 2012 at 3:35 PM Happy Blogaversary! My own site turned one a few months ago, and like you, it was a perfect time to reflect. I have certainly learned more and have taken some risks, but I am so impressed with the community of garden enthusiasts. It seems to gave restored an element that is all too often missing from our hectic lives. Community. Happy gardening. ReplyDelete Replies Jane August 7, 2012 at 3:54 PM Wow! Your house is beautiful...sigh.... Congratulations on your Blogaversary. What have I gained?....hmmm....relief that there are 'others' out there like me...lol. Also, friendship, lots of laughs, inspiration and Mr Dirt Man's comment...community xxx ReplyDelete Replies Diana Studer August 7, 2012 at 4:18 PM Happy first blogaversary! May there be many more. Reading this post my eye was caught by your post on yellow birds 'hiding' in the garden - enjoyed that one too. My paper garden journal was for the last garden - this one is wonderfully accessible, blog posts are searchable. And not WHERE did I put that lable, and which is which plant now! ReplyDelete Replies Sheila August 7, 2012 at 7:42 PM I agree that it makes such a difference to have people to talk with about gardening and nature and to be inspired by. I've been surprised by the friendships I feel with other bloggers, even though we've never met. Probably the biggest surprise is how much I have learned about photography from seeing others' work and simply by taking lots of photos, though that was never an intention. ReplyDelete Replies Marcela Garate August 7, 2012 at 8:18 PM This is my first time in your blog. It´s really nice. Congratulations from Argentina! ReplyDelete Replies Beth at PlantPostings August 7, 2012 at 9:12 PM Congratulations on your blogoversary, Indie! Obviously, your blog is one of my favorites. Keep up the great work! I echo what the other bloggers have said, and I think the simple ability to see the world in a more focused way...I'm always thinking "that would be a great photo" or "oh, good idea for a blog post." Cheers to you! ReplyDelete Replies Pam's English Garden August 7, 2012 at 9:16 PM I get so much pleasure when someone comments on my blog. I count my virtual friends (such as you, Indie) as real friends. I feel garden blogging is social networking at its best. Congratulations on your first year -- and wishing you many more! P. x ReplyDelete Replies Anonymous August 7, 2012 at 11:31 PM Indie - Happy Blogaversary! I actually wrote a list of 5 or 6 goals I wanted with my blog. Near the top of the list was wanting to increase my computer skills and photography skills which has already happened. I wanted to find other gardeners for seed swapping -- hasn't happened. I hoped to connect with local gardeners but that hasn't happened. However, I've connected with LOTS of other gardeners through Blotanical. ReplyDelete Replies Gone Tropical August 8, 2012 at 7:19 AM Congratulations on your one year blogging, and happy blogging for many more years to come :) ReplyDelete Replies Nothing difficult, come to the Polish, Want to grab to Prague. This city would you like it. Lucja ReplyDelete Replies Jennifer August 8, 2012 at 8:36 AM Congratulations on completing your first year! Like you, I have discovered an amazing community of gardeners and made many friends. ReplyDelete Replies tina August 8, 2012 at 10:53 AM A lovely post indeed. You have learned like me that blogging makes an excellent record of our gardens and lives and helps us to learn. Very well said! ReplyDelete Replies Alistair August 8, 2012 at 12:41 PM Congratulations on the first anniversary of your blog. Its great to keep in touch with people who are as fanatical as myself. I started mine in 2006 and it wasn't until I found blotanical in late 2010 that it really took off. I really didn't have a clue about blogging when I first started. My early attempts were so embarrassing when I looked back on them that I deleted hundreds of them. Well to be honest its quite clear that its still far from perfect but I didn't half learn from you lot. Your garden is shaping up beautifully, but I want your house. happy gardening Alistair ReplyDelete Replies b-a-g August 8, 2012 at 1:02 PM Hi Indie - Happy blogaversary! When I started blogging, I thought of it as nothing more than a computer diary. I wasn't aware of the garden blogging community. It came as a surprise when people returned to comment. Good Luck with your second year of blogging and I hope there'll be many more. ReplyDelete Replies Karin / Southern Meadows August 8, 2012 at 4:08 PM I am so glad that you joined the blogging community. I really enjoy reading about your journey and experiences in the garden. I live in a rural area were neighbors are more removed so I find that blogging is such a great way to connect with fellow gardeners around the world and learn more and more. Like you I find taking photos a great way to document the progress in the garden especially since mine is fairly immature still. Happy blogaversary! ReplyDelete Replies HolleyGarden August 8, 2012 at 5:46 PM Congratulations! Like you, I have no friends that talk plant, so this gardening community has been a wonderful find. Your house is really beautiful. I love the red! ReplyDelete Replies Congratulations Indie. You have received such a nice welcome to the blogging community and returned it ten fold to the rest of us. ReplyDelete Replies Astrid August 9, 2012 at 8:34 PM Happy Anniversary to you, happy anniversary to you, happy anniversary dear Indie and your blog and Red House and Mr. Red House and all the wonderful hilarious posts about plants, garden design, birdies and critters……happy anniversary to you!! Gardening is fun but it's even more fun when you can connect with other gardeners - especially ones like you, who have a real talent for writing and taking great photos. :) ReplyDelete Replies Rose August 9, 2012 at 9:44 PM Congratulations on your first blogaversary! You've expressed so well the same feelings I have about blogging. I started mine about four years ago, and I've met so many wonderful people here and learned so much from other more experienced gardeners than I. I do have some friends who like to garden, but I don't see them every day, and my family starts to roll their eyes when I start "garden talking":) So it's so nice to have a community like this to share ideas with. Like you, I've found my blog is a great way to record what's happening in my garden and keep track of plants I've added. You've certainly created a beautiful garden in such a short time! ReplyDelete Replies Indie August 9, 2012 at 10:24 PM Thank you all so much for your kind comments! I have enjoyed getting to know you all so much through your blogs and Blotanical. I look forward to another year of gardening, blogging, and being part of such a great community! ReplyDelete Replies debsgarden August 10, 2012 at 12:02 AM I love your red house and its gardens, and congratulations on your blogoversary! I always look forward to your posts. Your first statement made me laugh a little. When I started my own blog almost three years ago, I had no idea what I was doing, much less what I was getting into. It is more work than I imagined, and much more rewarding. It is wonderful to travel around the world with the click of a mouse to peek into others gardens and share their garden experiences. They have inspired me, and I feel that I have gained some true, if virtual friends. I am also lucky to have made real life friends of some who live closer. ReplyDelete Replies Jacob Bastomski August 20, 2012 at 8:35 AM this is first time on your blog.this is nice blog. i like it. congratulation from umesh. thak you for post it ReplyDelete Replies Rebecca Maurier October 17, 2012 at 3:29 AM Great post! I’ve thought about starting my own design blog for years but always had some sort of excuse stopping me. Hopefully the inspiration sticks! Cleaning Companies Kent ReplyDelete Replies Unknown June 3, 2014 at 8:36 AM I had a home for many years in the Luberon region of France, where I became enamored of the light, the food and, of course, the gardens. I now live in Florida, and when renovating, I wanted to bring a bit of Provence into my home and garden. Imagine my joy when I walked into Authentic Provence in West Palm Beach (also online at http://authenticprovence.com). The owners have sourced the most incredible French and Italian garden antiques and products: statues, fountains, planters (note especially the classic Caisse de Versailles, and Anduze pottery), terra cotta shields, stone animals, copper pots, garden spouts, and on and on. They have created an environment that took me right back to many afternoons spent in the beautiful homes and gardens of Provence. They are also very helpful in giving advice and even sourcing special items, and can arrange shipping anywhere in the USA. I highly recommend this business! ReplyDelete Replies Thank you for your comment! Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom) When I started this blog, I was gardening on clay in zone 7b near Raleigh, NC. After moving to the Boston area, the house and garden has changed, but the mission remains the same: to add lushness and color throughout the yards of the Red House. And hopefully not break the bank doing so...	13,840
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I started actively blogging recently and have gotten to more than 140 followers on my blog in a little less than three weeks. As an appreciation of this, I am offering a makeup giveaway (see below for all the products given). Retail value is $100 dollars for the makeup, and I will ship to you for free.ABOUT SHARA and HER GIVEAWAY TO MY READERS:Shara Strand, … [Read more...] « Previous Page … Ambassadorships Affiliates Blog Archive Select Month December 2022 (1) November 2022 (8) October 2022 (7) September 2022 (12) August 2022 (5) July 2022 (9) June 2022 (9) May 2022 (8) April 2022 (6) March 2022 (10) February 2022 (8) January 2022 (12) December 2021 (12) November 2021 (10) October 2021 (14) September 2021 (17) August 2021 (10) July 2021 (11) June 2021 (12) May 2021 (26) April 2021 (18) March 2021 (22) February 2021 (18) January 2021 (24) December 2020 (21) November 2020 (23) October 2020 (23) September 2020 (15) August 2020 (16) July 2020 (11) June 2020 (7) May 2020 (9) April 2020 (14) March 2020 (10) February 2020 (10) January 2020 (11) December 2019 (19) November 2019 (27) October 2019 (16) September 2019 (15) August 2019 (13) July 2019 (10) June 2019 (9) May 2019 (13) April 2019 (9) March 2019 (12) February 2019 (14) January 2019 (15) December 2018 (39) November 2018 (23) October 2018 (18) September 2018 (19) August 2018 (19) July 2018 (16) June 2018 (27) May 2018 (23) April 2018 (20) March 2018 (27) February 2018 (18) January 2018 (23) December 2017 (49) November 2017 (35) October 2017 (24) September 2017 (21) August 2017 (29) July 2017 (23) June 2017 (45) May 2017 (47) April 2017 (30) March 2017 (32) February 2017 (29) January 2017 (35) December 2016 (69) November 2016 (55) October 2016 (34) September 2016 (46) August 2016 (47) July 2016 (43) June 2016 (53) May 2016 (55) April 2016 (47) March 2016 (45) February 2016 (41) January 2016 (38) December 2015 (59) November 2015 (66) October 2015 (74) September 2015 (64) August 2015 (67) July 2015 (63) June 2015 (51) May 2015 (61) April 2015 (41) March 2015 (72) February 2015 (44) January 2015 (53) December 2014 (74) November 2014 (67) October 2014 (58) September 2014 (55) August 2014 (55) July 2014 (42) June 2014 (69) May 2014 (55) April 2014 (53) March 2014 (48) February 2014 (45) January 2014 (39) December 2013 (73) November 2013 (58) October 2013 (63) September 2013 (51) August 2013 (58) July 2013 (57) June 2013 (61) May 2013 (72) April 2013 (59) March 2013 (74) February 2013 (54) January 2013 (65) December 2012 (96) November 2012 (91) October 2012 (83) September 2012 (87) August 2012 (70) July 2012 (66) June 2012 (76) May 2012 (62) April 2012 (65) March 2012 (70) February 2012 (54) January 2012 (58) December 2011 (36) November 2011 (28) October 2011 (20) September 2011 (21) August 2011 (18) July 2011 (2) This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, 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 affect 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.	4,344
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Montgomery County prosecutors lashed into Bill Cosby in their final pitch to jurors Tuesday, painting him as a serial sexual predator who hid for decades behind his reputation as "America's Dad" to lure unsuspecting young women into situations where they were powerless to resist his advances. Bill Cosby, left, smiles as he arrives with his wife, Camille, for his sexual assault trial on Tuesday, April 24, 2018, at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa.Read moreJOSE F. MORENO / Staff Photographer by Jeremy Roebuck and Laura McCrystal Published Apr 24, 2018 Montgomery County prosecutors lashed into Bill Cosby in their final pitch to jurors Tuesday, painting him as a serial sexual predator who hid for decades behind his reputation as "America's Dad" to lure unsuspecting young women into situations where they were powerless to resist his advances. "He is nothing like the image he plays on TV," Assistant District Attorney Kristen Feden said in an impassioned address to the panel of seven men and five women hearing the case. "He utilized that image and cloaked it around himself, so he could gain the trust of young, unsuspecting women to sexually assault them and strip their ability to say no." Feden and her cocounsel, M. Stewart Ryan, pushed back hard against defense attempts earlier in the day to discredit Andrea Constand, the case's central accuser, as a "con artist" and a grifter. They responded contemptuously to what they described as "utterly shameful" and "filthy" efforts by Cosby's lawyers to tear down the five other women who testified against the 80-year-old entertainer at trial. "She's the exact reason that women and victims of sexual assault don't report this crime," Feden said, pointing at defense lawyer Kathleen Bliss, who had in her own closing argument hours earlier dismissed each of the women one-by-one as "failed starlets," gold diggers, or sexually promiscuous liars. "How dare she call these women moral-less?" As for Cosby, Feden stood feet from the comedy icon, pointing directly at the uncomfortable smile playing across his face. "There's nothing funny about that, Mr. Cosby," she said. "And there's nothing funny about five different women plus Ms. Constand being incapacitated, stripped of their autonomy, and being unable to say, 'I don't want to engage in sexual contact.' There's nothing funny about 'No.' " That charged animosity lingered throughout the 12th day of Cosby's retrial as jurors prepared to begin their deliberations Wednesday. At one point, tensions became so heated between Bliss and District Attorney Kevin R. Steele while jurors were out of the courtroom that Montgomery County Judge Steven T. O'Neill had to break up their shouting match himself with a sign he held up from the bench that read "QUIET PLEASE!" Earlier in the day, Bliss and her cocounsel Tom Mesereau had likened their client's legal woes to a "lynching" and dismissed outright the #MeToo movement whose shadow has loomed large over the proceedings. "Questioning an accuser is not shaming a victim. Gut feelings are not rational decisions. Mob rule is not due process," Bliss said. "When you join a movement based primarily on emotion and anger, you don't change a damn thing." The defense urged jurors to reject Constand's account of being drugged and assaulted in 2004 at Cosby's Cheltenham home, insisting she made it all up for the $3.4 million settlement she would receive in a suit she later filed against him. They pointed to numerous inconsistencies in reports she gave to police over the last 13 years, calling her a "pathological liar." >>UPDATES: Day-by-day at Bill Cosby's retrial "I call it one of the biggest highway robberies of all times," Mesereau said. "Bill Cosby got conned, big time." But it was Bliss' attacks on the trial's other accusers – five women who testified earlier in the trial that Cosby approached them as a mentor in the '80s only to sexually assault them – that drew the brunt of prosecutors' ire Tuesday. Bliss stood before the jury and maintained there was a difference between "victim shaming" and the type of scrutiny the defense team has applied to those accusers throughout the trial. Then, one-by-one she picked apart their characters, called them names, and insisted each had piled on with false accusations in a conspiracy to tear down an American icon. Of Heidi Thomas, a former aspiring actress who testified Cosby drugged and attacked her in Reno, Nev. in 1984, Bliss said: "She wanted to be a star. She's living the dream now." She scoffed at Janice Baker-Kinney, a former casino bartender who told jurors earlier that she made a stupid mistake taking party drugs from Cosby, a married man, before she was assaulted. "Where is her morality? Where are her values? Where is a little personal responsibility?" Bliss asked. And when it came to Janice Dickinson – the former supermodel and reality TV show staple who accused Cosby of raping her in a Lake Tahoe hotel room in 1982 — Bliss did not hold back. "It sounds as if she slept with almost every single man on the planet," the lawyer said. "Is Ms. Dickinson really the moral beacon the women's movement wants?" Ryan, the prosecutor, recoiled at Bliss' remarks in his own speech. "I can only hope … that what we are seeing are the last vestiges of a tactic designed not to get to the truth but to damage character and reputation." Throughout the defense argument Tuesday, Cosby's wife, Camille, sat in the gallery's front row, her eyes shielded behind a pair of chunky sunglasses. She was escorted into the courtroom on the arm of Cosby's publicist, Andrew Wyatt, earlier in the day, making her first appearance since the start of the trial, and was conspicuously led to the front, where she gave her husband two quick kisses on the cheek, before taking her seat. She left the courthouse immediately after the defense closing argument ended. Meanwhile, Constand was not in the courtroom during Bliss' and Mesereau's speeches but turned up in time for the prosecutors to finish their case. She chatted cordially with lawyers and staff of the District Attorney's Office. Once the lawyers' speeches had concluded, O'Neill said he intended to instruct jurors on the law Wednesday morning and let them begin their discussions of the case. "I want you refreshed," the judge told the panel before sending them back to the nearby hotel where they have been sequestered since the start of the trial. Still, it could take days for the jurors to reach a verdict – if they are able to do so at all. During Cosby's first trial in June, jurors deliberated for 52 hours over a week and still ultimately were unable to reach a unanimous decision, prompting the judge to declare a mistrial. Cosby is charged with three counts of aggravated indecent assault – each of which carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. Keep up with every development in Bill Cosby's case with our day-by-day recaps, timeline, and explainer on everything you need to know about the case and its major players. Published April 24, 2018 I cover public corruption, white collar crime and the criminal misuse of power. I cover Philadelphia City Hall, with a focus on government policies and agencies.	7,598
“DCIS is not cancer. It is a risk factor for cancer.” — Dr. Laura Esserman, When Cancer is NOT Cancer, The California Sunday Magazine, 2014 Somehow DCIS ended up in the cancer camp rather than the risk-factor camp, and all my work is to push it back.” — Dr. Shelley Hwang, The Danger of DCIS, The Breast “Cancer” That’s Often Not, Elle Magazine, 2015 “DCIS is NOT Breast Cancer, but it can be a precursor to breast cancer. It is quite possible that the DCIS will NEVER DEVELOP INTO BREAST CANCER. Many women, therefore do not need to undergo treatment.” – Is Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS) really cancer? video by PRECISION team My name is Donna Pinto. In January 2010, I was completely blindsided and shocked when I was told I had DCIS, also known as “stage zero” breast cancer. I was 44 — a healthy, happy, fit mom of two young children — with no signs or symptoms of anything wrong. I could not believe the alarming “cancer” treatments I was told were the standard protocol for treating women with a low-risk non-invasive “pre-cancerous” condition. Thankfully I began researching and soon felt reassured by a handful of outspoken breast cancer experts, science-based studies, resources and support for a less rushed and less aggressive approach to DCIS. Sadly these voices of great wisdom were not being heard. The information was often overshadowed by mainstream media hype and a culture of fear around breast cancer, despite conclusive evidence of massive over-diagnosis and over-treatment. I created DCIS 411 to help women world-wide receive the same information and resources I was emboldened by as well as to provide a space for emotional support and connection that I felt was missing in online DCIS support groups and forums. From my experiences following my DCIS diagnosis, I went through an incredible life transformation. I went from being frightened, confused and anxious to feeling calm, empowered and inspired. I became an avid researcher, blogger, Certified Nutritionist, and advocate for informed decision-making and pro-active wellness practices. I felt compelled to share the wisdom I discovered and a new way forward for women to be empowered in their journeys to health, wellness and peace of mind. It is my sincere wish that all women diagnosed with DCIS and their families take a time-out to ask important questions and create an individualized plan of action. I am not a medical doctor and I do not give medical advice. I am a woman who cares about women diagnosed with DCIS. Since 2010, I have spent countless hours researching DCIS over-diagnosis and over-treatment. Please think of me as your friend and mentor. For most of my life, I have been a seeker of truth and wisdom. In 1994, my first book — Cheatnotes on Life: Lessons from the Classroom of Life — sold over 60,000 copies. DCIS 411 is like Cheatnotes on DCIS. Below is a step-by-step guide for women with DCIS and those who care about them: DCIS is not an emergency. Get all the specific facts about your individual and unique case (see #4 below). Explore this website and make decisions without fear. #2. Ask yourself important questions Is your gut telling you something is not right with the “standard of care” one-size-fits-all treatments for DCIS? Do you feel like you are going insane dealing with the maze of doctor visits, confusion, overwhelm and statistics? Are you looking for support and resources for a less aggressive approach to DCIS? Are you interested in learning more about natural ways to reduce risk of cancer? #3. Understand there are different types of DCIS Read statements made by Dr. Laura Esserman, MD, MBA, professor of surgery and radiology at UCSF and Director of the Carol Franc Buck Breast Care Center at UCSF. Excerpted from Take Carcinoma Out of DCIS and Ease Off Treatment: “Minimal-risk lesions should not be called cancer.” “With DCIS, the bulk of what we find is not high grade.” “Only high-grade DCIS is likely to progress to invasive breast cancer.” “If it doesn’t look like high-grade DCIS, we should leave it alone. We would eliminate two thirds of all biopsies if we did.” “Currently there are sufficient data to stop and rethink the entire approach to DCIS.” “Less than 5% of DCIS turns out to be something else, including invasive cancer.” “There are now 60,000 new cases a year of DCIS in the United States. But we haven’t seen any drop in invasive cancers, despite treatment of DCIS as if it were early cancer.” DCIS Over-diagnosis and Over-treatment Proactive Breast Health Club DCIS Virtual (Zoom) Emotional Support Group led by Life Coach Carrie Sackett #8. Stay tuned in to the latest news and research about DCIS: “Follow” DCIS 411 and receive an email alert with new posts Read Donna’s 1st post — December 2011… My heart sank, my head spun and my gut knew… The “standard of care” treatment options offered to me following a diagnosis of DCIS didn’t feel right. My intuition led me on a highly motivated journey of investigation. With all the breast cancer awareness, pink campaigns and races for the cure, why had I never heard of DCIS? And, after being diagnosed, why had no one else that I told ever heard of it! What I have since learned is that although DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ) is considered “stage zero” breast cancer, it is still counted in the breast cancer statistics and accounts for 1/4 of all breast cancers diagnosed today. According to the American Cancer Society, about 60,000 cases of DCIS are diagnosed in the United States each year, accounting for about 1 out of every 5 new breast cancer cases. Because there is so much uncertainty around whether or not DCIS will progress to invasive cancer, treatments are extremely aggressive (as if one has invasive cancer) and there is little support for those who choose a less invasive natural healing/active surveillance approach. This site is an on-going compilation of research which continues to enlighten my journey. What I have learned brings me peace of mind, a healthy body and a joyful spirit. I hope it can do the same for women world-wide diagnosed with DCIS and their loved ones. I am grateful beyond words to the scientists, doctors and true health advocates who provide new research, resources and insights regarding DCIS. I feel compelled to share this wealth of information with women everywhere. Please read the About page, Donna’s Journey and Holistic Health for more of my personal insights, motivation and story. Above all, DCIS 411 provides women with the latest information from credible breast cancer experts regarding DCIS — information that their doctor may not know, may not believe or may not tell them — information that is not readily available on breast cancer websites or on message boards. In order to make a truly informed decision, the information found on the Resources page is vitally important. Below are excerpts from one of the articles that has made a huge difference in my treatment choices. Dr. Laura Esserman, MD, MBA, professor of surgery and radiology at UCSF and Director of the Carol Franc Buck Breast Care Center at UCSF states: “Minimal-risk lesions should not be called cancer.” “With DCIS, the bulk of what we find is not high grade.” “Only high-grade DCIS is likely to progress to invasive breast cancer.” “If it doesn’t look like high-grade DCIS, we should leave it alone. We would eliminate two thirds of all biopsies if we did.” “Currently there are sufficient data to stop and rethink the entire approach to DCIS.” “Less than 5% of DCIS turns out to be something else, including invasive cancer.” “There are now 60,000 new cases a year of DCIS in the United States. But we haven’t seen any drop in invasive cancers, despite treatment of DCIS as if it were early cancer.” “The burgeoning problem of DCIS is a result of mammography screening. In the days before widespread mammography, DCIS was rare. In the United States, DCIS incidence has risen from 1.87 per 100,000 in 1973 to 1975 to 32.5 in 2004, according to a recent report published online January 13 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.” “Is the purpose of mammography screening to look for DCIS? No” “Maybe we shouldn’t try so hard to find it — particularly low- and intermediate-grade DCIS. We need to take them out of the screening agenda. Excerpted from: Take Carcinoma Out of DCIS and Ease Off Treatment I look forward to connecting with you and sharing insights. ~ Donna January 25, 2012 at 10:54 pm Had my first post diagnosis check up this morning (6 month) and all is clear-I’m officially cancer free and move to “survivor” status. Of course, I had to answer, numerous times, as to why i had refused radiation and tamoxifen. Each time I got that “you did WHAT?” response followed by the comment, “well you know not doing standard of care increases your chance of a recurrence?” Good grief, yes, I know that and I’m willing to bet I know much more about my case and “standard of care” than any of them. So, scare tactics still continuing, even as they’re telling me I’m cancer free and my breast tissue and lymph nodes were “perfect”. I’m sure I’ll have another round of scare tactics in 2 weeks when I followup with the breast surgeon. Of course, my naturopath Dr and clinical nutritionist were happy. I just keep wondering why all I hear about is recurrence and nothing about the 80% that never have another problem. Oh yeah, because then they can’t scare you into doing things that lines their pockets with cash. October 7, 2012 at 1:10 pm Kay-I was diagnosed (with low grade dcis) last week but going to see an oncologist this week. Did you have a lumpectomy? I want to refuse having tamoxifen and radiation because of past health issues. I do plan to change my diet and take the supplements Gail has recommended. Would love to know your thoughts. June 28, 2022 at 6:52 pm I have carcinoma dcis invasive stage 2 through out my whole left breast and I figured after doing catscan stereotactic biopsey might as well get then both removed and they will check my left lymphomas when he removes them ( which I am freaking out) next month July 6th. I am running out of time. I dontknow what to do but I feel like I am just frightened about all this because I damn sure say I could care less about reconstruction but it makes me sad to get them my books removed. I found you through chrisbeatcancer.com…into holistic stuff and listening to my gut…I feel something else needs to happen…time is running out for me ..July 6th is around the corner…omg… June 28, 2022 at 9:39 pm So sorry. This website is really for noninvasive Low-risk DCIS. I would recommend reading Radical Remission and joining an alternative BC group. Blessings to you October 25, 2016 at 6:39 pm My DCIS was discovered in pathology following breast reduction, no’thing seen in mammogram. Since I already had surgery for reduction I decided to have double mastectomy. No radiation or chemotherapy. I, too, was asked by many why I didn’t do chemo or radiation. My feeling was, and is that I had something removed for a healthy life, why would I put something into my body that may make me ill. Same thinking with radiation. Why would potentially healthy cells and organs be exposed to radiation. For me this seemed like the best decision. I was diagnosed October 31, 2008 (spooky Halloween trick). I am doing well. Have a yearly chest X-ray now. Joan Merwyn says: November 30, 2016 at 5:48 am FYI I had a lumpectomy for Stage 0 DCIS and refused chemo and radiation. One year later, it came back, scattered in the same breast, and I had to have a mastectomy. I still did not need chemo and radiation because it had not metastasized to the lymph and I caught it in time. I feel that it’s very important to get screenings regularly because if it had spread to the lymph, I would’ve had to have the full treatment. November 30, 2016 at 5:55 am Hey Joan. Do you mind if I ask what grade your Stage 0 DCIS was? And did your doctors decide it was that same grade thoughout the breast, hence your mastectomy decision? Hope you are doing well! Sounds like you are. – Best, Ellen January 9, 2017 at 10:33 am Mutilating surgery, chemotherapy and radiation are all harmful measures against breast cancer and against all other types of cancers. Please, read this publication: Recent Pat Anticancer Drug Discov. 2016;11(3):254-66. Causal Therapy of Breast Cancer Irrelevant of Age, Tumor Stage and ER-Status: Stimulation of Estrogen Signaling Coupled With Breast Conserving Surgery. LikeLiked by 1 person January 25, 2012 at 11:38 pm Fantastic Kay! I feel like we are “survivors” of the system!! I’m curious, what size and grade was your DCIS? And did you have clear margins? I am going on Monday for a RODEO MRI…it got approved by my insurance! Karen says: October 14, 2015 at 6:35 pm Saw you had the Rodeo MRI….did you feel it gave you a true picture of the extent of the DCIS? I heard it’s a great test showing if DCIS has progressed or not. Hope to hear about your experience March 24, 2012 at 4:47 pm first ive heard of this term. im 45 and have annual mams. fibroids show each time and my ob suggested ultra sound first time and 5 years later. i get results that state “no sign of cancer”. is this enough for piece of mind. just wondering. Michele w from Michigan Mildred says: February 23, 2019 at 2:29 pm Hi, please research how iodine and selenium [brazil nuts] will help with fibrocystic breast condition. My daughter used to have that dis-ease/condition as well, so I care. These links may help as well: https://searchworks.standford.edu/view/10786960 [my daughter’s friend bought her this book for her 50th birthday! ] You get the idea – stay healthy! marua says: April 29, 2012 at 8:39 am Gail says: May 14, 2012 at 6:27 pm Hi, Donna! I want to leave this for All and Sundry who might drop by. I just had a second excision to get that good margin of 10 mm (or 1 cm), and that’s all I want to do. Supporting this is a major long-term study led by Dr. Silverstein out in California: here’s the abstract, with the URL if you want to read more. Silverstein followup, published in 2010. Figure 1, A shows 320 patients with scores of 4, 5, or 6 analyzed by treatment (excision alone vs excision plus radiation therapy). The local recurrence rate at 12 years for those who received radiation therapy was 2.5%. For those treated with excision alone, it was 5.4% (P = NS). When analyzed by individual score, those who scored 4, 5, or 6, Regardless of treatment (excision alone or excision plus radiation therapy), had a local recurrence rate of 6% or less at 12 years. With almost three times as many patients as originally published, the USC/VNPI can be more finely tuned to aid in the treatment decision-making process. To achieve a local recurrence rate of less than 20% at 12 years, these data support Excision Alone for ALL patients scoring 4, 5, or 6, AND patients who score 7 but have margin widths greater than3 mm. Excision plus radiation therapy achieves the less than 20% local recurrence requirement at 12 years for patients who score 7 and have margins less than 3 mm, patients who score 8 and have margins ≥3 mm, and for patients who score 9 and have margins ≥5 mm. Best wishes, July 8, 2012 at 4:34 am could someone explain “margins” to me? July 8, 2012 at 12:09 pm Facebook link is in “Resources”: July 9, 2012 at 2:20 pm Here is a good link about negative margins: “the width of surgical margins in breast cancer is not well defined, with some hospitals defining a clear margin as anywhere from 1 mm to 2 mm. Only a small proportion of surgeons typically believe that a 10 mm negative margin is the minimum” Margins were considered positive when DCIS touched or was transected at an inked margin. A “close” margin would mean the DCIS/abnormal cells are surrounded by less than 1-3mm of healthy tissue (depending on who is evaluating the margin status) Gaylyn Bicking says: January 31, 2013 at 2:49 pm Could someone explain how to calculate the size of the excision in regards to the VanNuy Index? My excision was 3.5 cm x 2.6 x 2.1. Donna says: January 31, 2013 at 3:06 pm It’s not the size of the excision. The VNPI looks at the total calculated size of the DCIS. It should be just 1 number — either in milometers or centimeters. February 11, 2013 at 10:50 am I have found your blog very interesting. Was diagnosed in dec following routine mammo, biopsy showed atypical ductal hyperplasia. This led to lumpectomy, found dcis. Needed a total of three surgeries to clear margins, including segmental mastectomy, removed tissue down to chest wall, still needed third surgery. Now going fwd with radiation, 33 days, external beam, then tamoxifen 5 yrs. the whole process has been bewildering, so decided to share on my own blog, Breastcancerrookie.blogspot.com. Your experience provides very good food for thought. Thank you. Katy February 11, 2013 at 1:30 pm Thanks for sharing your story and blog. I was headed down a similar path…and we have similar experiences, yet I do not know the particulars of your DCIS — would you be willing to share the pathological diagnosis? Grade, size, etc. Did you get 2nd opinions? LOVE your blog! Especially “chicken knockers!” Gave me a good laugh…and that…is the best medicine! Be well and keep on writing…there’s good healing in that too! Donna April 1, 2013 at 3:37 pm Thanks for being an inspiration. I was diagnosed with DCIS October 2012 . It was stage 0, grade 3. After 2 stereostatic biopies at one facility, the doctors there said I need lumpectomy, radiation and tamoxifen. I decided to go for a second opinion to UCSF, and there the surgeon suggested to take the oncocyte DX test which I did. The results came back with 15% chance of recurrence in ten years of DCIS or invasive breast cancer. Had lumpectomy January 2013. The pathology report came back with clear margins and my DCIS is ER estrogen positive. No radiation , but should be on Exemestane (Aromasin) for 5 years. Refuse to take the drug. I already changed my diet and went all organic. But I feel I need to do more. I need to be under supervision. I need somebody to tell me exactly what to do. Any referrals to Naturopathic Doctor and clinical nutritionist in San Francisco or any suggestions? Thanks a lot I April 1, 2013 at 3:44 pm July 29, 2016 at 6:04 am It’s been a while since your last post. I hope this message finds you in good health doing well. I was just given the same diagnosis DCIS, grade 3. I’ve recently had a lumpectomy. Clear margins and only small residual DCIS found, but pathology says still Grade 3. My tissue was just sent out for oncotype DX test to see if perhaps we could skip radiation. No results yet. I share your concerns about Radiation and Tamoxifen. Could you let me know what course you eventually took and how you are doing? July 29, 2016 at 9:13 am Neither DCIS nor invasive breast cancer requires radiation, tamoxifen or mastectomy. You should not use these therapies. They all are mistakes in medication. DCIS is an early sign of defective estrogen surveillance of cell proliferation caused by either low estrogen level (estrogen deficiency) or failure of estrogen receptors (estrogen resistance). Radiation, tamoxifen or mastectomy reduces the systemic capacity of patients for fighting against cancer, while locally they may destroy the defensive cellular zone in the surroundings of the tumor. Natural therapy and prevention for improvement of hormonal and metabolic balance: premarin, vitamin D, iodine, selenium, weight loss (if you are overweight), Mediterranean diet and the most important; regular physical activity. By this method you will be healthy, and destroy the remnants of tumor cells. Please, answer if you have further questions! Wendy says: July 29, 2016 at 9:15 pm Thank you for sharing your expertise on treating DCIS naturally! It’s a shame mainstream medicine has us headed in the wrong direction. July 30, 2016 at 2:14 am Greetings. Please, kindly help in sharing the possibilities of natural therapy among women in desperate situation. Cancer is curable! I publish scientific arguments. July 29, 2016 at 2:30 pm Hey Misty. Welcome to the DCIS journey! I technically didn’t have enough “bad” cells to get the oncotype test (good thing) but my surgeon who did the lumpectomy (in lieu of the mastectomy that 4 other doctors had recommended previously) and the nipple-ectomy due to Paget’s disease of nipple, said my Paget’s was “slightly” estrogen positive and suggested tamoxifen but she knew I was gonna say no. She also reminded me that it is recommended to prevent recurrence, NOT to treat current disease. Since I have low risk factors due to being white, age 60 and no history of breast cancer in family, I declined. I also declined radiation — which was recommended not only to prevent recurrence, but to stem the spread of any remaining DCIS. So, it’s still kinda scary, not knowing for sure if the DCIS is spreading throughout other ducts or if there is an invasive cancer lurking. I am taking turmeric and wormwood, which I have read can be a good DCIS defense. There are other natural and herbal things but these seemed to have the most research. Please let me know how it’s going and the results of the oncotype test — it may help you predict your risk level more closely than the doctors can tell based on your current pathology and imaging. October 15, 2016 at 11:54 am Ellen and Zsuzsanna, thanks for responding. My high grade DCIS w/ comedo necrosis diagnosis was confirmed by Dr. Lagios second opinion. Oncotype score was high, 61, but Dr Lagios disagreed with their projected rates of recurrence for my case. My DCIS was small, under 1cm and my margins were clear and over 1cm so Dr Lagios gave me a Van Nuys score of 7. He gave me a recurrence rate of 14% (for DCIS or IBC) if I do nothing further. Oncotype rated me at 24%…. I have refused tamoxifen and radiation. I told my doctor that if my DCIS was serious enough for these treatments, then a mastectomy seemed the “lesser evil” (for me). So I gave her the choice of lumpectomy and careful monitoring vs double mastectomy and asked for her recommendation. She took it to her tumor board and everyone said that they would lean toward lumpectomy only vs mastectomy in my situation…. That gave me peace of mind… so now I need to find the healthiest way to do careful monitoring. Any insights/suggestions are appreciated. My doctor says to wait until 6 months post surgery and get a baseline mammo. Then she suggests that I alternate mammograms and MRIs every 6 months. I’m trying to learn about alternatives to mammograms because of the radiation, but a mammogram was what detected my DCIS, so I’m torn. I’m also trying to eat a more healthy diet. I’ve been a pesci vegetarian for 20 years (I do eat dairy and fish. just no meat) and I’m not overweight – especially since all the panic w this diagosis. I was so freaked out that I lost weight because I couldn’t eat. I’m back to a healthy weight now and I enjoy food and life again. I’ve always exercised a few times a week so I think I’m doing fine in that respect. I’m trying to eat more organic foods and reduce cafeine and sugar (which is difficult because I like coffee and sweets). I stopped drinking alcohol completely, though at some point, I would like to be able to go back to having an occasional glass of red wine. I recently increased my dose of vitamin D. My vitamin D blood level was at 38 prior to this and I’ll have it checked again in2 months. I’ve heard that it’s better to have levels of over 40. I’ve started trying to increase my intake of iodine by switching to iodonized salt and eating salmon sushi more often. Any dietary suggestions are also welcome. Thanks and good luck to all! I’m so happy to know that there are others out there who think the same way that I do. October 15, 2016 at 2:42 pm Misty, to me, your doctor’s suggestion of alternating mammograms with MRI doesn’t seem unreasonable; I, too, had my DCIS discovered by the mammogram and in fact the MRI showed less DCIS than the mammogram, which I am grateful for. I’ve heard that too many mammograms can add up to dangerous radiation and actually contribute to breast cancer, but in my case, I had not had a mammogram in 7 years, and never them yearly before that, when my DCIS and Paget’s Disease turned up. And you are another example of why Dr. Lagios totally rocks in terms of second opinions. He looked at my slides with the cells on them and adjudicated that my doomsday docs had extrapolated too much DCIS and that some of what appeared to be calcifications were actually the result of my initial steriotactic biopsy!!! I am past due for my mammogram follow-up to Paget’s Disease surgical removal of nipple and surgical lumpectomy and it’s supposed to be what they call a “diagnostic” mammogram, but I’ve been putting if off, in fear that the DCIS Grade 3 I had will still be lurking about or spreading. But thanks to this website I am so encouraged,.. indeed, empowered… to take control of my health and make decisions based on my own research and support from other women like you and Donna and everyone here. As for naturopathic approaches, I’m taking wormwood and turmeric and I’ve also read that a certain type of hemp oil (yes from the marijuana plant) has anti-cancer properties, but no confirmed, reliable studies as yet. Does anyone know of any late-breaking proven naturopathic treatments? February 2, 2018 at 10:31 am I am new to blogging and cancer. I am going for a second option. Invasive Ductal carcinoma. I have had all the test I can take. My Onotype is 41. I have clear nodes all 4. clear margins. 1.o tumor. All standard of treatment is being offered. This is difficult. I am reading and researching all the time. I am 58 on Feb 3. very healthy, now, but if I take this treatment I feel I will not be as healthy as i am now. I swim, lift weights go for walks and eat clean. I go to Dr. on Wed. for that second option. I hope I can help other when I put this all together. Stage 1 I thought is cancer if it is call invasive. Be well, and we will keep learning. I hope I don’t make the wrong decision. You are not alone, keep going. April 2, 2013 at 11:02 pm Thank you for sharing your story! I do not have a specific referral for a Naturopathic DR in SF, but I would check these links: You may be able to work with a naturopathic or integrative Dr. over the phone. Dr. Reese in San Diego works with patients over the phone, but it might be a good idea to have an initial visit in person (a good reason to come to san Diego!). Here is her link: Please let me know if you do come to San Diego to see her… I’d love to connect in person!! Please keep me posted and keep on the healthy path! May 14, 2013 at 2:44 pm Hi, My name is Michelle and I felt empowered by your blog. Was diagnosed with DCIS December 22. Had a partial mastectomy January 8th. I was a candidate for MammoSite Therapy. I had radiation twice a day for 5 days. I go to PT twice a week and am on Arimidex 1 tablet daily for 5 years. I had clear margins. The Arimidex causes joint pain especially in my hands. I feel if I take it, I am not myself but if I don’t take it I would beat myself up if I had a recurrence. My mom died of breast cancer many years ago which adds to the drama. Feeling confused. My surgeon is very pro save the breast. Some days I just want to remove them. I know you can’t give me any answers. It is my journey but it feels good to talk to someone that has been in my shoes. July 25, 2013 at 10:13 am Michelle, I was wondering how you are doing? I was reading what you wrote her & was wondering how you are doing now. I was diagnosed on May 30. 2013. I am sorry about your mom dying. Your mom may have had different cancer then you. Do you know what kind of cancer she had? There are different 150 different kinds of cancer. One of my breast has LCIS & other has DCIS. I know what you mean about removing them. I think about it some times too. June 14, 2013 at 8:39 am This is well written with some important information. I have noted some essential subjects on this writing which I don’t find yet. So, this will be so helpful for my next post. I think breast cancer may be cured fully if it is diagnosed in the early time, I mean starting time of breast cancer. Breast cancer has some steps with some categories. There are many treatment ways to prevent it. There is a treatment way at the period of DCIS. I have been really benefited reading this one. Thank you once again for writing this informative writing. June 17, 2013 at 2:00 pm I have been through mammograms for over 9 years & for 4 of those years I had go twice a month. then after going once this year I came back for another a couple days later. Then the wonderful biopsy. my doctor told me I have breast cancer in both breast. But I took home my report & looked up every word in a cancer dictionary. The result, I believed I did not have cancer in my left breast This was LCIS. When I went to the surgery oncologist he told me I did not have cancer in my left breast. I forgot to tell you I went through the biopsy because they found microscopic specks of calcium . and they wanted to know what caused it, nothing or pre-cancer or cancer. I was also led to believe more then likely would not be cancer, by the doctor. Now my right breast it is the DCIS one. I kept telling people I think they caught it to soon. Everyone looked like they thought I was crazy. I do not understand how a doctor who got the same information I did came up with both breast being cancer, when I not a doctor came up with no cancer. The surgery oncologist walk up to my pictures of my right breast & said exact words. : “Yah,, you got a little something there,” His answer was taking the little something out, I do not have a lump at all & radiation. Cut & burn.. The one without cancer, I would take tamoxifen (drugs) with side affects he has never seen. My sister in law said her sister used it until she got more cancer & got off of it. A lot of this stuff can cause cancer: mammograms, .chemo, radiation to many biopsies, etc. Thanks for the information & allowing me to share. This just happen staring in May. June 17, 2013 at 4:50 pm Thank you for sharing your story. It empowers other women to then share theirs. When enough of us share this INSANITY, it will stop!!! Linda says: September 29, 2015 at 12:31 pm LCIS as you know, is lobular carcinoma in situ. More doctors now refer to it as a pre cancer but indicative of higher risk. DCIS may never go further but, depending on grade and other factors it may. When you use the term cut and burn, imo you are being a bit dramatic. I personally have lcis and dcis too. One in each breast. I had biopsies on both. What you call cutting, and a wide excision in the dcis. In my life have had 8 surgical biopsies and many needle biopsies. I am and you are, relatively high risk for invasive cancer. I finally found one of the best doctors and breast clinics in the world ( Paul Tartter and Melissa Estabrook in nyc) and am seen 3 times a year. I opted for no radiation or tamoxifen but I also take this seriously and trust my doctor. kelly says: July 4, 2013 at 12:16 pm my name is kelly and im 42 and was diagnosed with dcis. im going to have double mascetomy because my family history is very high with breast cancer. just need someone to talk to susan says: March 12, 2014 at 2:15 pm hi have thing. am having a double mastectomy in 2 weeks with immediate reconstruction and nipple sparing. in my family bad also. so that why i doing double.. saw where yours has been awhile back..How did it all go. Jet says: April 22, 2014 at 6:50 pm I sent this to Kelly, but wanted to make sure you got it as we’ll. how did things go for you? I’m wishing you we’ll! I’m 48 and diagnosed with low grade. I also have high family history of breast, ovarian and other cancers on both sides of family. Also BRCA positive in family. I’m waiting for my BRCA results, but feel I want double mastectomy anyway. I know it’s extreme but I DO NOT want to be on medication or radiation and to have to continue close surveillance which us harmful. I know people who left it alone, or tried natural options, but it later came back. I have also experienced losing family to breast cancer ( they opted for lumpectomy). I need someone to talk to also. Hoping to hear about how things went for you. Thanks Jet says: April 22, 2014 at 6:48 pm How did it go? I’m 48 and diagnosed with low grade. I also have high family history of breast, ovarian and other cancers on both sides of family. Also BRCA positive in family. I’m waiting for my BRCA results, but feel I want double mastectomy anyway. I know it’s extreme but I DO NOT want to be on medication or radiation and to have to continue close surveillance which us harmful. I know people who left it alone, or tried natural options, but it later came back. I have also experienced losing family to breast cancer ( they opted for lumpectomy). I need someone to talk to also. Hoping to hear about how things went for you. Thanks Monica says: July 16, 2014 at 7:23 pm Hi Jet…anyway I can email you privately? DCIS grade 3, BRAC + . scheduled for surgery next week, just have a few questions. Michelle says: August 23, 2013 at 7:31 pm August 24, 2013 at 6:55 am Hi! Michelle, How are you doing? Do you have DCIS in both breasts? When did you find out? What do they want you to do? What are you doing? I know how you feel, I have good days & bad days. I am trying to go against what the oncologist wants me to do. I enjoy reading Kris Car’s books. She has a lot of information on cancer & her books are not boring. She doesn’t have breast cancer, but lives with 24 tumors. Look online for Chris Wark, who refused chemo, for colon cancer, He has a lot of information on cancer & what he did, Michelle says: August 25, 2013 at 11:47 am Not sure of what they will find in the other breast yet an biop on tues. Michelle says: August 25, 2013 at 11:50 am yes I do have Dcis 3 in right breast. ,now possible in left. Please tell me your storyb August 26, 2013 at 6:51 am The beginning of my story is right above your comments. susan adams says: February 19, 2014 at 12:19 pm I have same DCIS- don’t know what to do- should I just have both breast took off. Hard decision!! August 25, 2013 at 7:43 pm Great advice Debby about Kris Carr and Chris Wark. Love those two! Michelle, I hope you find some solace, support and good resources here on this site. Know that you are not alone in the confusion and challenges you are facing. Keep investigating and keep listening to your gut. Sending you much love and light, Donna Janet says: September 10, 2013 at 6:34 pm I was first diagnosed with a low to intermediate grade of DCIS back in 1999. At that time the treatment turned out to be wide excision with a re-excision which showed a small amount of residual dcis with a one millimeter margin and six weeks of radiation. I healed and moved on from the experience for 13 years with yearly follow ups. Then in June 2012 another area of DCIS was found in the same breast in a completely different area. This was so impossible to believe that it could happen again. I then had another wide excision with the same low to intermediate grade of DCIS, however it was a bit more spread out and one margin was less than a millimeter and another less than two. The standard treatment now was mastectomy. After months of research and other doctors opinions I had the mastectomy and immediate reconstruction in March 2013. The irony is that when my report came back no residual DCIS was found only atypical hyperplasia, I am doing extremely well in spite of the whole ordeal. So much is said about reconstruction after radiation treatment, but I am doing just great. I should have the final implant done in a couple of months then the nipple will be reconstructed. I heard so much from so many people on what to do I am glad that I did the immediate reconstruction it was the right choice for me. I also made a decision to hold off on getting another mammogram on my right side until everything is done and I can cope with any bad news should that occur. I’m reaching out to see if anyone feels reluctant to have a mammogram after this experience and if there are any other screening alternatives that may be more beneficial as I do believe and will always believe that DCIS is overdiagnosed and overtreated strictly because the mammograms are getting more and more precise. Michelle says: September 10, 2013 at 7:33 pm I will also have reconstruction durning surgery Michelle says: September 10, 2013 at 7:07 pm I am having a mastectomy on Oct 15th soo upset. The left breast ok! Janet says: September 12, 2013 at 3:21 pm I certainly know what you are going through, but I can tell you to stay strong be good to yourself try and do things right now that make you happy. Stay as healthy as you can, excercise, eat well, and get plenty of sleep if you can. The latter part was challenging. Take it day at a time try not to think too far into the future just get through the surgery, then the recovery and from there you will improve day at a time. I know it is so upsetting and such a shock, I was soo scared too, just the thought of what I would see when I woke up but surprising it was not as bad as I imagined. In my case my left breast was smaller and had 3 scars so it was not perfect going into this surgery. So now I have one football type scar but the line is so thin it will not be anything once all healed. I had the lattismus dorso flap surgery which is not all that popular as there are other reconstruction surgeries that have an easier recovery, however in my case having scars in different areas this option was the best for me and it turns out it was the right choice as it looks so much like my right side. They put a tissue expander for an implant down the road. Fortunately for me I only needed a couple of visits for expansion which is now done. So I basically wore a bra right away and looked normal once the swellng came down. Can you tell me what type of reconstruction you are having? I am thinking of you. Michelle says: September 12, 2013 at 5:21 pm You are so very kind, your words made me smile. I am having a tummy tuck with the fat to make the breast , before I wake Janet says: November 26, 2013 at 4:08 pm Just checking to see if you had your surgery and all went well. Michelle says: November 26, 2013 at 7:06 pm yes I did. I had a tram flap , my body rejected , so I was taken back to surgery. This was on Oct 15th. I have had lots of problems such as stomach has big hole slow getting well, leakage from a expander. Waiting on an implant. Next surgery is Dec.12th hope all goes well. Janet says: November 27, 2013 at 8:37 am Oh no I’m so sorry you had these complications. Please take care and rest as much as you can. Will check on you in a couple of weeks to see how you are doing. You will be in my thoughts. Janet says: December 19, 2013 at 5:50 pm Just checking to see how your surgery went hope you are doing well. Thinking of you Michelle says: February 12, 2014 at 11:58 am I am doing great ! I am back at work again , feeling almost like myself again finally, thanks for all your words of encouragement Joan Merwyn says: February 12, 2014 at 6:29 am Have you seen this latest study? February 22, 2014 at 10:39 pm My name is Judy, i was diagnosed with DCIS in January. Mine is intermediate to high. I have a line of micro calcifications from the front of my breast to the back. The back came back as un conclusive. I am scheduled for oncoplasty with Dr Silverstein on March 13. They gave me a hematoma when doing the biopsy so we are waiting for it to heal. I dont want to do radiation or any drugs and they want me to see two oncologists. I am a holistic girl doing Paleo and dont want to put poison in my body. Feeling bad about that part. February 23, 2014 at 10:44 pm Have you consulted with Dr. Lagios for a 2nd opinion? Maybe you are a good candidate to forego radiation and drugs. Also, I would suggest reading the book, “You Did What? Saying NO to Conventional Cancer Treatment” by Patrick and Hollie Quinn: http://www.youdidwhatbook.com/ Great that you found Dr. Silverstein….Keep in touch and keep following that holistic girl gut! Donna March 12, 2014 at 12:46 pm Tomorrow is my surgery. Praying that I have cler margins! I bought the book and will get a 2nd opinion once the pathology cones back. Best, March 12, 2014 at 9:27 pm Prayers for clear margins and much peace, light and love to you Judy. March 25, 2014 at 8:02 pm I am so grateful to say my margins came back clean!!!! Thank God!! They want me to do radiation, and as I have said before I am an organic girl, I don’t want to do it unless it is absolutely necessary. I am getting 2nd and third opinions and doing my own research before I decide what to do. I am using Dr. Lagios and Dr Tripathy. I will let you know what path I follow. March 25, 2014 at 10:51 pm Wonderful news Judy!! Thanks so much for sharing!! Keep us posted! Donna Jet says: April 22, 2014 at 6:57 pm I’m an organic girl too, but double mastectomy seems less cruel than tamoxifen and radiation. Is that crazy…? I’m afraid to just opt out of meds and radiation. I have lost people in my life and have a lot of family history of breast, ovarian, and other cancers. I want to feel worry free and clear of it – and of course to continue positive life changes. Help! Thanks November 24, 2021 at 4:25 pm Hi Judy. I hope you are well. I just came across your blog tonight and would be interested to know how you got on using natural healing as I am a natural gal too and am struggling with how to handle a recent BC diagnosis. Susan March 6, 2014 at 9:28 am New to your blog, I have found it informative & inspiring… Today, 3/6/14, is my 1 year since diagnosed with ‘high-grade’ State 0 DCIS…My history: left breast mastectomy, 2nd surgery to get clear margins, with 6 weeks radiation. I am now in the process or reconstruction – which has been a nightmare. (really thin skin that keeps ‘opening up’) I wish I hadn’t chose to have immediate reconstruction… And, I wish the medical community would ‘think outside the box’ in the treatment for DCIS…I am also on the fence with taking Tamoxifen…I take the drug sporadically – which I know isn’t what I’m supposed to do…I hate taking drugs, especially when they can cause other issues!!! Anyway, glad to hear your doing better since your surgery…And, thank you for sharing your personal story… March 12, 2014 at 1:03 pm Thank YOU for sharing your story Andi! So sorry to hear about your difficulties, but really appreciating you sharing about it all. It does help others to know the real truth that doctors sometimes underplay and I think by writing about it, it helps you too. May you continue to heal on all levels. Love and blessings, Donna April 2, 2014 at 5:13 pm It is amazing how much this site has grown! I spoke with you shortly after your visit to UCSF as a patient peer support person through the Decision Services Program there. I too had DCIS and chose to do active surveillance. My surgeon, Dr Shelley Hwang is trying to touch base with women who have DCIS and have chosen less agressive treatment strategies. I will be passing along your site. Glad to hear you are doing well! I also am still stable. Also without hormones. I am now getting a master’s in genetic counseling at UCI. Would love to get together sometime now that I am in the area, but that aside do keep your eyes open for any comments from Dr Hwang. April 22, 2014 at 11:00 pm I did not see your message until just now…have been away on a bike across California trip so just getting back in the technology loop. So great to hear from you! Congrats on your MA pursuit! I recently got my Certification in Nutrition and I am now working to educate youth on healthy eating for disease prevention and well-being! Thanks for passing my info along to Dr. Hwang. I am very familiar with her work and would love to help in any way. Glad you are doing well. Donna Paula says: April 24, 2014 at 12:49 am I am now 6 months on from surgery for DCIS, and I am now finding myself feeling that there is virtually nothing I can eat which has not in some way been linked ( on the internet) with cancer, or contains something that has . I have lost a lot of weight as a consequence, and eating has become just a necessity and is no longer a pleasure. I need to find a cookbook and definitive guidelines which provides recipes for ‘safe’ , nutritious and appetizing food. Can you please help me? Best regards, April 24, 2014 at 7:59 am Hi Paula, Sorry to hear you are not enjoying food anymore. I have not really used a recipe book as I eat mostly raw or roasted veggies with lots of spices and herbs. I use coconut oil for cooking and lots of garlic, onion and ginger. I LOVE eating and I eat a lot! I also eat a lot of good fats such as avocado, raw, organic nuts and seeds. Almond butter and coconut oil on some whole grain or Ezekiel toast is delicious, filling and will keep you from losing weight. Also protein smoothies are great. I have posted a lot of my daily recipes/food here: https://dcis411.com/2013/04/16/donnas-daily-rx/ Check out Chris Wark’s site and all that he eats: http://www.chrisbeatcancer.com/what-i-eat-now-post-cancer/ Another favorite of mine is Kris Carr: http://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Sexy-Kitchen-Plant-Empowered-Mouthwatering/dp/1401941044 Food from the earth is such a blessing and comes in such a variety of tastes, smells and colors….I hope you soon find a renewed joy and pleasure of eating nature’s bounty! Please keep me posted! Donna Dee says: January 3, 2015 at 5:18 pm Donna – Do you buy Ezekiel bread from the store or make your own? If you have a good recipe I would love to get it from you. I have my own grinder and I have tried several recipes I found online and none are very good compared to one brand I tried sample of at the organic store, which is way too expensive if I can make my own. Thanks for all the wonderful information you share! January 3, 2015 at 8:29 pm This is one food I do buy from the store. Here is a good article about breads.http://foodbabe.com/2014/02/24/healthiest-bread-on-the-market/ Hope that helps! Donna Paula says: May 4, 2014 at 1:44 am Thanks for you response and your advice. I will certainly try some of your suggestions! I guess it is just an adjustment and the sense of loss felt from having to avoid some favourites will pass as new favourites are found…. I was a little confused by your suggestion of whole grain bread however as I understood that yeast, gluten and wheat were to be avoided? Are you saying that things on your list to avoid are ok some times or in moderation? May I ask if you eat eggs and potatoes? My naturopath seems to think they are fine, but what I read suggests they are acid forming and should be avoided? Since my diagnosis, it feels like I am surrounded by potential threats, including food, which were once life enhancing but are now to be feared. For example, last week I was in a health food restaurant with some friends. I couldn’t find anything on the menú that didn’t contain at least one ‘banned’ food. We were sitting outside and someone on another table lit a cigarette! I made my excuses and left, feeling totally miserable and a social outcast , like I could never again share the simple pleasure of eating out with friends and being ‘ normal’! The whole food thing is really making it hard for me to move on after my diagnosis, and I find myself doing more and more internet research in the hope of finding some definitive advice. But instead, I find conflicting views and hence just feel more confused, deflated and fearful of food. I would appreciate the benefit of your experience and advice to get past this if you feel ale to offer it? Many thanks, May 5, 2014 at 11:37 pm I think it is difficult in the beginning…transitioning to a totally pure and organic way of eating and living. I remember my first month — having a committee meeting for a nonprofit organization I was on the board of — we were at one of my favorite Thai restaurants and I actually brought my own salad in a small cooler! I was doing my intense raw detox and while it was awkward, I didn’t really care. I was so determined and dedicated and simply stated that I was on a very strict diet. It has been over 4 years since that intense beginning, but i still rarely eat out and often times I will eat before going out to a restaurant or party. If going to a potluck, I always bring something I know I can eat. I bring my own food when traveling too! Just becomes a new way of life — if you are serious about it. I have eased up only a bit from the first year or two….I did go totally gluten free for a couple of years, but now I have 1-2 pieces of whole grain bread like Ezekiel which is sprouted, organic and minimally processed. I also occasionally eat eggs, but only organic, free range. I eat sweet potatoes once in a while (usually baked or roasted) and small amounts of brown rice, quinoa or millet rice cereal mixed in my raw organic trail mix. Chris Wark has some great posts on what he did to beat stage 3 colon cancer. I have followed him and really respect him and all the research he has done. Spend some time exploring his site. Here’s another good post of his; http://www.chrisbeatcancer.com/the-raw-vegan-diet/ There is a whole lot of conflicting info on the internet, and I too remember feeling very overwhelmed and confused in the beginning — but my friend Adriana just encouraged me to keep investigating. She assured me I would soon KNOW the truth and not just obey her or some other nutrition expert. It is a learning process and it is pure joy once you come to see through the craziness, marketing and BS. Have you tried juicing or smoothies? Good luck and hope you find some Veggie happiness soon! May 6, 2014 at 2:54 pm Just to let everyone know…I removed the comments from Jane (per her suggestion) and some of my replys. Blessings of peace and health to all! Donna Cheryl says: August 31, 2014 at 10:11 am I just found your website today. I was diagnosed in May with DCIS, intermediate grade, left breast. I am 49 years old. I had the lumpectomy end of June and the margins came back clear. The pathologist said there wasn’t any more DCIS, but a small area of ADH. I was told the margins were “wide”, but haven’t gotten the exact size of the margins. I feel like I’ve been pulled back and forth lately because after speaking to the radial oncologist, she thought I didn’t need radiation, and asked if I had wanted my biopsy slides sent out for a 2nd opinion. I agreed. The 2nd pathologist came back with a different opinion than the first one. She said there was more DCIS, not ADH. So, off to a 3rd pathologist. That specialist agreed with more DCIS. So, then the radial oncologist changed her suggestion to having radiation. I am a small built woman, small breasts, and don’t feel comfortable having the radiation. I asked my doctor about just taking tamoxifen but possibly taking it at a 1/2 dose, not the full recommended one. She said no studies were done on “1/2-doses” and if that would be beneficial. I am leaning towards have the mastectomy done to be done with it so I don’t have to have radiation, or take tamoxifen. My BRCA1 test came back negative. I have changed my diet to include foods/supplements that are suppose to be helpful..ie: flax seed, chia seeds, turmeric, and Indole-3-Carbinol (IC3). I’m not as diligent as others I have read on your blog about diet, but feel it’s a start. Am I crazy for opting for the mastectomy?? I feel it will be me piece of mind, and avoid the other treatments. August 31, 2014 at 2:54 pm I personally chose not to have radiation, not to take tamoxifen and not to have a mastectomy — although all 3 were recommended to me by several Drs/ expert opinions. It is such a personal decision that no one can really give you advice. You must weigh all of the information (based on your own particular situation) and then take some time out (away from all the opinions) and let the answer come. Your gut usually knows best. FEAR is the big problem here because often times women are making their decisions based on fear and not true risk of invasive cancer. Because of all the varying opinions, I would recommend yet another opinion from Dr. Lagios. He speaks with you for 45 minutes following a complete evaluation of your slides. He has spared many women from taking over extreme measures — and I believe it is $ well spent. I do understand the feeling of just wanting a mastectomy to avoid all the other treatments, imaging and lingering worry, BUT I don’t believe this to be true. I believe the cells do not operate normally when there is something in our immune systems that is not functioning optimally. This need needs to be addressed….could be a need to reduce risk factors….and there are plenty! It isn’t just diet. My friend Sandie Walters and I created another website: http://www.dcisredefined.org where we have gathered a great deal of research, resources and support….Please check it out and let me know if you have any questions or would like to talk by phone. Sending you a hug from someone who can truly understand! Donna Cheryl says: September 6, 2014 at 2:41 am Thank you for your reply Donna. I will look on that website. I live in New York so I’m not sure a consult with Dr. Lagios is possible. Thanks for the hug….need it!! October 21, 2014 at 7:44 pm I was recently diagnosed with low grade DCIS. Your website is the only one that mentions active surveillance. Drs already told me standard of care is surgery. Do you know of anyone that has not had surgery who is doing active surveillance? Im in ny June 17, 2015 at 3:18 pm I have atypia, and I am doing active surveillance. I have been doing it for 4 years after a core needle biopsy. I got a 2nd opinion from a doctor who serves the rich and famous in Atlanta. His comment was, “Stop treating DCIS and Atypia like Cancer. Do active surveillance.” Wendy says: June 17, 2015 at 5:09 pm I was diagnosed with intermmediate grade 1 year ago. I’ve had a surgical biopsy as well as a core needle biopsy. One doctor suggested Oncoplastic reconstruction along with a breast lift and two others suggested skin sparing mastectomies. I would not allow any of the doctors to scare me into surgery, so I am doing active surveillance as well a change in diet and lifestyle. I live in Atlanta as well. Would you be willing to pass on the name of the doctor in Atlanta who is suggesting active surveillance? That’s like seeing a unicorn. June 17, 2015 at 6:53 pm Wendy, he was the Emory breast oncologist for Monica Kaufman in 1998. I got a second opinion from him in 2012. I tried Googling him with Monica Kaufman, but I get no hit. I wonder if he is no longer with Emory. I wanted to transfer to him, but he would not accept me since I was already seeing one of his colleagues at Emory. However, he agreed to give me a second opinion. I have found no other doctor at Emory who will do wait-and-see. Every year I go, it is the same thing: you have calcification, so let’s do a surgical biopsy. Wendy says: June 17, 2015 at 7:26 pm Thanks for the info Mistress Susan. I’m actually seeing a Dr. at Emory as well, she’s the one who offered reconstruction. It’s been a journey, but it nice to hear about other women who aren’t going under the knife. June 17, 2015 at 7:35 pm Email me AskMistressSusan@gmail because I have a few questions for you. Clare says: November 19, 2014 at 2:50 am Hi everyone, never put anything on a blog in my life. But had a mastectomy seven weeks ago – high gradeHER2+ DCIS – 80mm and I have small breasts – plus a tiny area of invasive HER2+ cancer 4mm outside the DCIS area . Nodes clear. Turned down chemo and Herceptin for a healthy diet and lifestyle. Now being recommended radiotherapy so back to soul searching. Any suggestions? January 3, 2015 at 1:12 pm Hi Clare. I had high grade HER2+ DCIS and appx seven areas of invasive breast cancer with the largest being just over 2mm. I did chemotherapy and radiation and herceptin. My nodes were clear. I just felt I had to go for it as I have a gorgeous 5 year old daughter with Down’s Syndrome who so needs a mom. If this were not the case I may have just had the mastectomy and be done with it. I really believe in a healthy lifestyle and diet although I have not been practicing this so much. It is hard as I am 50 and living at home with my parents now and they are not into the healthy lifestyle….makes me nuts. Then of course on the news last night was this thing about cancer is just bad luck. I don’t think so…..I believe you have to be healthy. I am not too sure what my goal is in writing this except to say “hi” and go with your gut. I love the Chrisbeatcancer.com site as this is how I landed on this site. Keep up with a healthy life. I feel much more in control when I do and how can it not help. My best, Sheryl Gilding…I am on facebook if you want to keep in touch. January 3, 2015 at 2:46 pm At least two women mentioned calcium or calcification when writing about what had been seen in their breast tests. Is there a link between calcium or calcification and breast cancer ? If so, what are the dietary implications ? I would be very grateful for references to any reading matter you think might be useful. I pray that all who have written here will have healing and good health. June 17, 2015 at 3:14 pm Donna, I have had calcification for for 8 years. It is my understand that calcification does NOT increase risk of breast cancer, but it can be a sign of breast cancer. Also, it is my understanding that it is NOT ‘calcium’ in a traditional sense that you find in food or supplements. It is more of a medical term. For instance, I have fibroids and some fibroids will calcify (become hard), but it has nothing to do with calcium. Also, if you take calcium, make sure you take it with Vitamin K2. They are a require pair like iron and Vitamin C. January 4, 2015 at 9:38 am I would like to know if there’s a second opinion mammogram reading service you can recommend? I’ve looked through your blog and didn’t see anything specific on that. I know about the second opinion path with Dr. Lagios, but I also feel that women should always get a second opinion on their mammogram if biopsy is recommended, as it is in my case for a small group of microcalcs. I found that my mammogram report was quite vague, with no indication of size of the calcs. Only the first report in 2011 mentioned that “one” calc looked linear in appearance. Apart from that, no other descriptions which i find unacceptably vague if I’m being asked to do an invasive procedure such as biopsy. The only second opinion online service I found was something called xmri.com but I know nothing about them and I’m sure my insurance wouldn’t pay for it, although if it they were a known/respected service, I’d pay for it out of pocket. I feel strongly that every step along the way must be seen by other sets of eyes than one’s own local radiology group or doctor. Thank you again for any second opinion mammogram doctor or service that you feel you can recommend! January 4, 2015 at 9:55 am I have not come across a 2nd opinion service for mammogram evals. I have gone for several 2nd surgeon opinions over the last 5 years and it seems every time I went for a different opinion, they wanted me to re-image using their mammogram machines (which I refused to do.) I would call around to another credible hospital in your area and ask to speak to the radiologist. I just did this and had a very lengthy conversation with a radiologist at UCSD. I was asking about their MRI machine and how it differs from the Aurora machine. I don’t think they have many people calling them up and asking such detailed questions. I would also call your ins. company and ask if you get a 2nd opinion on your mammogram reading would they cover it? I have never heard of xmri.com. Please share any info here that you find. Thanks for all your great input! January 4, 2015 at 2:19 pm Thanks for your response! I really don’t want to have my films read by another hospital in this area because I feel they’ll just copycat whatever the local radiology group here said. I may look into sending the report/CD of my films to Johns Hopkins…..I’ve seen their online question/answer website which is rather interesting. I may email xmri and ask a few questions and will let you know what I find out. I think it’s important to find a reputable second opinion mammogram reading service that’s similar to Dr. Lagio’s pathology second opinions so that DCIS (or suspected DCIS) patients can start the second opinion process right from the get go, and not later in the process. I feel it starts with the interpretation of the mammogram films which as we know can be interpreted in various ways, with a lot or very little detailed information. I’ll continue to explore and see what I can find! Donna says: January 4, 2015 at 9:29 pm Great investigative work! You may want to try UCSF or Duke Univ. They are the two that are at the forefront of halting the OVER TREATMENT of DCIS. Dr.Laura Esserman (UCSF) and Dr. Shelly Hwang (Duke). January 5, 2015 at 8:08 am I’m glad I could find this resource, maybe it will help someone. I looked at UCSF website and didn’t see any remote second opinion service, so most likely they require a patient to be seen in person. I will look at Duke and see what they offer. If/when I utilize Johns Hopkins service or some other remote second opinion service, I realize that most likely the recommendation will still be to do a biopsy for my grouping of calcs. My main goal is to receive a more DETAILED and specific report than the one I received from my local radiology group. As we know, sometimes a few extra words on a report can be quite valuable in helping patients to decide whether to biopsy or not, or just what is going on in their mammogram. I also realize that the second opinion can be a two-edged sword. The more info, (especially if it sounds more worriesome), the more likely the doctor will be to push for biopsy. I wish the opinion could be sent only to me , if it’s a self-referral, not doctor referred. That way I could review it for my own information and decide whether or not I wanted to share it with my doctor. But I do understand that there’s a legal reason on their part to send a copy to the patient’s current doctor. If I find any other remote second opinion services, esp. at well-known medical centers, I will post them. I have found several who will do remote pathology reads, but remote mammography reads are hard to find except for Johns Hopkins and the other one, xmri.com. I will continue to investigate! January 4, 2015 at 4:49 pm I followed up on the mammogram second opinion services, and I did find one at Johns Hopkins, which will do remote second opinion on a mammogram if BIRAD4 or higher, here’s the link: It can either be doctor referred or patient referred. If insurance doesn’t cover it, the fee is $150. The doctor receives a copy of the report. This may be of help to someone here who is seeking a way to get a second read on their mammogram films/reports without having to re-do a mammogram in their local area or would like a report from outside their own area to hopefully get a more detailed and/or objective reading. I will continue to explore this! Donna says: January 4, 2015 at 9:01 pm Thanks for the info informed consent! I will post it under resources. February 10, 2021 at 12:50 pm Hi informedconsent2014, I am exactly in your same situation. Haven’t gotten the biopsy yet and am seeking a second opinion on whether it is OK to delay that or not. Your story was very helpful to me. Can you post an update as to what your status is now? LikeLiked by 1 person February 11, 2021 at 8:21 am To update my status, as of today Feb. 2021, I have not had a biopsy. I have continued to have yearly mammograms to monitor the microcalcs. The 2019 mammogram was downgraded to “probably benign”. I was overjoyed to see that! I have been monitoring this since 2011 with only minor changes seen on the calcs. In 2020, the radiologist (apparently) saw some very minor change and re-categorized it once again as BIRAD4, biopsy recommended. I was very unhappy to see that, but after dealing with this for over a decade, with few if any changes seen, I am not stressing about it. My next mammogram is scheduled for March (next month), so we will see what that shows and I will update here. I think the radiologist in 2019 felt that after such a long time of watching this abnormality, with few to no changes, he was confident in saying it was likely benign. I don’t know precisely why the 2020 radiologist felt so compelled to re-categorize it again. Maybe pressure to do so? Who knows? There was no precise description given of exactly how the calcs had changed, either in number or appearance. Just a vague remark, and it is that type of vague stuff I have dealt with all along. And also why I have refused biopsy as an invasive and probably unnecessary intervention in my case.. You ask about a second opinion re: getting a biopsy. Unfortunately, I think even Laura Esserman at USC will recommend a biopsy because even the most enlightened surgeons are still going to “cover their rear end” and aren’t quite ready to tell patients to skip the biopsy. I’ve had to really buck the system on that issue, but I’ve stuck to the logic and facts and refused to submit to an intervention based on flimsy evidence of changes in the microcalcs. All I can suggest to you is that you try to contact Laura Esserman at USC (depending on where you live or your insurance), and see what she thinks. Maybe she can read your mammogram remotely online and give you her impressions of what she thinks. Otherwise, it will probably have to be your own decision to watch the calcs and follow up yearly and monitor them. All I can say is that, in my case, after now going on 11 years, I am still alive and well! Few if any changes at all in the calcs. That doesn’t mean it will always be that way, but at least I have proved that monitoring is a safe option. My own doctor (my regular internist) has been quite humbled by the experience and I think now realizes that women are being pushed into UNnecessary procedures which are painful, costly, and based not on science but hysteria. I would never recommend against a biopsy if a lump is found, but for microcalcs, esp, a small grouping, I think it’s high time to change the knee jerk reaction to have a biopsy. Good luck and let us know what you decide and how it goes! Wendy says: January 6, 2015 at 12:53 pm Happy New Year everyone! I finally had my second opinion with Dr. Lagios. His recommendation is a total skin sparing mastectomy due to the fact that my DCIS is close to the nipple. He did mention that Dr. Mel Silverstein just released a report on “Extreme Oncoplastic” breast surgery which spares the skin and the nipple. My surgeon in Atlanta is offering Oncoplastic breast reconstruction which would consist of a breast lift and removal of the DCIS on the infected breast and a lift on the other breast for symmetry, but if traces of the DCIS are found after the reconstruction I could still be looking at a mastectomy. I’m so frustrated with this process, but I am trying to keep a level head. I’m still going down the path of holistic medicine in hopes that I can avoid surgery all together, but it’s hard when you have medical doctors on your back to have more surgery. The journey continues… January 6, 2015 at 12:58 pm I had DCIS close to the nipple and Dr. Silverstein did my surgery. It was Oncoplasty just as you were saying that your Dr. is doing there. He was able to get it all and to also have clear borders. He also said that if it came back not clear I would have to have a mastectomy as well. I am now doing the holistic path. I did do the raditation because they scared me into it. It was my choice, I am not really blaming anyone for it. Hope that helps! Good Luck!! Wendy says: January 6, 2015 at 1:31 pm Thanks for your feedback! I am happy to hear that there are women out there who have had success. This is such a scary process, I can understand why you chose radiation. Did you get a good aesthetic result on the DCIS breast? January 6, 2015 at 1:54 pm Yes, He worked with a plastic surgeon and they did a really good job. They took 1 lymph node and thank god that was negative. I do have some scars but they are fading. I am working with a naturopath now in San Diego and I feel great!! It was a blimp in the road and now I am back on my path. Wendy says: March 29, 2016 at 7:07 pm I hope all is well with you. I was wondering what type of incisions you had for your oncoplastic reduction surgery with Dr. Silverstein and the plastic surgeon. Did you have the traditional breast left incisions (lollipop/anchor)? My plastic surgeon mentioned that they would only make incisions around my areola. March 29, 2016 at 7:56 pm My DCIS was a large line of Calcifications. Because if the size they need to make an incision verticle above the nipple and also around the nipples and under my breast. It has been 2 years and you can barely see it. It is a very light line. Wendy says: March 29, 2016 at 8:05 pm Thanks for the prompt response Judy! Knowledge is power. :o) March 23, 2016 at 1:07 pm WENDY! Please tell me her your surgeon is/was in Atlanta and your oncoplastic surgeon! I am wanting to get a wide-excision lumpectomy as opposed to a full mastectomy and would like to know if that is possible — and the best oncoplastic surgeon. I have had consults so far with Dr. Theresa Wang and Dr. Behair Ghazi; gonna talk with surgeons Amerson and someone at Dr. Barber’s office in Midtown. THANKS AND GOOD LUCK!!! Wendy says: March 23, 2016 at 2:47 pm I am seeing Dr. Toncred Styblo at Emory. I have lots of details for you. My surgery is scheduled for next month. You can reach me at wlstewart00@yahoo.com if you would like more details. March 24, 2016 at 7:42 am Thin margin in case of lumpectomy is not only enough rather beneficial! Sparing the adjacent tissue containing accumulated defensive immune cells and adipocytes helps in final tumor-free healing. Paula says: March 27, 2015 at 10:11 am Does anyone know if breast reduction surgery (with pathology report indicating prolific atypical lobular hyperplasia), exposed my lymph/ blood system to these abnormal cells now? I am seeing a cancer center next week, two weeks out from my surgery/ diagnosis. Any input would be greatly appreciated. So encouraging to see so many brave, aware women here. Great journal! June 18, 2015 at 9:57 am Just checking in with the latest. As I indicated recently, I would be having my 6 month follow-up mammogram for a cluster of microcalcs which had been seen in 2011, Birads4, biopsy recommended. As you know, I refused the biopsy at that time, which my doctor agreed to. I only had one slight increase in the calcs at the Dec. 2014 mammogram. Just got back from my six month follow up on that and there was no perceived increase in the interval, so that’s good news. The radiologist somewhat did a CYA type remark by saying “probably not significantly changed” in the interval. “probably” isn’t exactly a scientific remark, it’s an attempt at CYA, which is why so many women are pushed into biopsies based on rather weak evidence. Anyway, I feel going into my follow-up appt. in a few days with my doctor that I am still on firm grounds to decline the biopsy. From 2011 to 2015, there has only been one “slight” increase in the calcs, and “probably” no increase in this latest 6 month interval. Biopsy of course is still being recommended. the Birads score hasn’t been changed (nor will it be, until/unless we get a new standard of care through the efforts of doctors like Laura Esserman and Shelly Hwang), but for now, I intend to continue saying “no” to the biopsy. I realize that I don’t precisely fit into the patient profile of DCIS411, because I haven’t been diagnosed one way or the other with DCIS, because I haven’t had the biopsy. But I think it’s still instructional to share with others my follow-up experiences over the course of now almost 4 years, saying “NO” to biopsy. I will let you know what my doctor says about all this. As previously indicated, I suffer from other health conditions that do not do well when my body is placed under invasive procedures or stresses, and for me, it’s been quite a large factor in saying “no” to biopsy, along with the current evidence of how overtreated DCIS is (if that is what I have….it could be benign). I am hanging tough with this and not going to allow myself to be panicked or stampeded into something that at this point I feel is overly invasive. I haven’t yet gotten a second opinion read on my mammogram from Johns Hopkins as previously discussed, but it’s still an option I suppose, in case my doctor becomes stubborn this time around and won’t work with me on this. Thank you again for all you do, you inspire me and I hope my story can let other women know that jumping into a biopsy is not always the right decision, depending on the findings and of course, the new levels of understanding we are all gaining about breast disease, breast cancer, etc. June 18, 2015 at 10:36 am Thank you “informed consent” for sharing your story and perspective. It is VERY IMPORTANT for all women to hear that biopsy is invasive and should be weighed heavily — as just this type of injury to the sensitive breast tissue could cause more harm. Too many women do not question this as I did not initially. I was trusting of doctors back then and thought you could not just say NO. Now I realize you can say NO to all of it, including mammograms which are truly at the heart of the overdiagnosis problem. I would recommend further surveillance through thermogram, ultrasound and dedicated breast MRI. I am writing an article on this at the moment and will share soon. Mammograms increase the odds of inducing breast cancer 1% per year in premenopausal breasts. They miss 25% of aggressive cancers and they find way too many indolent lesions that would never cause harm if left alone, but radiologists often rate these BIRADS 4 & 5 and then this leads to unnecessary biopsies, surgeries, toxic drugs and on-going anxiety and worry. You are one of the few who can deal with it in a healthy,logical manner, but most women in your shoes find it too difficult….and panic. It’s a very challenging situation to be in emotionally. Thank you again for sharing your insights and your courageous ways. You are a true pioneer for many women to safely follow. I too left a cluster of calcs which showed as “indefinite” on mammogram in 2011 — which they wanted to biopsy and I refused. Have had 3 years of clear MRIS and this year I had a clear thermogram and ultrasound. Will do another MRI before the end of year. I feel so blessed that I finally got off the mammogram-biopsy-surgery-radiation-tamoxifen train! Please keep posting and sharing your journey! Lots of love and blessings, Donna June 18, 2015 at 11:00 am Donna, I am going to have to rethink getting an MRI. The research I have done states it gives to many False Positives. However, since you have been satisfied with it, I will have to try it. June 18, 2015 at 1:42 pm Thanks for sharing your experiences and insights. Check out the website Sandie Walters and I co-created. We both have done a ton of research on breast MRI and she wrote up a great article on it here: http://dcisredefined.org/choices/imaging-and-monitoring/rodeo-mri/ Must be dedicated breast MRI…look at the difference in #s for false positive and false negatives!! It’s great to hear that some drs and hospitals are now being more cautious and not being as quick to biopsy and cut. As Dr. Esserman has stated, “if it doesn’t look like HIGH GRADE DCIS, we should leave it alone.” The dedicated breast MRI is your best surveillance tool. Mammograms are a NOT! Donna June 18, 2015 at 2:06 pm Donna, you are so sweet and it is YOU who is the courageous one, and also the one who has put the time and effort into making/running this blog, listening to everyone’s medical stories and lending your valuable information and support. I truly don’t consider myself courageous – I am really looking at my overall situation, my general physical health, and all the things i’ve learned about a (potential) DCIS and come up with a conclusion that works for me. Having said that, it certainly is an emotionally draining situation to be in, and I know that you truly realize how draining it can be. The seeds of fear and doubt that are planted by the doctors into our minds is never-ending. At my Dec. 2014 appt. where there was a :”slight” increase in the calcs, my doctor heightened the pressure on my emotions by declaring, “a biopsy could save your life!” I felt that was a very melodramatic attitude designed to scare me and not at all credible. He said this in a very aggressive tone that he hadn’t used before, designed to panic me. Then he said, also in an aggressive tone, “what do you intend to do about this????” (hands on hips, tapping his foot). I told him I would do a six month follow-up and see what it shows. He huffed out of the room and didn’t even leave me a referral form as he usually does to get the follow-up and I had to call his office repeatedly to get it mailed to me. So, even though this June follow-up showed no new increase, I wonder what his attitude will be when I see him in a few days to discuss the future handling of these calcs. He was becoming “antsy” about the whole thing and I truly conclude this is for HIM, not me. So, yes, it is an emotional issue and I feel my overall health has been damaged by the stress. As much as I push it out of my mind, even with the logic and knowing what I know, I still worry about it nearly every day! And that’s insane! But most of us have been in these shoes, all because we have little to no support within the medical world for SANITY. I want to thank everyone who has posted the names of doctors, especially radiologists they’ve worked with, who are more sane. I fully agree with Dr. Esserman that mammography was not designed to hunt for DCIS and that small clusters of calcs found should be monitored only, and not routinely biopsied as is the practice today. And that gets us to surveillance problems. By opting to “watch” these calcs, I’ve doomed myself to these constant mammos which I hate and which absolutely do expose me to radiation I do not want. I do not intend to get a six month mammogram and will return to yearly and even that, I do not like. I cannot do MRI due to allergy to the contrast dye used so unfortunately for me, that’s not an option. It is my understanding that ultrasound can’t determine the status of microcalcs, so I haven’t pursued that or thermography. So, it’s a really tough nut to crack. Those of us who want to monitor are left with darned few good options. I’d do every other year mammogram if my doctor would let me, but I know he won’t. I’m just hoping to side-step any UNnecessary six month follow-ups, and for now, that’s the best I can do. I also have to stay within my HMO or I’ll be paying out of pocket big time for non-approved providers or tests that will bankrupt me, so again, there are difficult choices. Those of us who monitor feel very alone, as if we are making up our treatment plans all by ourselves. That shouldn’t be. We should have a structure to depend on, with medical professionals at our side, but most of the time, that’s not the case. True, my doctor initially did (and so far still has )allowed me to take this approach, but I don’t know for how much longer. However, the fact that he allowed it at all I like to think speaks to the information and education I had. It perhaps caught him off guard and he realized he had an INFORMED patient on his hands who wasn’t quite so quickly swayed onto the conveyor belt of microcalc biopsy. I hope it has opened his eyes a little and done a bit to further the new horizons in this area of breast treatment. I have never said to him, or to anyone, that I would never have a biopsy. I have said that I wanted to monitor, and that’s what I’m doing. As far as I’m concerned, only one “slight’ increase in the calcs in a four year period is an indicator of essentially stable calcs. That doesn’t mean they aren’t “DCIS”, but even if they are, that gets us back to the crux of the matter, of overtreating these indolent lesions as something lethal or “killer”. … About your calcs from 2011 that you are following with MRI, that’s wonderful! I’m so glad MRI IS a choice and an option for you and that you also refused the tear up your breast tissue with another biopsy and have done well for 3 years with monitoring those calcs. It is indeed people like us who are pioneering these issues. We each have different reasons for not doing a biopsy or exploring other monitoring methods, but we are the ones who will ultimately bring about the much-needed change in panic, scare tactics, and utterly non-scientific, non-logical approaches to the microcalc problem. I certainly understand that there are findings that do require biopsy and surgery, but our medical world here in the U.S. has lost its collective mind over microcalcs, pushing women into damaging biopsies (which I am not convinced may indeed spread abnormal cells that were better left alone!). I am training myself everyday to not be paranoid and get my head straight and give myself a good talking to , reminding myself not to act like a silly jerk with sleepless nights. KNOWLEDGE truly is POWER! Amen! Hugs Donna and to everyone and I will let you know how my appt. turns out and whether I still have a doctor afterwards lol….I so so admire all of you! LikeLiked by 1 person June 18, 2015 at 10:56 am I don’t have DCIS either, but to me, this site is for anyone who has not reached Stage 1 Cancer. I have Flat Epithelial Atypia. My case is similar to yours. I have had micro-calcifications since 2007. Since 2012, I have been Birads4. In 2012, they recommended a Stereotactic Biopsy, and they said that you ONLY have a 20% chance of it being something Abnormal. Unfortunately, I fell into that 20%. The Radiologist did NOT pressure me. She said, “Take your time deciding because it is NOT an emergency.” I ONLY agreed because I live an Organic Lifestyle just like Sheryl Crow, but her micro-calcifications ended up being Stage 1 Cancer. I had it done, and I don’t regret getting it. However, I didn’t do enough research on the after effects. For example, they said you should be back to normal in 5 days. Wrong! It took 5 months for my left breast to heal because a nerve was severed as the needle was going in. I wore a sports bra 24/7 for a month because your breasts have to be stable until they heal. Had the surgery been-problem free, I would have only needed to wear a sports bra for a few days. Also, because a nerve was severed, my left breast vibrated off and on and it was sensitive to pressure from water from showerhead for 5 months. After my Flat Epithelial Atypia diagnosis and up until now, my breast oncologist surgeon, radiologists, and pathologist have ALL advised to have a Surgical Biopsy, come in every 6 months for a mammogram, and to get a MRI. I said, “No Way!” I only get YEARLY mammograms, and I dismissed the MRI because research has shown that it has a high rate of False Positives. I got a second opinion from a breast oncologist surgeon at the SAME hospital as my primary breast doctor and he said, “Do NOT treat it like cancer. Wait and see. Do active surveillance.” In 2012, I looked into Johns Hopkins for a second opinion, but it is my understand that they follow the same protocol as Sloan-Kettering, who I also looked into, when it comes to suspicious calcification: Do non-surgical biopsy. I could be wrong, but that was my understanding. You might want to try the Cleveland Clinic since they have a Functional Medicine Center, so doctors there may take more of a holistic approach. Of course, I cannot tell you what to do, but as someone who lives an organic lifestyle, uses herbs, follows Traditional Chinese Medicine, and exercises, I felt 100% comfortable doing the Stereotactic Biopsy ONLY because my case was similar to Sheryl Crow: age, lifestyle, and calcification. However, I refuse to do a mammogram every 6 months or do a surgical biopsy since my calcifications are basically stable or as the radiologist would say, “probably not significantly changed.” June 18, 2015 at 2:48 pm thanks so much for all your great information. I am SO sorry your biopsy turned out to be a painful one with longer recovery. Doctors sure do love to underestimate and downplay the after effects of some of this stuff, don’t they? Nerve damage is one thing I fear because I already have nerve problems and lasting pain from having a needle shot into my breast is something I am very concerned about. It’s not your fault that you didn’t know all these things that can happen, it’s the medical profession for not being more cautious about invasive procedures when it really isn’t warranted. That’s what needs to change in this country. It is interesting that you had calcs from 2007 and then in 2012 they apparently decided it was the magic time to upgrade you to BIRAD4. The criteria for doing that is sooooo vague, and sometimes seems to be done on the barest of reasons, such as “clustering” or “grouping”. I can understand your desire to get the biopsy, many factors can play into it. Again ,each of us is different and has a different threshold for making these decisions. I think most of us are working, in various ways, to change the way biopsy recommendations in this country are done in the first place, so that we can reduce the numbers of women subjected to these painful procedures which certainly can turn out as yours did, with lasting, lingering problems. And are they going to say, “oh gee, sorry we damaged your nerve?” NO! It seems we’re supposed to accept the down sides to these procedures and go on with life as if nothing happened. When we sign a consent form, they are let off the hook. Yet, when we say “no” to biopsy because of these potential problems, we’re “putting our lives on the line”. I am happy that your radiologist didn’t pressure you into the biopsy, though. At least she understood it wasn’t something you had to decide immediately, and that’s good. That’s progress. But it’s still invasive and can have painful consequences (not to mention expensive in some cases, depending on insurance). I’m always amazed at how they make these procedures sound like nothing more invasive than having a tooth filled. Also, some women have had problems with the titanium clip they leave in the breast to “mark” the biopsy area. Many women don’t even know about the marker, that’s how little they tell women about everything that happens in connection with an invasive procedure like this. Thanks for the info about Cleveland Clinic. I agree, Johns Hopkins, etc. would probably recommend biopsy. I was just wondering if they might write a more detailed report than my radiologist(s) have. My reports I’ve gotten since 2011 haven’t even shown any sort of measurement of the calcs. In 2011, I went out of my way to meet with one of the radiologists and she finally picked up a ruler device of some sort and held it up to her screen and said, “well, they are about 9mm”. She confirmed that 9mm is quite small. That’s the first measurement I ever got, and none have ever been stated in writing in the reports. So, I’m curious if a second read might give me more info that I could utilize to make decisions regarding biopsy. You did absolutely the right thing to get a second opinion regarding surgical biopsy (which I guess is what they’ve been calling lumpectomy and now is being called surgical biopsy, sometimes I can’t keep up with the changing terms and phrases out here in Breast Land!) That’s great that you found a doctor who said, “don’t treat it like cancer” and that the calcs are stable thus far. That’s excellent and shows you are on track with a sane, logical approach for you. I think what we are all hoping for is that within the next 5-6 years, new criteria will be established so that we can relax a bit and get off this treadmill. If/when something concerning develops, okay, we can move forward on that, but many of us don’t require such extreme measures. So happy there’s more and more of us questioners out here! Best of health to you! June 20, 2015 at 7:02 am I just wanted to add to my previous reply, you stated that Sheryl Crow led a similar lifestyle to yours, eating organic, etc. and her calcs ended up being Stage 1 and this is what influenced you to have the biopsy. . Let’s bear in mind that Paul McCartney’s wife, Linda Eastman also led a 100% organic lifestyle (she didn’t have calcs but an aggressive tumor). But what most people don’t know is that Linda Eastman was of Jewish ancestry. Back in her era, BRCA gene testing was unknown, and I’d be willing to strongly bet that her aggressive cancer was tied to a genetic mutation due to her ancestry. My main point in this: we can never know someone else’s risk factors, genetic profile or anything else about them, especially celebrities who often give little to no information about themselves when reporting their cancers to the world. For instance, I strongly feel that Guiliana Rancic’s extensive DCIS was a result of her infertility/IVF treatments. At the end of the day, all we can do is assess our own risk factors. Therefore, someone who is vegan or organic but has some unknown ancestral factor that they don’t reveal or even know about might be the underlying factor in their particular cancer. Maybe Sheryl Crow has risk factors that are not revealed in the media, therefore her calcs were Stage 1. I feel we all have to be careful and not do too much comparing of ourselves to those outside our own personal family history. such as as mother, sister, aunt, etc. for history of breast cancer within our own family. So many women are scared by “celebrity cancer” stories that may have nothing or little to do with their own, actual risk factors. Janet says: June 20, 2015 at 8:16 am This is a wonderful analogy to all the hype and fear in the media surrounding breast cancer. Celebrities do not tell us what they are diagnosed with but are all to quick to tell us what we should do. We have to make our own decisions on what we will do. I hope to see more doctors stop promoting fear and to listen to us. Not all of us want to lose a breast to dcis nor should we have to. Glad to see that there are women fighting to keep their breast sadly there is little support for it. I would have opted for a watch and wait strategy had my doctor supported it in the least. Now they have to accept that I won’t have a mammogram on my remaining breast. Just love this site and the fact that common sense prevails here keep fighting my thoughts and prayers are with all of you. Sincerely Janet LikeLiked by 1 person June 20, 2015 at 10:00 am Yes, it is really hard to get most doctors to do “watchful waiting”, even when they KNOW that a wait of 6 months wouldn’t make any difference in the outcome, if only so that a woman can get a second opinion or study the situation so that she’s fully informed. Fully informed patients are not what most doctors want, unfortunately. We slow down the speeded-up process of being rushed into biopsies and surgeries. The surgeon I was referred to when my calcs were found in 2011 told me in a very phony style, that he wouldn’t even wait three months! LOL! Seriously? My own doctor (after he heard how well educated I am on this subject), immediately backed off and said it was okay to watch the calcs for awhile at least. Four years later, there’s been no significant increase in the calcs, so the surgeon was obviously playing a panic game with me, which luckily I realized. If a woman’s doctor won’t slow down and allow some space for discussion, then she should get another doctor ASAP or at the very least, a second (or third) opinion in such serious matters. I’m sorry your doctor wouldn’t let you even consider it, but some doctors are beginning to realize that we are partners in our own care and the scientific facts support the concept that waiting in many cases is safe. As you say, at least now they have to respect your decision, based on all that you now know, not to have mammogram on the other breast. And yes, the celebrity breast cancer patients are so irresponsible. I have no problem with a celeb announcing that they have breast cancer , BUT they should always caution people to not follow their decision but to tailor all treatment to individual findings. That should be a standard disclaimer on those types of reports and just shows how badly informed many of them actually are. Instead, the female celebs (latest being Sandra Lee), issue vague remarks about their cancer with a “once size fits all” scare, and the panicked statement to “go get screened!” Sandra Lee is one of the worst by far, she actually says women as young as 20 or 30 should start screening! Thank you for your support and for everyone here who is fighting to educate and enlighten. I am really happy for you that you’re doing what YOU feel is best for YOU! Janet says: June 21, 2015 at 6:19 am I totally agree with you regarding Sandra Lee and her comments regarding mammograms for 20 year olds she needs to retract that statement. We would all be better served if she had explained that she had dcis and that her decision was a personal choice and not everyone’s choice. The media is very disengenous when reporting these celebrity incidents of breast cancer buried in the article is that she had a non life threatening condition which is the most important part. A little background on my story started back in 1999 I was diagnosed with low to intermediate dcis at that time the belief was if it wasn’t treated it would progress to invasive breast cancer. The surgeon I has was so aggressive wanted me to have a mastectomy however other doctors disagreed so I had a lumpectomy followed by radiation this was recommended because one margin was only a millimeter. Fast forward to 2012 I was diagnosed again in the same breast different area low to intermediate dcis at first my surgeon said we could see if all of it can be removed then we could follow up. So I had the surgery which showed a lot of dcis with one margin less then a millimeter so now the recommendation mastectomy. I went to Dana Farber in Boston and was told dcis is technically not cancer but has to be treated because of the unknown element. The way they really got me though is telling me I could have more they don’t see so that scared me into having surgery. I waited 6 months to do it. So after the surgery had immediatel reconstruction the path report came back no residual dcis no malignancy! How horrible for me apparently it was everywhere one minute but actually it was no where! To be fair my surgeon is very nice he has been listening to how I feel about all of this and that the surgery did not fit the diagnosis. Furthermore think about it I’m still alive after 16 years with zero health issues which leads me to believe this is nothing more than a condition and some of us may just be prone to it for whatever reason. So after all of this I have decided to jut have physical breast exam and if there is a problem then I’ll do a mammogram but won’t go looking for trouble again. The surgeon so far hasn’t pushed the mammmogram he and his nurse mention it but I just said no. My regular doctor is okay with it too as he agreed with me there is a lot of over diagnosis. I think it’s great that you are fighting back and as you said 4 years with no change what was the big rush let them monitor it they have all this wonderful technology so they claim let them use it now. Keep strong I’m so glad to see women are fighting back and thanks to Donna for giving is this supportive mechanism. Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. Sincerely Janet June 21, 2015 at 9:41 am thanks so much for giving background on your story and all that you’ve gone through. It’s so important for all of us to know some specifics of what other women have gone through and the various scenarios that happen along the way. Even though some of the thinking and approaches have changed since 1999 when you first were diagnosed, a lot hasn’t changed, too. But at least your doctors seem to now realize that you no longer intend to go looking for trouble with mammograms. We are beginning to see the first signs that doctors are at least agreeing that there’s a lot of over diagnosis and unnecessary treatments and surgeries. I have definitely read similar cases to yours, where they do the pathology after mastectomy and see no residual DCIS, even though they claimed BEFORE surgery that there was a lot of DCIS lurking around or whatever. It seems like many times they don’t know what they are looking at. That’s why it’s so great to know about doctors like Dr. Lagios who does the second opinion pathology readings to fine-tune treatment or major surgery decisions. And also, just because it’s a “prestige” place like Dana Farber doesn’t mean they are aware of all the latest information or approaches. But I totally realize how and why you made the decision you made. Everyone is put into very tough spots by this overall situation. . The only thing any of us can do is educate ourselves and even then, it is very, very difficult when we are told there “might be something more we can’t see on the mammogram”. However, Dr. Esserman says the “bulk of what we find” is low grade DCIS – a NON-life threatening condition. When I refused the biopsy, I was told “a mammogram is just a picture – it can’t see everything that might be going on.” This remark is designed to scare and panic, the “what if???” idea, that there might be some ominous invasive cancer lurking beneath that can’t be seen on mammogram. But we can’t make decisions based on “what ifs”, or allow our bodies to be invaded “just because”. In 2011, I had an ultrasound when the microcalcs were seen on the mammogram, and nothing was found during that – no mass, no lurking tumor that the mammogram hadn’t picked up. Yes, mammograms are not perfect and do miss things. But that’s not good enough reason for me at this time to have a biopsy after monitoring calcs for four years that have basically not demonstrated any worriesome traits that would lead me to believe it’s something aggressive or life threatening. It seems to be behaving just as Dr. Esserman says most of these lesions behave – slow growing (if at all), and nothing that will put me at risk. I say this based on what the actual mammograms have shown over four years. for me, that’s a lot more scientific approach than leaping to a panic conclusion. . Also, when the “slight” change was reported in Dec. 2014, I obtained the films on CD so that I could view the “slight” changes for myself. (I always get all films, and all records after every mammogram). Unfortunately, there was no way to view a side by side comparison view on my computer, so I was not able to see for myself whatever “slight” increase the radiologist saw. I considered going in and having the radiologist specifically show it to me, but decided to wait to see if there was another change in my latest June mammogram (which there wasn’t). Therefore, I intend to go back to a yearly screening, as you say, their “great” technology that picks up the smallest little abnormalities. Whether my doctor will agree to continue doing that without a biopsy remains to be seen. Fighting back always comes with a price. But so does going with the flow. btw, just to update, I will be 60 years old in a few months, my only known “risk” factor is that i’ve never had children. I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, I’m not on HRT, and eat relatively healthy. There’s zero known family history of breast cancer. All these factors are part of my decisions, to the extent that I think any of them are relevant. Prayers and positive thoughts to you, also for continued success with your current approach. It sounds like you have a good medical support team in place who does listen to you and understands some of the really difficult issues involved. One patient at a time, we are changing things! Hang in there! June 24, 2015 at 11:36 am Hi Donna and everyone I just had my follow-up appointment with my doctor to go over the June mammogram that showed no change since the December 2014. I indicated that because of this, I still did not want to have the biopsy, since there had only been one “slight” change since 2011. While he still says that it’s his recommendation to have the biopsy, he agreed to have me continue to monitor. Wanted me to do another six month follow-up in December, but I indicated I wanted to wait until at least January 2016 past the holidays and he said, “okay”. So, it’s a 7 month follow-up which I really don’t like due to the radiation exposure from mammography, but for now, it’s the best I can do as far as monitoring. I know for sure he wouldn’t have agreed to let me go til June 2016 on monitoring these calcs. Hopefully if there’s still no hew change in Jan. 2016, I can continue to support my view on the value of monitoring vs. jumping into an invasive, painful and expensive procedure such as a biopsy. I am also considering perhaps having a consult with Dr. Esserman next year, maybe a second opinion reading of my mammogram and to gather information which could be supportive of my current approach. I will keep you all posted as to the next finding and also will continue to post anything new or things that I think could be of value to us here, going through this journey! For now, no biopsy for me….a watching approach, which next year will be almost five years since the findings, with barely any change at all. June 24, 2015 at 3:59 pm Great to hear! Just remember, you are in charge of when and how you monitor. The docs have to recommend certain protocols to cover their asses, but if you decided to hold off a year, they will probably not turn you away….and if they do, well I would find a new doc! I was suppose to go back to the medical oncologist for checks every 3 mths…and mammos every 6 back in 2010! I waited 10 mths for the next mammo and after that never went back to the med oncologist and then never had another mammogram! My primary care physician has ordered my annual MRI since then and I have had no problems. Sure, they keep calling and sending letters to have mammograms, but that means NOTHING to me. I know you can not do MRI, but you can also consider bilateral ultrasound and thermogram as alternatives to mammograms. I just finished writing an article on the harms of mammograms (soon to be published for thetruthaboutcancer.com), and they are especially bad if you are premenopausal or have abnormal cells, certain genetic factors or DCIS. Here is a similar article that recently came out: http://www.hormonesmatter.com/mammography-screening-educated-consumer-best-customer/ As Dr. Esserman has stated, we shouldn’t be looking so hard to find low-int grade DCIS. Thanks so much for sharing your journey and insights here! Love and blessings, June 24, 2015 at 8:37 pm Thanks so much as always for your support and encouragement Donna! I will definitely stand up for myself and put a stop to the six month mammograms. If going yearly isn’t good enough for my doc, then I’ll find one who respects my decisions on this. A yearly mammogram will give every bit as much info as a six month interval. It’s overkill in many cases to continue on and on with 6 month monitoring instead of 12 months. I absolutely do feel that mammograms create harm and I feel in the years ahead, we’ll see more and more evidence of that. I am postmenopausal but I am very worried about the radiation exposure to breast cells that may be prone to harm. I think it’s awesome that you didn’t keep going for mammograms – if you’d followed the “protocol” you’d have had tons of them since 2010. It’s just absurd what the medical world puts us through, the CYA for them and not based on health, or even minimal scientific evidence that the constant screening is not only potentially quite harmful but oftentimes is USELESS. I just read the latest report about women with Stage 1 and Stage 2 breast cancer being put through too much scanning (PET and CAT scans). All we can do is keep hammering away and stand up and be counted. As Dr. Esserman and others have said, ultimately it’s the patients themselves who will bring reason and sanity into this scenario. Thank you again for you great suggestions and help, I always take it to heart! Hugs! Robin says: August 1, 2015 at 6:00 am I was diagnosed with DCIS stage 0, her +, in 2008. I had lumpectomy, 33 radiation treatments, tamoxifen for 5 years. I was 40 years old when diagnosed from my first mammo. I was told this was my cure. I know now that Tamoxifen caused more damage to my body than good. I had two surgeries due to rumors from tamoxifen. I feel like I should have be told that I could only do radiation once, I would have waited to see if the cancer returned. The doctors convinced me that by following this treatment I would be cured with no chance of recurrence. In May 2015, I was called back to have second mammo. Calcification a were back and scheduled a needle bcs biopsy-July 2015. I chose to wait for biopsy due to grandbaby expected. The results came back 7 out of ten slides showed DCIS was back. No margins were given. The surgeon, oncologist, second opinion surgeon said mastectomy is the only cure! One surgeon recommended medicine for next five years again as a preventative. Why do I have to take medicine if mastectomy is my cure? I was told only couple of days for healing from the biopsy, the pain from the cutting of nerves and tissue is excruciating at times. Doctor said this was my way of know they were healing! I am looking to do diet, exercise, emotional therapy, watch and see. I have researched the bio-mat that heats your body to a temperature that cancer cells can not live in and helps relax you. I appreciate the references posted in my search for right treatment for me. All my doctors are fighting my decision. They are still saying mastectomy is the only treatment available. My family and friends are concerned about my choices. I feel they are the right choice for me. If I am cancer free, why am I removing healthy tissue? To prevent something that was not suppose to come back because of the previous treatment? 10% chance of reoccurrence is not high enough for me to see removing healthy tissue, stress of surgery, emotional trauma after surgery! 90% chance it will not come back! Any doctors that will walk this journey with me? Thanks to those that have posted on this site! Helpful to know I am not the only one that believes I was over treated the first time and scared by the treatment options this time! I am more fearful of the treatment than the DCIS! September 26, 2015 at 11:38 pm I’m afraid I have no suggestions, but thanks for your post. I’m 40 and was recently diagnosed with DCIS. I’m trying to figure out a path that makes sense to me and I totally understand where you are coming from. I am initially planned to do the lumpectomy, re-excisions that might be necessary, and the radiation. I’m not planning on the Tamoxifen and the medical oncologist agreed with me that the meds weren’t indicated because of potential side effects. Sorry you had the side effects, and overall I’m also worried that the treatment for this thing that might not even be an illness is worse than just leaving it alone! I wish you the best! August 21, 2015 at 3:51 pm I was diagnosed with dcis. Stage 0 1 1/2 yrs ago am taking tamoxifen. I want to stop taking it I have side affects from it. I want to know if with a healthy diet and regular screening that I’ll be alright. September 18, 2015 at 10:32 am Sandra, I don’t know if it will or not, but you might want to read about Julia Chiappetta who had Stage II Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma 15 years ago. She opted for a lumpectomy and refused chemo, radiation and Tamoxifen. I haven’t seen this video, but I have read about her story on other sites. https://www.facebook.com/chrisbeatcancer/posts/701202733256507 Sheila hates says: September 18, 2015 at 4:14 am just dx yesterday with DCIS. Going for MRI tomorrow. Appt with breast surgeon sept 23! I am terrified! I am 48 years old and the mother of 3. A friend of mine who is a pathologist said that this dx was my warning to keep a close watch on myself . I had a routine mammogram that showed small cluster of microcalcification and had biopsy done to confirm. Pathology friend said to find out what type and grade. He said these abnormal cells aren’t smart enuf to figure out how to get out of the milk duct! I sure hope so! But I really need support right now and thank you September 20, 2015 at 8:18 pm I kno the feeling when they told me I had DCIS las t September. I had the biopsy and that was a painful recovery, I had swelling two weeks later. They came back from pathology and said it was DCIS but I refused the biopsy in my second breast. They wanted to do the lumpectomy, radiation etc. but I felt I was being pushed and scared into it, the surgeon told me it could spread to my lymph nodes. Instead I went to memorial Sloan Kettering hospital. The did a surgical biopsy instead of the lumpectomy. It gives a walnut size sample instead of the tiny biopsy sample, still smaller surgery thank lumpectomy would have been. A team of pathologists said it was not cancer. I have ADH, non cancerous. First surgeon told me the pathologist was world renowned, unlikely to misdiagnose. I’m glad I went for second opinion. I had calcifications and just had my six month mammo, all good. Get several opinions and don’t get pressured. September 26, 2015 at 11:18 pm Just looking for feedback and any suggestions out there. I’m 40 and have no family history or risk factors for cancer. I’ve been a vegetarian for years, eat healthfully and organically, but as a social worker my stress has been high overall. Had my first mammogram and microcalcifications were found. Fast forward to tonight and I’ve had a biopsy (lots of cancer cells found in the calcifications), MRI, genetic testing, lumpectomy with bad margins, a re-excision with more bad margins, and have a second re-excision scheduled in a few weeks. I have a bad feeling that these re-excisions will yield more cancer cells. My team of doctors appear very good and I trust my surgeon, but I also understand that she is also following traditional medicine’s “standard of care”. I am only 40 and have 2 young kids, so I have a lot to consider regarding how invasive I let all of this get. If it were just me I’d “watch and wait”, but I don’t feel I can take any chances because of my kids. Meanwhile, I feel fine and wonder if these cells are getting way over-reacted to. Was planning to do radiation but not Tamoxifen, but now who knows? I also haven’t had a period in almost 3 months since I quit taking birth control when I got diagnosed, so there’s that too. AAGH! Any educated/experienced suggestions out there? Thanks so much. September 26, 2015 at 11:21 pm Also, it was stage 0, grade 1 DCIS. They have taken out about 4 cm and a “slice” more in the re-excision as of now….. October 6, 2015 at 1:43 am The low but consistent incidence rate of invasive breast cancer deriving from ductal in situ carcinoma (DCIS) justifies that the usual surgical and adjuvant therapy of high grade DCIS is not always capable of ensuring a tumor-free life, while low grade DCIS is perhaps superfluously over treated. Appropriate estrogen receptor (ER)-signaling is the chief safeguard of genomic stability in strong interplay with DNA-controlling and repairing systems, such as BRCA-genes and their protein products [http://goo.gl/EsB1bK]. Detection of DCIS by mammographic screening may be regarded as an early marker of disturbed hormonal, metabolic and DNA-stabilizer equilibrium, since the female breast is exquisitely sensitive to the defects of estrogen signaling [http://goo.gl/xRh4wL]. The stronger the defect of cellular estrogen surveillance, the higher is the probability of DCIS development with high-risk characteristics. Among young cases with active ovarian estrogen synthesis, the relatively higher risk of poorly differentiated DCIS may be attributed to the low incidence rate of more successfully suppressed ER-positive cancers rather than an excessive inclination to ER-negative tumors. Moreover, among dark-skinned American women, the higher risk of developing poorly differentiated DCIS and the higher breast cancer mortality rate as compared with white women are associated with estrogen deficiency and further hormonal defects. These endocrine disturbances may be explained by the incongruence between their excessive pigmentation and the poor light and sunshine exposure of North-America. In women, during aging, progressive weakening of estrogen signaling and the associated gene stabilizer mechanisms are dangerous systemic processes [http://goo.gl/yiYszF], despite any usual, aggressive treatment of DCIS. In patients having increased risk of invasive breast cancer, natural estrogen substitution is the optimal risk-reducing therapy aiming the stabilization of gene regulatory processes and the apoptotic death of accidentally initiated tumor cells [http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/dddt.s89536]. By contrast, antiestrogen treatment against tumor recurrence may be risky, being effective only in such genetically proficient women who are capable of strong, counteractive upregulation of estrogen signaling. Tumor growth may be provoked by de novo or acquired antiestrogen resistance being associated with the missing capacity of patients for the extreme upregulation of estrogen signaling or with the exhaustion of defensive counteractions by excessive antiestrogen administration [http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/dddt.s89536]. In conclusion, in cases of DCIS which have been diagnosed, the most important preventive strategy against invasive breast cancer development is to combine lumpectomy with strict control and maintenance of estrogen signaling over a whole lifetime. October 19, 2015 at 11:48 am I just had a diagnostic mammogram, and it appears to be DCIS. I have maybe 5 calcifications along a milk duct, such a small number of dots it’s not funny. What I want to talk about is the hounding the breast health people engage in to get you to do something immediately. When I was shown the mammogram of the calcifications, the radiologist said ‘we’ll have a plan before you leave here today’. I said ‘can I think about it?’ What I really meant was ‘I’m do my own planning, thank you very much.’ That was on Friday. Now Monday afternoon, I get a call from the breast center, wanting to know if I have questions, etc. In breast health language that means – can I schedule you for a biopsy? Can I twist your arm a little harder and induce a little more panic so you’ll enter into our web. Is it any wonder that women go away from these places hysterical? They promote panic by their urgency. Look, if this thing can’t sit here for a week or even a month while I make a logical, well-informed decision on treatment options, then I’m a goner anyway. Nothing they can do will stop a cancer like that. I went through the same urgency when I had an fibroademona many years ago. And it was clearly not malignant from their ultrasound but off to biopsy I went. I take birth control pills so I’m wondering if I stop them (I’m 47) if this area will correct itself. But, oh, no, we can’t take a watch and wait attitude. Nope, got to get you into our web. I know I sound cynical, but this behavior is ridiculous when there’s not even a lump to be felt. I did make an appointment with a breast surgeon I saw back when I had the firbo so I am doing something. I just want to take this at my pace and not let fear rush me into something that I’ll regret or don’t even need. Anyone else experience this urgency with the breast health industry? October 19, 2015 at 1:31 pm I definitely experienced the same urgency/arm twisting that you’re going through. Back in 2011, a small 9mm cluster of microcalcs was found. I’m 59 now, so I was about 54 at the time. I was told to get a biopsy, and when I asked the breast surgeon if I could wait six months until a family member could be in town to be with me for the biopsy, he practically screamed at me and said in a big panic tone, “I wouldn’t wait three months!!!!” Luckily for me……I had already done my homework before even going into his office so I got my files and walked out. I received a number of follow up phone calls from his office, pushing for biopsy, and I told them I was taking my time and had done some looking into this matter of microcalcs. They finally stopped calling me and bugging me. Now it’s 2015, and during all that time and multiple follow up mammograms, the cluster of calcs has only changed in a very minor way ONE time. My internist has had to back off me and agree to not push me into a biopsy, although he’s still grouchy about it. But I do feel vindicated that I made the right decision not to rush into an invasive biopsy. It’s obvious to me that the breast surgeon was putting on a hysteria act. He hadn’t even seen the mammograms on me, because I asked him. He said, “no, I don’t have the lighting box that the radiology people use”. So, all he had was a radiology report recommending biopsy, and on that basis, he went into his song and dance. He lost all credibility in my eyes when he said I didn’t even have three months to wait! How laughable. I’ve also received several registered letters from the radiology department, indicating that a biopsy has been recommended. This is all legal “CYA” on their part designed to make it a scary, urgent feeling, and to prove prove prove to their lawyers that I received their biopsy recommendation. I just file the letters in my ongoing file. I suppose I’ll have quite a stack eventually. The most important thing to remember is that microcalcs in most cases are NOT a life threatening health emergency that requires an immediate decision, whether it be to have a biopsy or taking time to consider various treatment options. We know this now. The cat is out of the bag. I feel lucky that I had the foresight to do my own research into this before falling for their hysteria mode. Dr. Laura Esserman and others emphasize again and again that microcalcs are not an immediate emergency health matter. In most cases, even IF it’s a DCIS, it grows so slowly that it may be years (if ever) before enough has changed to even merit intervention or treatment, much less rushing into a biopsy. So, yes, I was subjected to arm twisting but I came “armed” with facts, and that’s what shut them all up. I continue to monitor the abnormality that was found in 2011, next mammogram scheduled for Jan 2016. If nothing or not much has changed, I am going to again refuse biopsy. Hopefully I will be able to stay the course and not be pushed or bullied into the biopsy, which I’m well aware could immediately put me on the “breast cancer” merry go round UNnecessarily. Hang in there, knowledge is power! October 19, 2015 at 1:08 pm Hi Samantha, The day I was diagnosed the Dr. that read the mammogram told me that I had to have a mastectomy. Then my Dr. was out of town so her Nurse called me and told me if you are going to have one you may as well have both removed. They told me that I had to have the biopsy the next day and I was too dumb to question it. I did find an excellent surgeon from a friends recommendation and I did oncoplasty, mine was large so I did not do the watching and waiting approach. I now have worked with a Naturopath for 2 years and I am doing great. I have been watching the truth about Cancer and wish I had seen it before I went thru my ordeal. I had the radiation and if I had to do it again I would not have done that. Good Luck and don’t let them bully you into making a decision, do your own research to find what is best for you. Best, Karen says: October 24, 2015 at 9:17 am Hi Just wondering if any women out there with stage O”, low grade DCIS, is just monitoring for any changes i.e., mammograms and MRI and eating fruits veggies no sugars, workout, etc and not opting for any surgery such as mastectomy or lumpectomy. I feel this diagnosis is over rated in how treatment should be done. Any sharing of thoughts would be appreciated. Karen Wendy says: October 24, 2015 at 10:15 am I was diagnosed with low to intermediate grade DCIS in June 2014. I’ve had a lumpectomy and a biopsy. The first surgeon I went to told me I needed a full mastectomy and that I had a few weeks to decided. I walked out of her office and found another doctor. Since DCIS is NOT, cancer, I am going to take watch and see approach. I will have my annual MRI in the next few months. I am no longer allowing these crazy doctors to scare me into unnecessary treatments. October 24, 2015 at 11:22 am I was diagnosed with Small Calcifications when I was 40. When I was 43, I was diagnosed with Flat Epithelial Atypia after having a stereotactic core biopsy. For the past 4 years, doctors keep saying I need a surgical biopsy even though the calcifications have NOT changed. I had lived a natural lifestyle for 20 years, then at 39, I stepped it up a notch and started living a holistic, organic lifestyle. Nothing goes in or on my body unless it is organic. I do believe that my lifestyle has contributed to my calcifications NOT changing. When I went Thursday for my yearly mammogram, the doctor advised alternating a MRI with a mammogram every 6 months. I don’t think I will do it because I have read too much studies about false positives for people with calcifiactions. When I was 43, I got a second opinion from a breast cancer surgeon who caters to the wealthy. He said unless you are diagnosed with Stage 1 cancer, you do NOT have cancer, so don’t treat your condition as if you do. February 10, 2016 at 5:15 pm I am monitoring. I had my 2 year scan today. I am clear. I do not even have clean margins from the original lumpectomy. I opted not to do another lumpectomy as it was 10k per surgery and I did not want a deformed breast, which is my choice. I also did not do radiation or tamoxifen either. I am really happy with my choice as of today! My oncologist battled with me but I do not care. My body. My choice. LikeLiked by 1 person Karen says: February 10, 2016 at 5:46 pm Thx for reply… May I ask if you seeing a holistic doctor? I am taking good vitamins and watching my ph in my body which is important. My stage is 0. Karen Sent from my iPhone Priscilla Thompkins says: November 10, 2015 at 5:24 am Please add me to emails January 5, 2016 at 10:39 pm Hi Priscilla, Please make sure you click “follow” and you will receive an email with each new post. Thanks for your interest! Donna May 8, 2016 at 2:04 pm Malignant tumor cells are integrative parts of the body, although they are embarrassed by the partial loss of intranuclear control of DNA replication. They require domestication instead of radical killing. DCIS is an early sign of defective estrogen signaling and the associated disturbance of genome stabilization. In any phase of breast cancer, the use of three classic anticancer weapons (mutilation, radiation and chemotherapy) is harmful and results in higher breast cancer related mortality. Both DCIS and other stages of BC may be cured by lumpectomy and restoration of estrogen signaling. Long term care of hormonal equilibrium is more important than monitoring by mammography. May 8, 2016 at 2:29 pm November 19, 2015 at 6:40 am I was diagnosed with DCIS at Kaiser last month. The first radiologist said we could just watch it for 6 mos & recheck. I said I was losing my insurance Jan 1, so wanted to take care of it ASAP. Had a needle biopsy. The area of concern is only 8 mm & I am nearly 61 yrs old with no family history of breast cancer on either side of family. Yesterday consulted with surgeon. Talked about lumpectomy & radiation. When he said “DCIS isn’t cancer but a pre-cancerous condition” it led me to research the why of having radiation. After researching, I found Dr Esserman and others who’s opinion of taking a wait & see approach for a person my age & with my risk factors. I am pretty sure now that I am going to wait & forgo the lumpectomy. Karen says: November 19, 2015 at 3:09 pm Hi Kristi. Sorry about your diagnosis. I have stage 0 low grade and have decided to monitor..I’ve read it could take years to become invasive or never become invasive. I truly believe if you watch what you eat, keep vit D levels normal exercise a lot and low stress you can be okay. May I ask where this doctor you wrote about is located? How are you being monitored? Good luck November 19, 2015 at 9:37 pm I was going to Kaiser in San Marcos, CA. I will monitor it every 6 mos with a mammogram. Thanks. November 19, 2015 at 9:40 pm I was going to Kaiser in San Marcos, CA. I plan to monitor with mammogram in 6 mos. January 25, 2016 at 9:02 pm Thanks so very much for your site. I’ve been searching for the last 30 days because I too feel I am being pushed/frightened into ingesting 5 years of Tamoxifen or one of the three Aromatase Inhibitors—without a proper pause given for the high risk of potentially life-ending side effects of these drugs. At 61, with a diagnosis of papillomas to remove (or taking a wait & see approach) I opted after 6 months of fretting to have them removed. The surgery included an unexpected lumpectomy, with path report showing a single block (out of 35) of DCIS, low grade, cribiform and solid, 3 mm and missing a “clean” 1 cm margin, which prompted a quick re-excision to get that margin. (I also have extensive atypical hyperplasia, the calcifications–which were deemed benign many years ago and simply watched in the interim, and am ER+ and PR+–like 95% and 90% respectively.)My surgeon is very nice, but continues to insist I start a drug regimen, no doubt sensing my grave doubt about doing so. So Kale has become my new friend. Luckily, I like it and all its cousins, always have. I’m on the fence about the drugs and haven’t seen or read anything to convince me to assume the risks associated with consuming 5 years of these drugs. (Neither radiation, further surgery, nor chemo was called for in my case, per my surgeon and her medical board.) I’ve never taken any drugs, and other than the unexpected DCIS finding am otherwise exceeding healthy (the surgical nurses called me a dream patient because I have no illnesses at my age.) My weight is about 10 lbs above preferred, so I’m working out, watching fats and sugars, etc.(I am on the border of osteo, so that needs attention as well.) Ultimately, I don’t know what to do. There are no close relatives with BC in my family, not really much cancer of any kind. Per the VNPI, I’m a 4 on a potential point value of 12–seems my risk of recurrence is very low. Some days, it seems like a dream. Do I have BC? Or did I just have surgery to remove some damaged, unnecessary diseased tissue? Am I in denial? Maybe. February 10, 2016 at 1:24 pm I just had to share with you that I just returned from my annual scan. I was given a DCIS diagnosis 1/2014. After the original lumpectomy which was 10k I elected to do nothing. My oncologist begged me to have more of my right breast removed. I refused (but Iam stubborn). I changed my diet and tried to reduce stress. I work out as often as possible and no longer work in the full time rat race. Point being-my DCIS is STABLE! I am simply astounded that they wanted to disfigure my breast and give me radiation and tamoxifen. Of course, I will continue to monitor and report back to your site. I feel compelled to share this with your readers. It is a very happy day. However, due to legalities, this is not to be construed as medical advice. LikeLiked by 1 person Karen says: February 10, 2016 at 5:02 pm Hi Holly: I was dx with low grade DCIS last June, mastectomy was offered. I have had 1 follow up mammogram and MRI..no changes. What type of follow up/monitoring are you having done. Just wanted to see what type of follow up you are doing and frequency. Thanks, February 14, 2016 at 9:06 am Karen, don’t forget to do the following if you are not already doing them: Eat Ginger, Dark Chocolate, Vit D (if your level is not optimized), and Ubiquinol; Ditch the Microwave; and Only put Organic items in and on your body. http://www.drweilblog.com/home/2012/7/25/anti-inflammatories-ginger-and-turmeric-video.html Wendy says: February 12, 2016 at 9:03 am Thanks so much for sharing your story. I was diagnosed with intermediate grade DCIS in 4/2014. I haved three doctors tell me I should have a mastectomy, but I am stubborn as well. I just had another MRI and the results indicate there have not been any changes since my diagnosis. I thought about getting an oncoplastic reduction, but after speaking to the plastic surgeon and learning that all he would be doing is moving the placement of my nippIes am considering just leaving well enough alone. It saddens me that we don’t have more options. Feeling frustrated! February 12, 2016 at 10:45 am Hi Wendy! Have you thought about getting a second pathology opinion from Dr. Michael Lagios? Even though you’ve seen three doctors who are all recommending the same thing, if they are part of the “standard of care” system, they will all say what they’re expected to say. I think it’s so important for any woman with a DCIS diagnosis to look outside the usual areas and consult with the current experts on DCIS, people like Dr. Laura Esserman at UCSF and Dr. Lagios. It’s so hard to find what we need in this situation! Your frustration is very understandable! Wendy says: February 12, 2016 at 11:58 am Yes…informedconsent2014 I had Dr. Lagios review my pathology report and he recommended a skin sparing mastectomy, but he did suggest I consider seeing Dr. Mel Silverstein who is pioneering extreme oncoplastic reduction surgery. The challenge is I am in Atlanta and Dr. Silverstein is in CA. I met with a surgeon in Atlanta that is willing to do the oncoplastic reduction, but I am not crazy with the plastic surgery part. It would not be a real lift or reduction. They would only replace the nippIes up a little higher after the oncologist removes the DCIS. So basically, I would be having major surgery to remove some wayward cells and my breast would not look much different then how they look now. Where is the silver lining? Ughh February 13, 2016 at 6:56 am Hi Wendy, yes, it’s really hard to get special consultations with experts when you live far away. Many of us can’t travel wherever and whenever we want to get the best advice. From all I’ve read about DCIS, it’s slow growing and in some cases barely changes over time. If your gut is telling you to continue to monitor rather than jumping into a major surgery, then that’s what you should do, and continue to monitor in the safest ways possible. Major life changing surgery definitely needs to be considered very carefully before jumping into something that might be the wrong thing to do. Hopefully in the next 5 years, we’ll see new protocols, new types of surgeries and new ways to monitor DCIS. Maybe the silver lining, is forums like this, women like you, Donna, and others here who are grappling with this very confusing medical scenario. All any of us can do is stay educated and informed and I’m sure that’s what you’re doing, all the way! I really feel that those of us who are questioning how DCIS is treated and managed will be the ones to change the protocols down the road so that we can all benefit and stay whole and healthy! Wendy says: February 14, 2016 at 5:34 am Thanks for the encouraging words informedconsent2014. If it was not for Donna and this forum, who’s what my situation would be. I will continue to walk my own path and hopefully over time we will see changes in the treatment or non-treatment of DCIS. February 24, 2016 at 10:14 am Hi Holly! Sorry for the delayed reply…Thanks so much for posting your good news and experiences. It really helps everyone to hear from women like you who take healthy action over fear, pressures, intimidation and disfigurement Blessings for continued health and wellness, Donna Robin says: February 24, 2016 at 11:22 am I was just diagnosed with dcis. So nice to hear good news! Robin says: February 24, 2016 at 12:12 pm Holly, was your dcis grade 1,2, or 3? February 11, 2016 at 9:36 am I follow up with a regular mammogram yearly. I was diagnosed with stage 2 DCIS 1/2014. I did an original lumpectomy BUT they did not get clear margins. I REFUSED to another one at another 10k. I just wait and monitor. I am a Nurse Practitioner, but in Georgia we must have a collaborating MD. My MD at work told me that his sister got all the recommended mammograms every year and STILL PASSED of breast cancer in her 60’s. This is not an exact science as you well know. I try to eat clean, exercise and work on my mental health (tough with 3 sons at home!) But so far I KNOW that I have made the right decision for myself. I cannot imagine radiation, tamoxifen or radiation. I also refuse to decimate my right breast. I do not care what anyone says but I am still young enough that I want to look and feel my best. Please research MD Anderson and their findings on a sugar diet and cancer (yes they are utilizing metformin in clinical studies) along with chemo. These are truly amazing times and we must support each other. Karen says: February 11, 2016 at 5:06 pm Hi. I just have stage 0 DCIS and try to eat good hardly any sugars went to a holistic dr really liked her Sent from my iPhone February 12, 2016 at 10:26 am Thanks for sharing Holly. You may want to look into “dedicated” breast MRI for follow up as I have done for the last 4 years. Mammograms find too much DCIS and cause way too many alarms and unnecessary scare, biopsies, surgeries and all the rest. Also another new technology to consider is SONOCINE Automated Whole Breast Ultrasound.http://www.sonocine.com/united-states/ No radiation, no contrast dye. Also thermograms in between. Mammograms are not a good screening or monitoring tool in my opinion and years of research! I am presently writing a book on this topic as I have so much info and studies that are just not getting out into the mainstream. The harms are not being told to women by doctors, hospitals, media, etc and this is a serious women’s health injustice. Many conflicts of interest. I would look deeply into who is pushing mammography and what their conflicts of interest may be. February 12, 2016 at 10:37 am so great to know you’re writing a book about this terrible problem of overdiagnosis/overtreatment of DCIS! That’s fabulous and will get the word out to millions of women! I will definitely support your efforts! And yes, there’s a ton of conflict of interest, with various doctors being owner or part owner of screening facilities. They will never admit this to their patients, but it is a part of the problem! February 21, 2016 at 8:40 am Hi Donna! Thanks so much for your site! I was just diagnosed with adh borderline dcis. How are you doing now? Are you still on active surveillance? February 21, 2016 at 10:16 pm Hi Robin! I It makes me happy when people like you find my site…I am doing great. Have been monitoring with dedicated breast MRI for the last 4 years and all is clear, If I had to do it over, I would have not done immediate “wide excision” surgery after ADH diagnosis from needle biopsy. Please feel free to ask my anything as I know it can play tricks on your mind. Please also check out resources and studies on http://www.dcisredfined.org Blessings, Donna Robin says: February 22, 2016 at 6:21 am Thank you!! I am scheduling a lumpectomy. Mine is multifocal 3 cm. Mri was totally clear. My fear right now is that the lumpectomy will show more or an upgrade? If it were grade 3 would it most likely show up on Mri? I liked your dcis411 on fb and sent u a private message to your personal fb page. carol says: March 2, 2016 at 11:42 pm Just diagnosed by a mammogram looked back micro calfication was ony 2013 mammogram. How do I get someone to relook at the 2013 mammogram and one done in November and the diagnostic mammogram and us just done to see of I do need a biospy. They where really pishy when I did the diagnostic mammogram and us. Just felt uncomfortable. The radiologist was real pushy but he was doing some double speak he said need to biopsy like it was an emergency but when there where scheduling they could not do it right away said it was not an emergency. I am going to postpone. I have the scans want someone to look at those then telle I need to go further especially after reading stuff like this. Kinda need to step back breathe not let th bully me. The medical status quo does not treat women the same as men My brother goes with his wife and says same thing March 3, 2016 at 1:53 pm Carol, are you saying that you still have microcalcification 3 years later, so they want to do a biopsy? carol says: March 3, 2016 at 7:02 pm That exactly what I am saying and the us said no mass seen small cyst at 10/o’clock no mass was not evident. But mamgram show suspicious micrcalfication. The same radiologist read mammogram and wrote the note on us. But he couldn’t lie on us as the he and the tech both did a us. Nothing found. Looked at my chart found 2013/show micro calculations said benign. March 3, 2016 at 7:18 pm Here’s my experience. I had microcalcification for 3 years before getting a needle biopsy. The doctors said that even though the mammogram showed that they are probably benign, there was still a 20% chance that something was wrong. As far as I know, microcalcification doesn’t show up on an ultrasound since it is not a lump. I chose to get a biopsy ONLY because Sheryl Crow, like me, lived a healthy lifestyle and had microcacification, which, in her case, turned out to be Stage 1 cancer. After my needle biopsy, it was discovered that I had just abnormal breast cells. They want me to have a partial mascectomy, but for the past 3.5 years since the diagnosis, I have said, “No way.” I continue to live an organic lifestyle. Robin says: March 3, 2016 at 7:31 pm Hi. So you have adh? Are you just doing 6 month checks? March 3, 2016 at 7:46 pm Flat epithelial atypia. No, I refuse to do a mammogram and MRI every alternating 6 montsh. I just do a yearly mammogram because I refuse to let breast issues consume my life. I live an organic lifestyle, exercise daily, am working on decreasing stress and write in a gratitude journal. That’s all I can do. I have had flat epithelial atypia for 7 years, so I am just going to let the chips fall however way they fall. Robin says: March 3, 2016 at 8:06 pm Good for you! I was just diagnosed with adh and one tiny spot that is borderline Adh dcis. March 3, 2016 at 8:16 pm Oh, I see. The only thing I can tell you Robin is, for me, I had to turn the situation over to a Higher Power. We can get tested and have surgeries a million times and still be stuck with the same situation. I focus on my overall health because none of us knows what hidden sicknesses we may have that are undiagnosed. I have a strong peace of mind and am always in that mode of being strong enough to be prepared for anything – good or bad. I got my records read by a breast cancer surgeon who used to serve the wealthy, and he said the most important thing I have ever heard about breast issues: If you don’t have at least Stage 1 Cancer, then do NOT treat your condition like you do have it. During my research, I came across stats once of women who have died, and it said that coroners will tell you from there experience of doing autopsies that that a high percentage of women have non-cancer breast issues, but they didn’t die from it. Robin says: March 3, 2016 at 8:27 pm I totally agree. My surgeon said that an oncologist that looked at my pathology suggested maybe radiation because of the tiny amount of borderline Adh dcis (that is with the adh) and my age. I am 46. This to me is ridiculous. March 3, 2016 at 8:31 pm I’m 47, and that is completely ridiculous. My motto is: I’m not going to bankroll a doctor’s lifestyle. Robin says: March 4, 2016 at 5:46 am Exactly!! Thank you for your story and I wish you good health!! April 2, 2016 at 8:41 am I was diagnosed with dcis high grade in 2010 had a lumpectomy but only completed a few rounds of radiotherapy because of very red angry breast and generally feeling ill had follow ups mammogram in Nov 2015 and it’s come back had a biopsy showing med to high grade dcis surgeon wanted me to have a mastectomy I had second opinion with breast reconstruction doc and breast surgeon suggested I have dcis cut out keep my breast and have other one made smaller I’m large breast ed but found out op would take ten hours and because I have other health probs original surgeon and oncologist saying it’s not a good idea and to have mastectomy and if possible new breast and other made smaller I’m all over the place all this seems drastic to me any input would be gratefully received Kimberly says: May 7, 2016 at 11:37 pm Seriously? You think dcis should just be left alone? Left alone nothing will happen? This website has made me more confused. I have had two lumpectomy to remove dcis with no success. Md thinks I should have mastectomy. So you think I should let it go because the chances of invasive breast cancer is rare? So your doing well with no surgery? Your holistic healing is all your doing? May 8, 2016 at 12:51 pm I too was in a similar situation and had 3 “unsuccessful” surgeries…and told numerous times and by numerous Drs to have mastectomy due to close margin. I was told “don’t be stupid” by my surgeon as she tried to convince me to have at least a 3 week dose of radiation. That was 4 years ago…I did not succumb to their scare tactics. I have done NOTHING further other than what’s on my “holistic healing plan.” I am not saying my path is for everyone. What I am saying is every women must take all the information they can possibly gather about their unique individual situation and pathology and then listen to her gut / intuition. I gathered a great deal of personal information — 2nd pathology opinion, oncotype test plus looked at the studies and statistics. Even with grim statistics, I chose no further surgery, no radiation and no tamoxifen. I am beyond grateful for the path I chose — and only wish I had found Dr. Laura Esserman and Dr. Shelley Hwang before I had the 1st surgery (which was a wide-excision biopsy due to ADH resulting from needle biopsy). I believe a lot of MDs are overly scaring women to have their treatments due to fear of law suits and that is what the “standard of care” is at their hospital or medical center. They are ingrained in a system of treatment that is notorious for being inaccurate, inconclusive and biased towards the most aggressive one-size-fits-all protocols. Confusion will be alleviated with education. It takes time to understand. I made this site to help get the other side of the DCIS story out there — this information is often not provided by many Drs and if you bring it to them they may poo-poo it and belittle you for even bringing up such questions reagrding “standard of care’ protocols.” I spent countless hours (now 6 years) doing the research to help women make informed and individualized decisions. Is it easy? NO. Is it terrifying. At first. But once you take the time to understand and become empowered, then you will hopefully find the right decisions for you from a sense of calm, peace and understanding (not fear). The path that I chose is not for everyone. But if one chooses this path, I offer my heart-felt support and resources that I spent hours and hours investigating. Please read my whole story under “Donna’s Journey.” I did have 3 surgeries before I said NO MORE…and I have been monitoring with dedicated breast MRI, ultrasound and thermogram annually since. I am doing great and I do not fear cancer. I wish every woman could have what I have been blessed with…peace of mind is what we all seek no matter what our decisions. Blessings to you and all who may be in a similar situation. My heart goes out to you. Donna Wendy says: May 8, 2016 at 2:20 pm I was diagnosed in 2014 with low to intermediate grade DCIS and was told I should have a masectomy “right away” it’s been two years since my first surgical biopsy and there has not been a change in the amount of DCIS. I have not ruled out more surgery, but I am weighing my options and making sure I feel 100% comfortable before doing anything else. Most doctors just want to do surgery to avoid lawsuits with no regard for what is best for their patients. Hang in there Kimberly, you have options. May 9, 2016 at 12:46 am Mastectomy as a therapeutic measure against breast cancer is a medical mistake. Long term studies justify that mastectomy results in higher BC-related mortality as compared with lumpectomy. At the margin of mammary tumor, there are defensive cells producing mediators and hormones against cancer spread. Mastectomy, radiation and chemotherapy aggressively extirpate these defensive forces and the desolated environment is hospitable for the initiation of newly developing cancer from breast cells left behind. Maintenance of hormonal equilibrium, estrogen signaling in particular is the real prevention of BC for a lifetime. May 9, 2016 at 4:15 am Wendy I read that there are a lot of doctors that are rethinking treatment. I did not jump and do a biosopy, dur to me getting pneumonia. I finally over that, I have also done tons of reading that this is not an emergency. Also, I had the caifacations on 2013. And my ultrasound was clean.gonna send my studies off to be reread May 9, 2016 at 4:19 am My docs office called and wanted me to redo a mamo this fall. I told her her yes. I had an appointment with a oncology doc. Changed my mind as I was jumping in the fire. When I read that I have a 2% chance in dying from this this once o got over the initial shock started reading. I am satisfied with my decision.. It is not am emergency don’t treat it as one Wendy says: May 9, 2016 at 11:23 am Do you have recommendations on how to maintain hormonal equilibrium? I am working with an intergrative medical practice that has me on iodine and Thyriod support supplements, but I am wondering what else I could do. My DCIS is HER positive. There has to be a natural alternative to Tamoxifen… May 9, 2016 at 12:53 pm I’m still taking 2 drops of Lugol 2% iodine daily since I have hypothyroidism. I also sprinkle seaweed on everything I eat. Everything is about balance, but the problem is it is hard to figure out what will bring you back into balance. Wendy, what type of iodine and thyroid supplements are you on? Wendy says: May 9, 2016 at 1:24 pm I am taking Iodoral and nature throid along with a bunch of vitamins. I have follow-ups with labs every 60 days. May 10, 2016 at 1:48 am Restoration of estrogen signaling is the crucial means against cancer recurrence. Upregulation of thyroid synthesis is important by iodine and selenium treatment, when your thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is elevated. Vitamin D supplementation is also an anticancer measure. Insulin resistance (increased glucose level) is dangerous, diet and metformin treatment is useful. I answer all your further questions. May 10, 2016 at 1:55 am Tamoxifen is dangerous, since it blocks estrogen receptors and only in genetically proficient cases (30%) can achieve compensatory strong upregulation of estrogen signaling. This effect is transient as exhaustion of protein synthesis results in perfect blockade of ERs and consequent tumor growth. This phase is mistakenly regarded as antiestrogen resistance. May 8, 2016 at 2:43 pm It’s hard to know what to do, I am.in process to have my mamgrams reread then I will go from there not gonna let anyone scare me. Do a lot of reading on dcis before surgery. May 9, 2016 at 11:37 am Great question for Zsuzsanna Wendy. I was going to ask myself as there is a lot of confusion and conflicting info out there on hormonal balance. I look forward to Zsuzsanna’s response! May 10, 2016 at 1:19 am There is a lot of confusion and conflicting info even in doctors’ minds. There is no direct correlation between estrogen concentrations (in serum, and breast tissue) and tumor growths; however, appropriate binding between estrogens and their receptors (estrogen signaling) is the prerequisite for healthy life. Estrogen bound estrogen receptor as transcriptional factor in nucleus is the crucial point of genome stabilizer network, and we have the tools in hand (such as natural estrogen administration and control of other hormonal functions) for prevention and cure all human diseases, even cancer. Natural estrogen treatment is capable of upregulation of both estrogen receptor expression and genome stabilizer proteins. Breast cancer patients should be brave and recommend my scientific works for their doctors. (Suba Z; indexed by Google, Pubmed, Medline, etc.). This will help for you and for all other patients being in desperate situation. I am ready to answer all your questions. Wendy says: May 10, 2016 at 1:18 pm Thank you so much for responding. I will checkout the references you provided. Karen says: May 13, 2016 at 7:12 am Hi. Just wondering if anyone ever just decided to monitor stage 0 low grade DCIS without any surgery? If so how are you monitoring this? Thermography? Mam? MRI? U/S? Hope to hear from someone I keep reading that DCIS is pre-cancer thx Sent from my iPhone May 13, 2016 at 10:28 am I had 3 mm low grade dcis. In fact one pathology report came back as adh. Had lumpectomy with clear margins. No radiation. Started tamoxifen. May 14, 2016 at 2:24 am Low grade small DCIS lesion is an early, localized sign of defective systemic estrogen signaling and the associated disturbance of genome stabilization. DCIS without surgery may show stagnation, regression or progression, depending on the changes in systemic hormonal equilibrium and in the local defense in the breast. After lumpectomy, the possibilities are similar. There is no sense of frequent monitoring, as the prevention of recurrence is in our hand: restoration and maintenance of hormonal equilibrium. Upregulation of estrogen signaling (Premarin treatment), improvement of hyperglycemia (Metformin), strengthening thyroxine synthesis (iodine and selenium) and vitamin D supplementation are the most important measures. Controlling the hormonal equilibrium (once in a year) is important. Cave tamoxifen! It is a double edged sword, as if the patient has no capacity for strong compensatory upregulation of estrogen signaling, the blockade of receptors will result in toxic symptoms and tumor growth. Rebecca says: May 14, 2016 at 6:18 am I had stage 0 DCIS with lumpectomy, clear margins after 2 reexcisions, and 6 weeks of radiation. Should I be taking vitamin D and iodine now? I’m not taking Tamoxifen. I’m just wondering what more I can do to help prevent reoccurrance other than other changes I’ve made. Thanks. May 14, 2016 at 9:00 am Lumpectomy was adequate. DCIS recurrence depends on the systemic and in-breast anticancer mechanisms of your body. The primary treatment is estrogen (instead of tamoxifen) so as to upregulate estrogen signaling. Control of estrogen signaling is obligatory in your whole life. Sorry, radiation was disadvantageous, since extirpated the immunologically and hormonally defensive cells in the breast. Vitamin D supplementation is important, and you need laboratory control as both hypo- and hypervitaminism are harmful. You need iodine and selenium for thyroid gland stimulation if your thyroid stimulatory hormone (TSH) is increased. Physical activity is important, as muscles may synthesize both estrogen and DNA-defensive mediators. May 14, 2016 at 11:41 am How much vitamin D is recommended? Karen says: May 14, 2016 at 11:53 am I recommend first getting vit d level. I was low last year but started taking it every day I take 3000u /day now my level is 49 Sent from my iPhone May 14, 2016 at 1:48 pm Dose of vitamin D depends on your serum concentration. When your vitamin D level is within the normal range, 1000 IU vit D3 Fresenius/day is an appropriate dose. In the summer, it depends on the time staying on sunshine. Serum control is important once in a year, increased vit. D concentration is also harmful. May 14, 2016 at 2:18 pm May 14, 2016 at 7:05 am Ms. Suba, I have read with interest your post about iodine and selenium in possibly reducing tumors in DCIS. My understanding is that these studies may only apply to estrogen-responsive DCIS. My DCIS is estrogen-negative so would there be any use for me to take the iodine + selenium? Thanks for your response. May 14, 2016 at 8:24 am Do not be anxious! DCIS and breast cancers in any stages are curable, even if they are estrogen receptor (ER) negative. The primary therapy is the restoration of estrogen signaling. The lower the ER positivity of DCIS, the higher is the therapeutic dose of natural estrogen (Premarin). Estrogen is a very important, unique hormone, there is no over dosage, the dose limit is the starry sky. Other hormones have narrow range of physiologic concentrations. When your thyroid stimulatory hormone (TSH) is elevated, it means hypothyroidism, which is a cancer promoting factor. In this case, you need iodine and selenium supplementation, irrespective of the ER status of your DCIS. I recommend one of my papers, if it is difficult, please; consult it with your doctor! Triple-negative breast cancer risk in women is defined by the defect of estrogen signaling Kimberly says: May 9, 2016 at 9:59 pm Ok I read your story like you suggested. So the end of your story was scheduling a rodeo mri. What happen then? Another surgery? Just left the residual dcis? And if so ,no increase in size ? Do you believe dcis is cancer? That seems to be a much debated question. If it’s called ductlal carcinoma in situ then it is cancer right? Hence the word carcinoma in the title. Right or wrong? Curious what your opion is on that. Thanks May 9, 2016 at 11:34 pm No I do not believe DCIS is “Cancer” and I believe as Dr. Esserman states — the term “Carcinoma” should be removed from the diagnosis. Read everything that Dr. Esserman and Dr. Hwang have to say on the topic (and many others). There are so many articles published now about this language issue and OVER-TREATMENT of DCIS.. See this post and you can hear my interview on KPBS / NPR: https://dcis411.com/2015/11/22/dcis-over-treatment-makes-mainstream-news-2015-highlights/ You can read all my blog posts under “blog” which is my continuing journey…..I have done NO FURTHER CONVENTIONAL treatments. I left a CLOSE margin (not residual DCIS) after a re-excision (which was my 3rd surgery in 2 years). All the surgeries were exploratory as the imaging was inconclusive and rated the highest level of SCARE “highly suspicious of MALIGNANCY. At that time, I felt I had no choice but to remove the tissue to see if in fact it was MALIGNANT. It was not. It was all LOW GRADE DCIS. 5cm of tissue was removed in total and my breast was quite deformed….but amazingly it healed nicely and my breast tissue grew back! I have done dedicated breast MRI annually as well as ultrasound and thremograms — all have been CLEAR. I have not had a mammogram since the last surgery in 2011 and i do not plan on ever having another mammogram — this test is what started all the unnecessary fear and biopsies and surgeries! Plus I discovered that i have dense breast tissue so the test is highly inaccurate and can miss INVASIVE cancer. I highly recommend a 2nd pathology opinion and consultation with Dr. Lagios. Then I would get the Oncotype DX test and also go to a Dr. that does not push, pressure, intimidate or scare. May 9, 2016 at 11:46 pm Robin says: August 19, 2016 at 4:45 pm Hi. I had a lumpectomy for 3 mm dcis. At my 6 month follow up mammo they saw a few scattered calcifications. Radiologist was not concerned but wants a follow up mammo in 6 months. I think the scattered ones they see now we’re there before. Not removed. Anyone else have this happen?? August 19, 2016 at 5:18 pm I don’t have DCIS, but I have had scattered calcification for 8 years. I only do a mammo yearly as opposed to the recommended 6 months, along with a MRI, because that is too much. The key is to eat clean, exercise, show gratitude and have low stress. Clare says: August 20, 2016 at 1:02 am Hi Robin, do you know what the grade the DCIS was? Robin says: August 20, 2016 at 6:01 am Low grade, 3 mm. In fact one original report said it was just adh borderline dcis. Clare says: August 20, 2016 at 6:10 am Then my advice would be to let them do nothing else – and maybe think about thermal imaging rather than mammograms. Two years ago they found high grade DCIS almost covering my whole breast and a tiny cancerous area 2mm so I proceeded with a mastectomy but refused any adjuvant treatments. There is a lot of research ( especially in US) that states that DCIS low grade may never become cancerous. Look at your lifestyle and diet going forward ( cut out dairy and refined sugar). Good luck Robin says: August 20, 2016 at 6:12 am Thank you!! I will look into that! August 28, 2016 at 9:34 am I was diagnosed with DCIS Grade 3 with necrosis and ER/PR-….MD Anderson made me wait 2 weeks to make sure all slides were read….they NEVER sent for slides until I investigated. I have to wait another week, is this putting me in jeopardy of it turning into IDC? Gretel Wendy says: August 29, 2016 at 6:20 pm I don’t think a week will make a big difference. I was diagnosed with intermediate ER/PR DCIS 2 years ago and there was no change in my DCIS as of my last MRI (6 months ago). Please keep in mind that DCIS is a risk factor for invasive cancer. Having a DCIS diagnosis does not mean you will in get invasive breast cancer. Take the time you need to educate yourself and don’t be bullied into treatments if you are not ready. August 29, 2016 at 6:35 pm Hi. I was dx with 3 mm dcis low grade 6 months ago. Had lumpectomy. Low oncotype score. No radiation but I’m on tamoxifen. What scares me is when I read about women who are dx with dcis then have masectomy and they find invasive which did not show up on any test. I’m in a dcis support group online and have read this happening several times. August 29, 2016 at 8:16 pm Hi Robin, I remember reading those posts early on. This is very troubling and scary to hear….but this would also mean that every women needs to have a mastectomy just in case they are one of those rare cases. There are recent studies showing that there is NO SURVIVAL difference in treatment of DCIS. Yours is small low grade and low risk oncotype. Your best bet in my opinion is to get an annual dedicated breast MRI which has been shown to be best at detecting high grade DCIS or invasive cancer. See post here: https://dcisredefined.org/choices/imaging-and-monitoring/rodeo-mri/ Worrying about invasive cancer that was missed is no way to live. You have to be at peace with somewhat of the unknown and just live your best, healthiest life and try to reduce risk and monitor in the most natural/least harmful way. That’s what I do! Donna August 30, 2016 at 2:32 am August 30, 2016 at 2:32 am September 1, 2016 at 11:27 am Maybe they should tell doctors. They try to intimidate people. My ultrasound was clean. And the radiologist came and did another one his self and that was clean. Then he proceeded to intimidate and told me the boipsy needed to be done asap bit the girl in scheduling told him that they did not have anything for a couple of weeks then told her was an emergency. The the mamgrams recognition walked into my room they got her to walk me out of the hospital. I said then something is wrong. Since then I have seen several ladies I know but not well enough having breat cancer treatment. Too many in my local area. Greedy September 1, 2016 at 4:54 pm This is why we have women’s intuition — and we must follow it! Thanks for sharing your thoughts Carol. It helps others who also may have a similar experience. So much about the current system is just plain wrong. The more of us that use our voices and share our stories, the sooner it will stop! Donna September 16, 2016 at 5:42 pm Thank you for your decission making a way for me and many others to follow. I was diagnosed with grade 1 tubular invasive carcinoma slow (indolent) growing 6mm. After biopsy which took 4.9mm i was then given the info that an operation would take care of it..meaning a golfball size would be taken out and with it a lymph node just to check…my shock and emotional state you can imagine…A friend introduced me to Salvestrol an organic product. I did research on it and started to take it.That was two weeks ago. The trauma and mental challenges are just now winding down… I will let you know my outcome…but “mathematically speaking” the 1.1mm of left over cancer in my breast should not be there in two months time when i would do a check up as Salvestrol has been proven (not clinically but with case studies cancer grade 3 and more) to kill cancer cells but leave good ones alone. September 27, 2016 at 7:32 pm So glad to have found this site!!! mariam843 says: October 11, 2016 at 4:29 am I was diagnosed with breast cancer and i lived with that diagnosis for more than 3 years, spending all I have and losing my self in the process, its what I wouldn’t want to see any person go through, Luckily i had an encounter with Dr Jose, a renowned Italian doctor that helped me overcome my cancer in less than two and a half months, just with the use of herbal medicine and spiritual help, i can now boldly say I am cancer free and a proud living testimony,he is known to be able to tackle any type of cancer found in the human body, God forbids any one should suffer here on earth, thats why I believe he created all these herbs, if you also want to clear your doubts and fight cancer to the barest minimum, take the bull by the horn and avoid death, you can contact my Doctor, by his email joseherbals28@gmail.com November 30, 2016 at 12:43 am Official therapy even today is the aggressive killing of tumor cells by radiation or chemotherapy, although they are dangerous for both the defensive mechanisms and life of patients. Cancer cells are not exogenous enemies like infective agents, but rather human cells embarrassed by the defect of their highest nuclear genome stabilizer machinery. Cancer cells may be domesticated by the upregulation of estrogen signaling. Recent Pat Anticancer Drug Discov. 2016;11(3):254-66. Causal Therapy of Breast Cancer Irrelevant of Age, Tumor Stage and ER-Status: Stimulation of Estrogen Signaling Coupled With Breast Conserving Surgery. January 8, 2017 at 9:32 am I’ve just encountered a rather unusual thing that I want to throw out here for comment. To update, I’m the person who has had microcalcs since 2011 and have refused biopsy since that time, opting instead to surveil it on mammogram. My doctor has continually pressured me to get the biopsy for these calcs, because I am very aware that it can lead to a roller coaster of treatments and surgeries that are questionable in many situations. Anyway, I get regular lab work every year for the usual bloodwork, and I noted on this particular lab work, my doctor had ordered a PSA test! Welllllllllllllll, how strange. So, I did some research online to determine just exactly why he has done this. As we know, PSA testing is done primarily on men to test their PSA levels for potential prostate cancer. However, Ir an across one or two medical articles talking about PSA testing in women who have breast cancer. So, obviously my doctor is trying to find something to continue to pressure me (or scare me) into getting a biopsy. The references I saw to PSA testing in women was for women who have more advanced cancers and they use PSA just to monitor the progression of an existing advanced cancer, not as a routine screening tool. We also know that PSA in men is very controversial, as a high PSA can mean many things, not just cancer. I just wanted to put this out there to you all, to find out if anyone else has encountered a doctor who did a PSA test on them, and to show you all again that the medical profession never gives up in trying to bully, scare, or push us into treatments or surgeries. I think my doctor has viewed this as somewhat of an ego buster for him, that I have now gone 5 years without a biopsy, with minimal change of these calcs, which is frustrating to him and he wants to make me dance to his tune. I will let you know what the results of this PSA test is when I get it! Dee says: January 8, 2017 at 9:54 am Please, do not take this as insult. May I ask why you continue with this doctor if he continues to pressure you to do something you feel very strongly against, and when you and he are not on the same page with your treatment? You clearly do not trust this doctor and that too is critical in your medical situation. You are well informed and I am wondering why you are not with a doctor who shares your views and knows the research you know. January 8, 2017 at 10:19 am Your question isn’t an insult at all, and is very valid to ask. I stay with him because he’s fairly nearby and driving is hard for me due to other health problems. Also, even though he hasn’t been the most supportive, he’s probably not the worst either. At various times, he’s said that he feels I am a very well informed patient and I think he knows I’m smart and do my homework. So, I guess my feeling about him is: he’s probably not too much worse than the vast majority of docs out there when dealing with a controversy like this, and the next doc I go to may be even worse. Also, and this is a BIG thing, he’s on my HMO insurance, and I don’t have a lot of choice in who I go to. I am on a budget, and my insurance is what it is. The other docs on the list were either too far away or other problems with them. So, like all patients, I have to compromise and deal with what’s available to me. I wish I could go to anyone, anywhere I want, but that’s unfortunately not the case. Dee says: January 9, 2017 at 8:52 am Thank you for explaining. I assume patientzeroblog and informedconsent2014 are the same person? Anyway, I wondered if your insurance played a big role in your choices. If you can really call it a choice if a person is limited to whatever list an insurance company lays out for you. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago, at the same time my young daughter was diagnosed with stage 4 non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. In both cases, we each had very good medical coverage (different providers) but were limited to “the list” of providers in order to get full coverage from the insurance. Going outside the list I think it would have been like 80% we would have to pay out of pocket. Anyway, my family doctor was able to refer my daughter to Mayo. Since he referred her, the insurance company accepted that and paid the full policy amount. My mother did the same thing with her doctor and was also referred to Mayo and her insurance fully covered as well. So there may be something to this for others as well, is why I am telling you this and wanted to know if insurance was hindering your choices. Of course you did say too that distance and travel was a concern so may not help anyway. But that is another thing that we found help for through Mayo and other resources/contacts. Gas and lodging cards (free or big discounts) are available, as well as meal discounts and freebies. There was help for everything we needed. There is also much help through many churches and Christian organizations. One such org is called Love Inc. (Love In The Name Of Christ). If you call your local church don’t stop at just one, call them all – not all have the same info/contacts or able to help so keep calling around. And you don’t have to stick to just your area. Mayo is out of state for us so I called in both states. There is also help and or lists of organizations who can help available by calling the American Cancer Society and also your specific cancer type org (American Lymphoma Society or (your state name) Lymphoma Society etc.). And a very good resource is the cancer unit social workers at any hospital anywhere. I just called around to different hospitals around the country (the best known hospitals for cancer treatment as well as my local cancer treatment hospitals) that treat cancer and asked to speak with the cancer unit social worker. You don’t have to be a patient to do this or to get this info from them. They are very happy to help by giving whatever info and contacts they have available to them. Another form of help is if you are not able to drive yourself long distance (or even across town) to treatment, there are volunteers to help you in most areas/communities, and some hospitals provide the service free of charge. There is also a flight program, private pilots around the nation team up to donate their time, their private plane, the gas and all expenses to fly you to/from the city/state of treatment. And there are orgs that pay for your travel and or treatment out of the country for “non-conventional” treatment. Some of these programs have certain eligibility requirements and some do not. But help is available to broaden your choices for treatment in most areas if wanted/needed. It can be a very daunting task to look into these many possible options so is very helpful to get help from someone to make some of the calls for you too if you can. I have written all this out so it is hopefully read by even just one who is looking for more choices than they are currently given or feeling confined to only those choices because of other circumstance. I have not looked on this site to see if there are listings of contacts such as those I have mentioned for helping patients financially and every other way, but if not, there should be on every site like this one. Blessings and Peace to you and all here. January 14, 2019 at 2:26 pm More than appreciated your post . For 11 months now I have refused a biopsy for calciffications- much research- many arguments with doctor who tried to bully me into biopsy. He actually told the radiologist to schedule a biopsy BEFORE he even spoke to me – NO consent. I am refusing this and all future mammograms as a redt of all research- Google Prof. Michael Baum and find out the truth. January 9, 2017 at 11:43 am Yes, I had a blog for awhile documenting some of the issues I experienced during this whole biopsy/DCIS situation I’ve been dealing with since 2011. For some reason, wordpress lsometimes logs me in with that instead of my main screen name here of informedconsent2014. . Thanks so much for taking the time to write out all the various options with insurance, transportation and other help that might be of assistance to those of us who struggle with making complex decisions. I will certainly keep it in mind. My HMO does have a van (six round trips paid for) in the city I live in, which I have utilized for other things, so that’s a help. I am so glad that your mom and daughter were able to get the care they received at Mayo. Hopefully someday these issues with DCIS and breast cancer in general will no longer be so confusing and controversial! I have been dealing with it since 2011, as I know most of us here have been on long, frustrating journeys in one way or another with it! Thanks again for your help and advice! January 16, 2017 at 9:58 am HI my name is Maria. I love what I am reading here! Here is my story! -July 15, 2016 Biospy Results Stage 0 DCIS Left Breast -January 2017 Maybe calcifications increased a bit (appt on January 17, 2017) For six months I resisted any treatment and tried to eat healthy. Weekly Acupuncture and Supplements. Endocrine/Functional Nutritionist (not a cancer program) (online-based program I paid for three nutritionist talks in six months) Guess what? I’m not so good at eating healthy. Wake Up Call #1: DCIS ; Wake Up Call #2: I’m not so good at taking care of myself. I haven’t met an oncologist I like at all. On DCIS Redefined and through Shelly Hwang – Dr. Sheldon Feldman (in NYC) was recommended to me- I found his demeanor arrogant and distasteful. After six months though he might be the only one to see me through this as he is supposedly an “Alternative Doctor”. I’m seeing him again tomorrow Tuesday January 17th. I have NOT poured my heart and soul into this. BUT I WANT TO NOW! It’s almost like I was just diagnosed!!? There is a 10-15% chance that I can already have invasive cancer and they only way they can be certain is to test all the tissue with margins to be sure. Also there is a chance the DCIS Calcifications increased – I’ll know more from Feldman – Surgical Oncologist on Tuesday (tomorrow). Issue: I’m still not convinced that I need surgery. Question: Do I still have time? Can I NOW REALLY TRY alternative treatments?? I’m about 40 pounds overweight (still), have pre-diabetes and many fibroids ( avoided surgery). What do you use to measure your DCIS? I’ve heard mammograms aren’t so good and can cause cancer. What about SonoCine’ Sonograms or that RODEO MRI? Thanks, Maria in NYC January 16, 2017 at 11:22 am High grade is treated differently from low-to-intermediate grade. I found this out after my visit with Dr. Shelley Hwang, who recommended a mastectomy for me (although she hadn’t seen all of my slides yet.) But it’s also a matter of how large the high-grade area is in relation to the total size of your breast, so if you choose lumpectomy, you want it to be acceptable to do so cosmetically. Mine wasn’t +PR or +ER so my treatment recommendation may be different from yours. But I DO recommend that you get at least three opinions before you settle on a treatment; it took me more than that to finally find an Atlanta-based surgeon who was completely okay with just removing a piece surgically to ascertain for sure the extent of my DCIS, because apparently it’s not always a 100% sure thing. My biopsy came back benign! Doctors recommend mastectomy as a “just in case” maneuver quite often, and because they are liable if you do get a worse cancer. And to my knowledge, while calcifications are sometimes suspicious, they may be misdiagnosed as DCIS. Many women have calks and it’s important to keep an eye on them. Hope this helps! January 16, 2017 at 11:35 am I had high grade DCIS. I was lucky that at the time I lived in Southern California. I went to Dr. Silverstein who did a procedure called oncoplasty. My calcifications were in a line and covered a large area, however, he was able to get it all. This procedure was a lift and a reduction on both sides and then they took the tissue from the good side and replaced what they took on the other side with my own tissue. I am now a B instead of a C but look good! I did do the Radiation but not the tamoxifen. I don’t know if it was really necessary but every Dr. that I saw which was about 5 said I needed it. I also did not like any oncologists. I found an excellent Dr. named Dr. Kristine Reese in San Diego who is a naturopath and started working with her. It has been 3 years and I feel great. She is my main Dr. I have to have an OB GYN in case I need to have an MRI. I do a thermascan and ultrasound once a year. Dr. Reese checks my blood every three months, so far so good! I have worked to improve my immune system with her. I now live in Florida but do phone appointments with her and try to see her in person at least once a year. This year is the first time that I am going to have the Sonocine. Good luck with what ever you decide is best for you! Karen says: January 16, 2017 at 12:48 pm I read your article may I ask what blood test do u have dr do? Sent from my iPhone January 16, 2017 at 12:59 pm Once a year I have a test called Singulex which tests everything. The other times she orders a regular blood test and still tests a lot of other things but checks the cancer markers as well. Mine have been great all along. I am getting ready for my yearly screening this month. Karen says: January 16, 2017 at 2:00 pm This singulex test who orders it your oncologist? Sent from my iPhone January 16, 2017 at 2:02 pm I don’t work with an oncologist, I work with a Naturopath. This test is a very expensive test, if you have good insurance it is covered. I don’t know if regular dr.’s use it. Karen says: January 16, 2017 at 2:18 pm I’ll check. Can it tell u if you have invasive breast cancer? I have stage 0 low grade DCIS only monitoring only had biopsy Sent from my iPhone January 16, 2017 at 2:22 pm I don’t think so but you would have to speak to your Dr. about that. I just know it is a good blood test that checks everything not just my cancer markers. January 16, 2017 at 2:27 pm Karen, if you have low-grade DCIS Stage 0 and you had a biopsy and your doctor says just to monitor it, you are lucky with a capital “L”. Just keep having it monitored just as your doctor says – no worries! Karen says: January 16, 2017 at 2:49 pm No he recommended mastectomy but I truly watch my diet and stress Sent from my iPhone January 16, 2017 at 3:03 pm Karen, you are doing the right thing. Monitor. Stage 0, low-grade DCIS is very amenable to monitoring and, based on these types of blogs and the latest research from progressive breast cancer specialists, is not even considered cancer or even pre-cancerous. Stay informed. Karen says: January 16, 2017 at 3:43 pm Thx for the information I feel wonderful also drink green tea every day and good bottled water try to keepy body alkaline not acidic cancer can’t survive in alkaline body Sent from my iPhone July 21, 2017 at 12:45 pm Hi. Has anyone out there had the dcis ion RT test done?? I have low grade dcis and thinking about having this test done . Also how did you feel about the results? Any comments be appreciative thx Karen Sent from my iPhone Karen says: January 16, 2017 at 2:54 pm I go to a wellness doctor also. Vitamin d level is important to maintain Sent from my iPhone January 16, 2017 at 12:51 pm Judy, sounds like you had a fantastic experience in both treatment and result! I have been told, should I ever have to go the route of a huge lumpectomy, that my saggy breast skin is too thin (I’m 60) to preserve or use in oncoplasty/skin-sparing procedures. (But I’m also a C-cup and it wouldn’t bother me a bit to be smaller.) Maybe modern medicine will do something to improve the use of oncoplasty for women with thin skin in the future. THANKS FOR SHARING. Karen says: January 16, 2017 at 12:24 pm I read your story may I ask which physician tarted you in atlanta I live near Atlanta Sent from my iPhone January 16, 2017 at 12:46 pm Dr. Amanda Morehouse. She is in the same practice with Dr. Barber who is very reputable. Dr Morehouse is young and quietly takes a less-invasive, more cautious approach and uses her own in-house radiologist to analyze images. She is great. January 16, 2017 at 12:50 pm Sorry to hear about Dr. Feldman. Good for others to know so thank you for sharing. First of all, every women would have to have a mastectomy to be absolutely sure there is no invasive cancer…there is always a % chance…even with surgery that there is more that they miss…especially with DCIS…they can not see it all and the imaging is all inconclusive. This is why re-excision rates are so darn high with DCIS…and then they tell you you need a mastectomy. Insanity!!! My story is proof of this! I completely understand where you are at…like you are just at the beginning of really diving in and getting fed up! That happened to me almost two years after I was diagnosed with DCIS (from excisional biopsy — so I already had surgery before I even knew anything!)…..I had a positive margin and refused all further treatments. I ended up giving in and said yes to lumpectomy due to pressures from surgeon and radiologist saying it had grown a lot (2.5cm) and was now looking invasive (BIRADS 5) from mammogram. Then I asked for an MRI, but that was before I knew the value of RODEO or dedicated breast MRI. The MRI result also stated “suspicious for malignancy” (BIRADS 4)…I had been very strict with diet and lifestyle, but stress was evidently effecting me — due to my mom’s mental health crisis during that same year. I chose surgery over another needle biopsy because I was told it was now most likely invasive — and I did not want a repeat of horrible needle biopsy which I saw as just an extra step that would be inconclusive of entire area. I also felt like everything I was doing was ineffective if it was now growing and had become invasive. Having the malignant-looking area entirely surgically removed proved to me that none of it was invasive — and none of it had morphed to high grade. While it grew in size over 20 months, it was all low grade DCIS according to Dr. Lagios. My original path report said intermediate grade — and I believe my surgeon used this to try to pressure me for surgery at the beginning. The pressures and scare-tactics were very intense! Looking back now, I believe everything I was doing for 20 months (since diagnosed with DCIS and leaving a positive margin) with strict diet was what may have kept it from becoming high grade DCIS or invasive! Since there are no studies of women leaving DCIS and doing alternatives, this is anecdotal, but I believe we are all a study of one and every case is unique and different. You are already doing a lot of wonderful holistic “alternative” strategies and you are open to taking to the next level! That is fantastic!! I just wrote about the SonoCine and I plan to do this annually. Maybe also a thermogram every other year. I did RODEO or dedicated breast MRI for 4 years and I really am concerned about the contrast dye so want to continue with SonoCine now. I trust Dr. Kelly and feel he will find invasive cancer at smallest size without scaring me into biopsy for DCIS — which is likely still there. This is what I am comfortable with for me. Everyone has to explore what they feel is best for their situation. Are you on Facebook — Alternative DCIS group? Angela has high grade and has reduced it with all natural strategies. Great info and support there! So important. Also, how old are you? Have you had hormones checked? Can be balanced with food and herbs — and possibly some bio-identical hormones, but this is an area of unknowns and controversy. I am working on understanding all this now more than ever as I am feeling symptoms of menopause the last few months at age 51! Sending you a blanket of peace, love, light and protection as you go to see Dr. Feldman tomorrow. He is someone that sounded like he was supportive of active surveillance, but a demeanor that is “arrogant and distasteful” is not someone I would take advice from. We need compassionate understanding wise guidance based on our unique individual situation and preferences. With int – high grade DCIS, it will be hard to find a medical doctor who will support no surgery. Even Shelley Hwang and others like her would recommend surgery. You will not find an oncologist out there to fully support you. You may just need a PCP or gyn to order annual SonoCine or MRI. Thermograms you just do on your own and pay out of pocket. Good to have a naturopathic doctor who is an expert on hormone balance like Dr. Reese in San Diego. Keep on the path you resonate with! There is great wisdom to learn along the way! Ivy T says: February 24, 2017 at 7:57 am What I hate about DCIS – all of this information is so overwhelming. My story – July 2016, turned 40, routine mam. Xray tech says, don’t be alarmed if you get called back for more images, we have nothing to compare it to, happens a lot, don’t be alarmed. Got called back, wasn’t alarmed, per the Xray techs instructions. Not alarmed to the point that I didn’t go back for those second images until December 2016. The Wednesday before Christmas, I get the second mam and an ultrasound. After the ultrasound, I was told I had breast cancer. The calcifications that were seen on the screen in an area close to the nipple were likely cancer and there was also an area about 4 cm directly behind it that looked suspicious but they were unable to tell if it was cancer without doing a biopsy. I immediately asked if it could be something else and I was told by the radiologist that he was not going to sugar coat anything to get my hopes up, he was 99% sure that it was cancer. I asked if there was a change from the first mam because it had been 6 months between the two. The answer “No. It is exactly the same no changes at all.” I walked to the conference room with the Xray tech, sat down in the chair, I thought about my 3 young boys and I cried like a baby. Thursday I had an ultrasound guided needle biopsy of the area closest to the nipple and a vacuum assisted biopsy of the suspicious area. The needle biopsy, although scary, local anesthesia stung, but it worked. I felt pressure but no pain from the procedure. I asked if that would work for the second biopsy and was told no they had to numb that area too. The second biopsy was horrible. I had to lay on a hard table with my breast protruding from a hole in the table. They got my breast into position, numbed me and told me not to move because they would have to stop and reposition the breast. They started the procedure and to my shock, I felt pain. They stopped, gave me more anesthesia, waited a few minutes and continued with the procedure. I felt pressure initially and then the deeper they got into the breast tissue, the more intense the pain got but they could not give me anymore anesthesia so they wouldn’t stop the procedure and told me not to move. I didn’t move. I cried. I laid on that table and cried. I couldn’t believe what I was going through. I was in pain and I wanted my mom who was not there because I didn’t want to “falsely” alarm her if it turned out not to be cancer. Friday. I get the call. You have cancer. DCIS. It’s stage 0, we caught it early. You need surgery. It doesn’t look like your lymph nodes are affected so you will only need radiation after the surgery, not chemo – as long as the nodes we biopsy have no cancer in them. Now the research begins on my part. What is DCIS? What kills cancer cells? How can I shrink this before surgery? What should I eat (didn’t really matter at the time because I stopped eating altogether)? I start researching trying to find somebody, anybody, any group with a diagnosis and lifestyle similar to mine. The nurse navigators have already told me that they felt the reason it hadn’t spread probably had something to do with my diet. I’m not a vegan or vegetarian. I don’t eat a lot of red meat, mostly chicken and fish and I bake my foods more than I fry them. I don’t eat a bunch of junk foods or candy (except when I’m PMS’ing, then I need cake), I don’t drink excessively (a glass of moscato rarely) I don’t smoke anything, the only thing that was lacking was exercise and that was only due to a car accident that I’ve been getting physical therapy for and couldn’t exercise. Other than asthma, I am healthy. They kept asking me did I feel sick? Did my breast hurt? Did my breast leak? Was I overly tired? My response, “No!” I was not sick. I don’t get so much as a cold. My breast didn’t hurt, they did leak a little but not often and I didn’t think anything of it because I breastfed all three of my boys. This is the first major illness that I have ever had in life and it’s cancer!? I’m still in shock. So I met with my team in January 2017 to decide my plan. Lumpectomy that would result in deformity or mastectomy of the right breast. Those were my options from the doctors. I had already started taking turmeric pills and eating broccoli sprouts because I had read that the University of Michigan had done a study showing that the turmeric killed the cancer cells and the sprouts killed the stem cells. I posted on the woman’s who posted the information’s post asking if that regimin had worked for her and how she was feeling, doing yada yada yada. She never responded so I could only conclude that she either didn’t have the results she expected or maybe she had a more terrible fate. I had talked to the doctors and told them what I was taking and asking if they thought cannibinoids would help and they weren’t sure but they did tell me to keep taking whatever supplements I was taking because they couldn’t see it hurting. So I decided to keep taking the turmeric and the sprouts up until my surgery with the hopes that during prep they would find that the calcs were gone or that the other spot had shrunk but that wasn’t the case by the time I got around to surgery. They wanted me to have the surgery at the end of January, I wanted to wait until the end April but my family thought that would be too long and wanted me to get the cancer out as soon as possible so I conceded and decided to do the surgery mid February. The surgery that I opted for was lumpectomy with oncoplastic reconstruction at the same time. This was a better option to me because I had two separate areas (multifocal) but I didn’t want to do mastectomy, even though that was the recommendation because the area being removed was about 8 cm. What I did appreciate about the process was the team of doctors included a plastic surgeon even though I had already opted for the lumpectomy. They typically only have you meet with the plastic surgeon if you’re having a mastectomy. I met with him and I asked so many questions and the last option that he gave was for me to have oncoplasty which was a procedure that he had performed with many surgeons but had never performed it with my surgeon so he called to see if he was willing to do it and he was. This was still a lot to take in. Major surgery, you could lose a breast or your nipple, but it has to be done. So I’m not sure of the size of my calcs and the suspicious spot (it is in my reports) but I do know that one spot was a grade 2 and the other spot was grade 2-3 when my biopsy pathology reports came back. From what I read, with grades that high, I felt surgery was the best option for me because I couldn’t find, and still haven’t found anyone that is still alive that just treated the DCIS with nutrition and no surgery. I have children that need their mother so with no one to communicate with who had not already been treated with surgery and chemo and/or radiation, I chose surgery. They did another mam the day of my surgery and the calcs and spot were still unchanged. I made sure I asked. So that was 8 months with no change, with no surgery, with no drugs. During surgery, they tested my lymph nodes and there was no cancer present. My final path reports came back from the surgery and my DCIS in one spot was grade 3, I had clear margins in the suspicious spot but positive margins in the area where the calcs were right behind my nipple. So now they want me to go back to surgery to remove the nipple. The surgeon actually told me that the only reason he didn’t remove the nipple during the surgery was because he didn’t have permission to do so in advance but he could tell that the tissue looked suspicious but he had no way of confirming that without it going to lab to be seen under the microscope. The surgery itself was hard on me. I believe they used extra anesthesia on me because of how I responded to the anesthesia during the biopsy so I ended up in the hospital for two days because it took that long for the anesthesia to wear off and allow me to walk on my own. I had an allergic reaction to the antibiotic they gave me so they had me stop taking it but not before it gave me the yeast infection from hell. So now I have to decide do I go back to surgery and let them take my nipple or do I go back to surgery and let them take my nipple. I said that twice because they are basically telling me that I can’t start radiation until all of the cancer (DCIS) is gone. I thought the radiation is supposed to kill any cancer cells that they may have missed so why should I go back into surgery if that is the case? And if that is not the case, then why should I do radiation if it’s not going to kill the cancer cells that they can’t see? And in regards to when I need to have the surgery to remove the nipple, the surgeon says, no rush, it’s not going to spread, DCIS doesn’t spread. Well if that’s the case then why did I need to have surgery to remove it in the first place? So now I’m confused and I feel like I just subjected my otherwise healthy body to an unnecessary trauma. I would be even more upset if I have the surgery to remove the nipple and they test it and there is no DCIS in the nipple. Then I removed it for no reason. The surgeon wants me to remove it right away, the plastic surgeon seems to think that he can do a nipple graft instead. The nipple graft would essentially take the tissue and nerves directly behind the nipple but leave the nipple. The surgeon said he took all of the tissue behind the nipple so there is nothing left to take but the nipple. That’s surprising because I still have feeling in my nipple. My reconstruction looks amazing by the way and I’m healing very well despite all of the trauma involved. I do have a blood clot that should dissolve, so I’m told. So that is my story, sorry so long. Hoping someone has had a similar story and had to make similar decisions and what the result of those decisions were. Did you change your diet and if so, how did you change it? My aunt told me I need to stop eating meat altogether and remove dairy too. Nothing but salads I guess but there are people who are vegetarian and still got some form of cancer so I am not sure that is the way to go. Are you still using the microwave? I heard that now that I have been diagnosed with cancer I need to stop using the microwave. It’s to the point that I’m scared to eat anything. Half of the time I have to force myself to eat and it’s been that way since this horrible diagnosis. As much as I wanted to cure with supplements and the like, I just couldn’t find anyone who had done only that so now I’m in the spot that I am in and have more decisions to make. Hopefully this gets posted and responded to before I have to make my final decision in the next few days. May 23, 2017 at 2:31 pm Thanks for sharing your story….Angela on Alternative DCIS Facebook group has been doing only diet, lifestyle and hormone balance as treatment for high grade DCIS — and has MRI views of her DCIS shrinking. She may be the only one. Every case is different. Have you been on her Facebook page. Many people treating INVASIVE cancer naturally through diet, immune building and lifestyle….good resources: http://www.ChrisBeatCancer.com; http://www.ElynJacobs.com; The Truth About Cancer. Loads of resources here and on http://www.dcisredefined.org Did you get 2nd pathology opinion? April 1, 2017 at 6:51 am I desperately need help I was diagnosed with dcis high grade in 2010 I had a wide local incision plus only 3 rounds of radiation because I had a bad reaction to it in Jan 2016 it came back same grade but because of other health issues its still ongoing ive also discovered I have the braca 2 gene just so overwhelmed with everything May 24, 2017 at 3:46 pm Joan, so sorry to hear how overwhelmed you have been. Please email me at dp4peace@yahoo.com and I will give you my phone # if you’d like to talk. I hope you have found some good support and solace. Sorry to take so long to reply. It’s been a very busy time for me. Sending you a hug, Donna CS says: May 23, 2017 at 1:44 pm I have read all of the posts and I see nothing where anyone has had several instances. Starting back in 2009 I they found calcifications in my right breast. Went thru the biopsy and then lumpectomy to remove it. It was atypical ductal hyperplasia. About 6 months later there was calcification in the other side. Went thru the biopsy and then the lumpectomy – ADH again! Had several more mammograms and an MRI, all ok until 2012, calcifications in the right breast again. Another biopsy and lumpectomy – ADH again. More mammograms and MRI’s and even ultra sounds. Everything was good until March 2017, calcifications again in the right breast! Couldn’t do a biopsy because it was too deep although the area was very small. So went right for the lumpectomy. This time it was Intermediate grade DCIS stage 0. Recommendation is radiation followed by hormone replacement therapy – aromatase inhibitor as I am post menopausal. Part of me is considering a mastectomy because this has been such an on going thing. I am very small busted and was already quite lopsided before all the lumpectomys. I am not they type of person that could drastically change my eating habits. I am somewhat overweight and am trying to exercise more. I have met with a few doctors but have not met with a surgeon regarding a mastectomy yet. Has anyone had a similar situation? May 24, 2017 at 12:09 am Recurrence of DCIS and calcifications supports that you have slight defects in your genomic stabilization, which allows repeatedly the development of tiny tumors. Calcification of tiny tumors is the consequence of self-directed death of these DCIS lesions. These small lesions can be cured by the improvement of metabolic and hormonal imbalances without lumpectomy. Mastectomy is a major medical mistake, do not think about it! Cancer is curable, but we should forget the drastic therapeutic methods: chemo, antiestrogen, mutilation and radiation. Please, share my publication among your doctors: Publication date: August 2016 May 24, 2017 at 3:49 pm Thank you Zsuzsanna — I know you have made similar comments before….I will share your info!! CS says: May 24, 2017 at 9:44 am I have already had the lumpectomy and they are suggesting radiation followed by hormone replacement therapy. I am post menopausal so it would be an aromatase inhibiter. The doctors didn’t really bring up the mastectomy it was me that brought it up because I am so scared as to what will happen if it comes back again. Im scared it will come back as an invasive cancer the next time. May 25, 2017 at 1:04 am Radiation, chemotherapy and mutilation (mastectomy) are medical mistakes, as statistical data support their harmful effect and a shorter tumor free survival of patients treated by these methods. Aromatase inhibitor is not a hormone, but rather a toxic hormone blocker and it may have only transitory effects against tumors attributed to the extreme defensive counteraction of patients. The long term result of mastectomy is worse as compared with lumpectomy as the removal of defensive mammary fatpad results in desolated milieu, which is advantageous for the recurrence and spread of tumor cells. The most important tumor prevention in your case is estrogen replacement (Premarin) and the achievement of a good balance of your metabolic and hormonal systems by means of strong physical activity and natural light exposure. Please, share my publications among patients and physicians! DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1574892811666160415160211 Click to access familymedicine-3-1081.pdf November 17, 2017 at 12:06 am I am looking forward to reading your posts and information you have on DCIS. I was just diagnosed last week with stage 0 DCIS in Situ – intermediate grade. I am meeting with the Moore Cancer Center in SD Monday. My boss also was diagnosed with Stage 1 DCIS and she was lucky to have Dr. Esserman!! There is so much confusing information on the internet about DCIS and treatment options are all over. I actually found out about your site because I came across an article from the SD Tribune. LikeLiked by 1 person November 17, 2017 at 12:56 am I was just diagnosed with Stage 0 DCIS intermediate grade last week. I am so happy I found this site! I had an abnormal mammogram.. extremely dense breast. They found calicifications deep against my chest wall and the radiologist marked them suspicious. I had an excisional biopsy and the pathology came back as DCSI. Meet with my surgeon to go over the results and she told me I need a lumptectomy, raditation ( or I had 60 to 70% chance the cancer would come back) and Horomone therapy because the cells were estrogen positive. I left her office in disbelive that something so small and stage 0 needs radation !! I am meeting with the breast cancer team at UCSD Monday! I am very eager to see what they say. I am going to see Dr . Blair , has anyone gone to her? I have so many questions and I am scared of making the wrong decision . I do NOt want to take hormone therapy or radiation!!! Any fees back would be greatly appreciated. November 17, 2017 at 9:43 am Glad you found my site Sylvia. You may want to look into the COMET Study — they are offering at Sharp. No difference in survival whether you do surgery or not. Radiation not necessary as no survival benefit and same with tamoxifen. Lots of side effects which too many doctors downplay….many medical professionals (nurses too) and even other DCIS patients and women on the support forums/groups spin it so you will feel a need for the treatments but you do not NEED the treatments to live a day longer! DCIS is not cancer….the treatments are to prevent cancer from progressing — but research now reflects that most future occurrences (more like 70-80%) are associated with HIGH grade DCIS. You may want to get a 2nd opinion from Dr. Lagios. My DCIS was initially diagnosed as “intermediate” grade, but Dr. Lagios said it was ALL LOW GRADE for sure. Also, you can ask for the Oncotype for DCIS test…this can also give you more true insight into your cells if they are more low risk or more high risk for future occurrence of either DCIS or invasive. Please know that I am here for you if you need more clarification about anything and if you need to talk by phone — or even meet in person! Since you have extremely dense breasts, I’d recommend follow up with Dr. Kelly in Pasadena — he invented the SONOCine Automated Whole Breast Ultrasound…and this is what I am now doing for monitoring breast health. It has been nearly 8 years for me on this journey and I am very grateful I stopped all further aggressive conventional recommended treatments that I was being heavily pressured into! It is terrible how they scare women into these extreme treatments that do come with a lot of harm and cost! Stay strong Sylvia…I am here for you!! Blessings, Donna LikeLiked by 1 person November 17, 2017 at 11:15 am Hi Donna. I have stage 0 low grade DCIS. Have you seen any data as to the percentage of that type of DCIS becoming invasive? I only have been monitoring this DCIS for 2.5 years no changes I have not had a lumpectomy or mx would like any input from you karen Sent from my iPhone November 17, 2017 at 1:24 pm Thank you for your response!!! This is so helpful and I am for sure going to get a second opinion before I do anything! I am going to see what the pathologist from UCSD is going to state about my results . It’s amazing how the surgeon who did my exisional biopsy was so quick to do a lumpectomy and Radiation. That is why I am going to a second option and a third at Sharp . I am going to make an appointment with Dr Larios… I hope I can get in. I won’t do anything unless I am 100%confident. I know that I do NOt want radiation … it Just seems so crazy for something so little and it’s not even a tumor. Thank you again for this site …. it actually helps me with my anxiety and I know that I will be OK! November 17, 2017 at 1:36 pm Donna, I would love to talk to you over the phone before my appointment if you are available. I would love to meet you in person and I could even go to you please let me know how I can get in touch with you . November 17, 2017 at 8:42 pm we can arrange a time to talk/meet. Donna November 17, 2017 at 12:32 pm Unfortunately there is little data on % of low grade DCIS becoming invasive. A more important end point is survival and there is data showing no difference in survival for surgery vs no surgery with low grade DCIS. Here is a good article to support your choice for monitoring vs surgery: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/846257 November 17, 2017 at 1:54 pm Sent from my iPhone December 14, 2017 at 2:27 pm Can you please tell me what made you find this DCIS, WAS IT BY MAMMOGRAM, or by self exam, was there any discharge from your breasts, I have been having green discharge from mine since my last daughter’s birth and breast feeding her. My doctor told me that it’s normal to have this due to certain medications I am on, so I gave them up for about 3 months and yet still have this drainage, I went through the into scan by blood and don’t have any markers for that but my doctor isn’t doing anything about it and it’s been going on for 8 years, I have not had a mammogram and I’m 37 years old, please inform me about how you found this and what if any discharge came out of your breasts thank you Sarah Dille Shade Clare says: December 15, 2017 at 2:24 am Mine was detected from a mammogram but I had no discharge no r lump December 16, 2017 at 7:55 am Found on mammogram at age 44. No discharge. No symptoms. Needle biopsy found ADH then wide excision biopsy found DCIS. Read details at “Donna’s Journey. March 22, 2018 at 4:29 pm Question…what about the dcis that is really invasive but shows up on needle core biopsy as dcis? I’ve heard of this happening…first diagnosis dcis then after lumpectomy or mastectomy, pathology shows it’s invadive?? April 18, 2018 at 3:37 pm Yes, this is a known problem….but generally with certain “high-risk” characteristics. Women deserve better more conclusive imaging so this doesn’t happen. How can we rely on imaging and biopsies that miss real dangerous invasive cancer???? Here is a recent article discussing “upstaging” and risk factors Na says: June 12, 2018 at 10:32 am Hi – I’ve been diagnosed with non-invasive, grade 2 DCIS. All margins clear and genetic testing came back all negative. ER+ and PR+. No family history and very healthy person otherwise. I had a lumpectomy and now in the process of talking to docs about possible treatments. I’ve read it all and am disappointed after today’s appt with onco.I felt no comfort in that my personal condition can lead to less aggressive options. According to onco BOTH radiation and Temoxifen are recommneded and that a lot of women choose to take Tamoxifen to my surprise.If I’m not a good candidate for a less aggressive treament…..who is? Talking to radiologist next week. I’ll definitely be looking for second opinion and would like to know if anyone can recommend a reputable specialist in the New York area. I’m willing to travel as far north or south, if needed. I live in the Philadelphia area. January 14, 2019 at 2:05 pm Glad I found DCIS411. I went through a horror 11 months ago. Doctor “ordered” me to have mammogram- first ever – bad experience-was told to come back for a 2nd round-did not want to – doctor said I “had” to– told I had calcifications- MUST DO Biopsy NOW. Almost went- then started my own research , cancelled appt. Went back to doctor telling him how unnecessary biopsy was and that it resulted to a Scam. Have had many arguments with him and said I will never do another mammogram again. He actually told the radiologist to schedule me for surgery without even speaking to me or getting consent. I am on a crusade now to have the x-Rays destroyed and removed from my records. I cannot now legally call myself a healthy individual. I was thrilled to find your name and website . I now know I am not alone . I was bullied into almost having a painful mutilsting surgery that would have wrecked my life. I need emotional support more than ever. I am still reliving this experience every single day. March 6, 2019 at 8:14 pm Hi everyone and anyone who is reading my post. I was diagnosed with DCIS stage 0 noninvasive high nuclear grade. I went ahead and had a partial mastectomy x2 for another atypical area they had found. The margins on the partial mastectomy came back positive extended to the “superior and posterior” at 0.3 mm. DCIS is 10 mm or greater from inferior, medial and lateral margins. Still not clear on what it all means and feeling defeated because I was trying very hard to keep my breast because I also dont agree with the protocol and guidelines they use for something at such an early stage but surgeons always push for a mastectomy on you. I was given 2 options now after the positive margins, Go in for a second surgery or lumpectomy to take out more margins and see if those are cleared OR go with the mastectomy. I am lost right now I have about 7 days to make my final decision but I still dont know whats best. I would like to just leave it alone and never go back, get into supplements and some alternative care but I’m torn on what to do. If you can please give me any info or guidance on this it would mean the world to me. Unable to sleep or think staright right now. Thank you for creating this amazing webpage that can help and encourage others! March 7, 2019 at 7:28 am Before doing anything else, if it were me, I’d get a second opinion, and also if you can have your biopsy slides reviewed by Dr. Lagios that would give you more info. . I know it can be expensive to get second opinions if the doc is outside your HMO or insurance doesn’t pay, but in these situations, it can be a life changer. If you can get in to see Dr. Laura Esserman in California to review your case maybe she can give you some alternatives. I’ve refused biopsy for eight years since 2011 when microcalcs were first seen on my right breast. I know have two in the right breast and one on the left breast. All have been monitored yearly and the radiologist report for this year’s follow up FINALLY used the word “stable”, meaning NO change in any of these calcs. Yet, when it was first found on the right side, I also was pushed and pressured to get a biopsy immediately. I refused that and have been very happy with my decision so far. So when you say you have only 7 days to make a decision, please don’t cave in to these pressure tactics of these doctors, surgeons and radiologists! You have time to sort your mind out and get your strategy in place. You are not going to die in 7 days if you don’t rush into this or that treatment. This pressurization is used as a scare tactic for sure. And even in your own case, you say the calcs hadn’t changed in 8 months, and yet they were acting like it’s a big health emergency. This nonsense needs to stop and women need to get hold of their own health decisions and stop being pushed around like sheep. Good luck and please update on what’s happening! We all have our own journeys here with microcalcs, DCIS, etc. etc. Support and caring is here for us! Knowledge is power! February 18, 2020 at 4:00 am Hi Lara, I am in the exact same position! Can you tell me what you decided? May 31, 2019 at 5:35 am I have recently been diagnosed with DCIS Intermediate grade. The convincing information you are providing has helped me greatly to arrive at the decision not to follow up with radiation and medication after a lumpectomy . I had the same diagnosis in my other Brest 23 years ago and had no additional treatment after a lumpectomy. Nothing ever happened Karen says: August 23, 2019 at 5:28 am Hi Everyone. I have been reading everyone’s comments on this website..,.its great! I wanted to share my DCIS story with you all. In 2015 I was diagnosed with low grade DCIS. I went to talk to a breast surgeon and stated I had two options a lumpectomy or mastectomy. I went home and spent months reading about DCIS. I then called another breast surgeon. I was not ready to have surgery. He told me that I could try careful monitoring and take exemenestane get mammograms and MRI’s every 6 months… alternating them. I have not had any surgery and really no significant changes in 4 years! So many DCIS cases never become invasive cancer. I was told by my physician that only 20-30% become invasive, That means I have 70-80% chance won’t become invasive. I am asking you all if anyone has opted out of surgery and doing only monitoring of their DCIS? Love to hear from you ! May 4, 2020 at 2:19 pm Hi Karen and everyone else. I felt uplifted when I read your post today! I was diagnosed with DCIS, intermediate grade, only 10 days ago. I was told that I had to get a lumpectomy plus radiation to get rid of it and to avoid cancer in the future. They gave me a date for the surgery on May 6th, but today 4th May I told the breast surgeon that I wanted to cancel the operation. I have read tons of medical articles about it these past days and have come to the conclusion that active surveillance is a better choice. I feel very relieved right now and also very proud about myself that I managed to take a rational choice in a a very emotional and difficult time. I don’t know how I will cope with the uncertainty in the times ahead of me, but I know that if I had gone through surgery and radiation, I would have worried too and asked myself whether this would have been overtreatment and unnecessary. I feel exhausted right now, but at the same time it feels so good to have made up my mind! Karen says: May 4, 2020 at 3:05 pm Hi Ase: I read your post just now on Dcis411. I’m so glad I didn’t have any surgery following the biopsy. It will be 5 years since I was diagnosed with the low grade DCIS and doing well with the monitoring. I am on exemestane and no side effects. My onc dr having me do alternating mri/diagnostic mammogram about every 6 months. May I ask what your physician said when you said you wanted to only be monitored?? Since my DCIS is estrogen driven my onc put me on the above med. just liked they used for the COMET trial. LikeLiked by 1 person May 5, 2020 at 2:28 am The breast surgeon said they had to accept my choice, but made clear that I was in a greater risk of getting cancer than women not diagnosed with DCIS. I said I was fully aware of that. Since there was no tumor, they couldn’t say anything about hormone receptors. That’s how I understood it at least. I’m thinking that new screening in 6 months is too fast, but that’s what the doctor suggested. The area with calcifications and cell growth was 5cm in one duct. Active surveillance is very unusual in Norway. I am very glad to hear about others who think the same way and opt for AS. Karen says: May 26, 2020 at 7:14 pm I wish you the best !! Most doctors tell you to have surgery with the diagnosis of DCIS but you also have time to think about it. I feel if someone tells me I have time to think about it, it can’t be that life threatening. The AS is not popular in the USA. Ossi says: May 27, 2020 at 1:25 am Tam says: September 23, 2020 at 9:35 am Hi all – as I consider active monitoring in my case – I am curious. Can the biopsy that I had cause any “chance” of the DCIS escalating to invasive? Despite my technical background I am not understanding how the needle biopsy worked. I have read that while biopsy has a “chance” of moving cells or displacing malignant cells – it’s not something that has been recorded as frequently happening. I just feel like “have I opened a door” that makes it harder to do active surveillance? Did the needle actually go in the duct and extract the calcifications from there? Is that area not considered “breast tissue” which I understand is where invasive cancer spreads? Thank you for any insight. January 4, 2020 at 4:18 pm God bless you, Donna, for sharing your experience and making this website available. And thank you Jill, for posting Donna’s website on the DCIS non invasive breast cancer group site. My name is Mindy Jane Moore and I wrote a book I uploaded to Amazon.com on Thanksgiving titled DCIS Treatment: I said no. I was told if I attempted to “market” my book on the group site I would be kicked off. After reading the most recent heartbreaking post by a girl who has no idea she has options other than surgery, radiation and drugs, I’m going post my book title because I believe with all my heart that women are entitled to read about options. January 4, 2020 at 5:55 pm Awesome Mindy about your book! I am look forward to checking it out and sharing it here and in my FB group/pages!! Bravo for helping women know they have options!!! Our tribe is growing. Many blessings to you January 4, 2020 at 6:07 pm Thank you, Donna. I talk in my book about how my team of breast cancer doctors didn’t want me to leave my treatment discussion appointment without scheduling my surgery. When I told them I thought I would investigate s natural approach to treatment, they sent in a “nurse navigator” to convince me that if I didn’t schedule the surgery, I was jeopardizing my chances of survival. Oh my goodness! I am so thankful I had the strength and knowledge to walk out of there! My heart is just breaking to read the posts on the DCIS group sites of women who are scheduling those surgery appointments immediately out of fear and lack of information. I am so thankful for your passion to inform, Donna. Keep paving the way, my friend! LikeLiked by 1 person February 18, 2020 at 3:57 am Has anyone had areas of high grade and left it alone? I had a lumpectomy and 4 of the 6 margins are not clear. There are also areas of high grade. I’m not sure if I should try for clear margins or just leave it alone. Any advice? Faye says: April 23, 2020 at 12:44 pm Hi, I came across this site on a cancer forum. I am in my late 40’s and in the uk, I have intermediate DCIS diagnosed from biopsy, I also have breast cysts. I’ve been told I need a mastectomy as two clusters of micro-calcifications were found then the usual reconstruction options which frankly all sound scary. They did say there was the option of active surveillance which was just such a brief comment and moved quickly past. I’m absolutely terrified, it feels so shocking and drastic to literally just chop part of me off. I can’t bring myself to agree to mastectomy yet but don’t want to put myself at risk. I’m so confused. April 23, 2020 at 4:01 pm Clare says: April 24, 2020 at 9:18 am Hi Faye, I understand the awful fear you are experiencing. Over five years ago I was presented with a similar dilemma but I had high grade DCIS and they also found a tiny tumour which was scooped up in the biopsy. So in utter terror I agreed to a mastectomy and reconstruction. I’m not going to tell you it’s great and I think about it every single day but it’s not that bad either and I’m adept at obtaining lovely bras to keep me feeling normal and nice. However, I absolutely refused to proceed with a ‘just in case’ course of chemo, herceptin and radiotherapy and I have no regrets so far. I changed my lifestyle and my diet. If they can offer you the watch and see option because it’s not high grade and no actual tumours then do your research- look on American sites too. There is loads more info now on DCIS than even 5 years ago and it certainly isn’t a given that you should have surgery. Good luck June 9, 2020 at 7:34 pm Thanks for sharing your story. Wish I would of saw this when I was diagnosed. Your description of fear and panic and wanting it gone is correct and because you go to doctors who you believe are there to help you trust what they say. Not one of my doctors said I didn’t need it removed, 1 mentioned I had time but with it being 8cm not much time. I had a double mastectomy but now that I have found you… I will share this info with others. carole says: July 25, 2020 at 12:25 pm Hi there, all you wonderful women! 4 years ago, a wonderful radiologist spotted an 11 cm in ductal lesion in my left breast….she said the good news was that it was there in the images from the year before, but the other radiologist had not caught it….so, she could see it had not grown in the year. I went for a mammogram and nothing showing up there. it was recommended i have an MRI guided biopsy. I was quite scared, as my maternal grandmother, then my mother, and then my sister all had breast cancer, my sister died from stage 1V, or was it all the heavy procedures she endured, after 16 years. i began to search the internet, and i came across this blog, and decided to just wait and watch….so another 2 years and 2 more MRIs. no new growth. the radiologist suggested i could go for 2 years before the next MRI, if i had an ultrasound every 6 months. I had one ultrasound 9 months later, totally normal, no lesion showing up there. So now it’s time for another ultrasound, or could go early for the MRI…..this week i heard from an old friend that she had been diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer, 4cm in ductal calcifications showing on her Mammogram. yesterday she had a double mastectomy….it brought up a lot for me, so i am back reading this blog again….i don’t know what high, medium or low grade means. Can someone clarify that? Am curious as to whether i should go for genetic testing or have the MRI guided biopsy. Any thoughts? i am 69 years old and pretty darn healthy i think. i eat well and ride my bike around, dance as much as i can, get lots of love and laugh a lot! September 8, 2020 at 10:55 am Sorry for the delay in reply. Have you done any follow up imaging or biopsy yet? Unfortunately there is no imaging technology that can definitively show if areas of concern are low grade DCIS or high grade or invasive! This is a major dilemma — and why I have been researching like crazy over the last 11 years for the highest quality most conclusive imaging. We want to avoid biopsies if we can as they are quite invasive….and can open pandoras box to a lot more fear, anxiety and over-treatment. As Dr. Laura Esserman stated: “If it doesn’t look like high grade DCIS, we should leave it alone.” Sounds like you have an excellent radiologist that you feel confident in. This is critical, especially with long-term follow-up of known DCIS or suspicious areas being watched. Look into abbreviated MRI, automated ultrasound and thermography. Nothing is 100%. Some info and studies on various imaging methods here: https://dcisredefined.org/choices/imaging-and-monitoring/ February 11, 2021 at 1:46 pm thanks for your response Donna. just when i was supposed to be going in for the next (4th?) last fall(2020) MRI, i actually went to the breast cancer clinic at Legacy, Good Sam here in Portland. had a manual and very thorough going over of my breasts, was advised to go for a mammogram and ultrasound. Legacy really made everything low stress, low lighting, a lovely room to change in with two lovely chairs and a table lamp. everything catered to taking care of the person, me! the ultrasound technician took so long and was so thorough, that i thought she must have found something. Then the mammogram….all low light, low stimulation for the patient in that stressful, scarey situation. The doc came in and said, “you know, i think this is just the way you are built. there has been no change in the lesions showing up in your MRIs in all those years, and we still don’t show anything with ultrasound or the mammogram” I am so glad i didn’t even have the MRI guided biopsy, that i was highly encouraged to do, and that i could be patient and wait and see. This blog helped me so much Donna! and i shared it with Dr Hunter, the radiologist, as well. Now i am becoming wary of the gadolinium contrast dye they use in the MRIs, and researching that as well, as it is a heavy metal that can get deposited in our bones, and brains. I did read of a new way to diagnose breast cancer without the invasive biopsies, but it was some time ago, and cannot remember if it was a development by BioOptics or what, although i did come across this regarding screening breakthroughs, in my search: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-70103-0. I hope this info can help anyone. LikeLiked by 1 person February 11, 2021 at 2:57 pm Thanks for your message Carole. Glad to hear things are well and this website has helped you! Thanks also for the link. DBT is 3D mammography which uses more radiation than regular mammography. AWBUS uses no radiation or contrast dye from MRI. http://www.sonocine.com/ Many blessings for continued good health! Donna Tam says: September 23, 2020 at 9:11 am I am so happy to have found this site – not happy about the reason this community is here but I am glad it exists. I have just been diagnosed (yesterday) with “Intermediate to High” grade DCIS (they didn’t not say why it’s not one or the other yet). I meet with an oncologist next week. To say the least – what I’ve read so far about DCIS has me thinking maybe I should not have had the biopsy so quickly and just watched it? My calcifications were a new find this year and I rushed to second mammo and then biopsy, thinking everything would come out normal. With that said….If I had low grade – I would probably just wait things out but my intermediate to high has me concerned and the variety of perspective and info on DCIS has me stressed and confused. I am a black woman and 43…so I think that puts me at more risk? I have also read where biopsies are sometimes misdiagnosed, so I plan to get a second opinion. Any advice from anyone…I appreciate. My mind is racing right now. April 20, 2021 at 10:05 pm What did you end up doing? I have the same diagnosis and am 49. September 26, 2020 at 11:23 am Hello, I am glad to have found this site. In July 2019 I was diagnosed with IDC (ER+, HER2-), had an IORT lumpectomy in Oct. 2019 with no lymph node involvement and clear margins and, at my post-op appointment learned I have Extensive Ductal Component (EIC) or DCIS in 50% or so of lab sample. Standard of Care recommendation was radiation and 5 years Anastrozole (65 and post-menopausal). I opted for natural supplement use and cautious waiting. So far I’ve been unable to find anything about EIC on the DCIS 411 site. Suggestions? January 6, 2021 at 5:31 am Thank you to Donna for sharing your story and for the pointers. I was diagnosed by pathology upon excision of a papilloma. There was DCIS and three micro foci of invasive. There were close margins for the DCIS so I had a second excision. Again close DCIS margins in two spots but no additional invasive. Very small breasts, surgeon would not do another excision and advised mastectomy. I asked for a Ki-67 test which came back at 1%. Grade 1, very low grade. Was scheduled for surgery but just couldn’t do it. Had a telemedicine consult with Dr. Laura Esserman who advised not to do more surgery, and I took her recommendation. This was mid 2020. I am on 5 mg Tamoxifen and many supplements. Did consider RT and was aghast at how the radiation oncologist stacked the numbers to show greater risk and therefore greater potential benefit of RT. Decided against any more treatment for now except for continuing the Tamoxifen, but continue to gather information. Also had thermography. Mammo and US Imaging never showed anything and is now useless because of the tissue damage from the excisions. My invasive was so small that it was inadequate for the Onco Recurrence Test.. Living with the uncertainty is difficult but preferable to having a mastectomy at this juncture. February 27, 2021 at 9:20 am Good morning, I was recommended to come to this page while watching the Chris beat cancer live video. I had a mammogram that showed a tiny area of micro calcifications. The radiologist wasn’t going to do anything about it and then at the last minute decided to recommend a biopsy. The biopsy came back as DCIS in late November 2020. The biopsy results came back as DCIS grade 1/2 cribriform with necrosis. I then had multiple test and an MRI. The MRI showed an area of focus against my chest wall measuring .5cm. I was scheduled for a lumpectomy in Jan. The results of the lumpectomy came back as DCIS grade 2/3 and close margins. My surgeon recommended that I go for another lumpectomy and a mammogram pre re-excision. The mammogram showed a tiny area of faint micro calcifications and the doctor called to update me that she will be removing that area also. I had my second surgery three weeks ago and received my results on 2/24. The doctor came in the room acting really nervous. She then told me that everything that she cut out had DCIS stage 2/3 cribiform and solid pattern. It also came back as close margins again. She then said that at this point she wants to do a mastectomy. I asked her where did all the extra DCIS come from when it wasn’t seen on mammogram or MRI with contrast. She responded that she didn’t know. The whole time she was talking, I felt in my spirit to RUN. I asked her for a copy of my most recent pathology report and left as quickly as I can. It all didn’t seem right or feel right in my spirit. I am now refusing anymore surgery, radiation or hormonal therapy. I am determined to treat this holistically. I pray a lot and I am working on my thoughts. I will admit that the fear is real right now. I am determined to learn all that I can. I am so grateful that I was directed to this website. February 27, 2021 at 9:59 am Wow Latisha….sounds so similar to my experience. Glad you found this website after listening to your spirit and instincts. We have women’s intuition for a reason!! Sadly we both got pretty far down the rabbit hole with multiple biopsies and surgeries before this fully kicked in, but my experience of 10+ years later (after running away from the suggested cures) has proven the system, doctors and scary statistics wrong. There is no one size fits all. Every person is unique so we really can not compare or go by what someone else does. Best thing to do is continue listening to your gut and get more INDIVIDUALIZED info and resources for your HEALTH. I started to ask, what could be at the root of “abnormal cells?” And I also explored, “what is at the root of “overdiagnosis and overtreatment?” The fact that you are listening to Chris Wark’s video tells me you are on a wonderful path of true health enlightenment — and why you were directed here. For me, DCIS was a wake-up call to understanding and taking charge of my own health as well as an awareness of how our sick-care system uses fear and disease-mongering, rather than promoting health and well-being (body, mind, spirit). There is a great deal of info on this site, but please feel free to reach out if you have questions or need more support. Much love and blessings, Donna (dp4peace@yahoo.com) February 27, 2021 at 10:20 am Thank you Donna for replying . One of the reasons I’m refusing conventional therapies is because I feel within my heart that they don’t solve the problem! Until the problem is fixed, DCIS and other things will continue to develop. I know one day I will have my testimony and use it to help others. Thank you so much. February 27, 2021 at 3:23 pm Thank you so much Donna for sharing some of your story with me. I do feel that cancer is a symptom and until I address the problem, it will just keep returning or sickness will manifest in another way. I am also looking into having the tissue examined to determine my true risk of recurrence. Thank you so much for your support I will pay it forward. I know I will have a testimony one day that will help others. February 28, 2021 at 5:59 pm Deborah Hall says: February 27, 2021 at 1:00 pm Hi Latisha, I had a similar experience. Had an excision to remove a benign papilloma. Pathology showed three micro areas of invasive plus DCIS. Close margins, and close margins again after a second excision (no invasive the second time). Very low grade, Ki-67 of 1% (if you did not have this test, you may want to request it). Was advised by local surgeon to have a mastectomy and by a second surgeon to not have more surgery, but take Tamoxifen. There is a “nomogram” developed by Sloan Kettering to help you understand your risk of recurrence — it is available free online. It is not precise but helps you understand your risk and the potential benefit of different treatments. You may want to check it out. I decided no more surgery. Am taking 5 mg Tamoxifen and many supplements. Also following restricted period eating, and plenty of exercise. My risk of recurrence is very small but not zero. I just need to keep my head in a place where I can sanely and rationally manage the risk — I can have the surgery if a recurrence happens. In my case I feel that the cancer was provoked by years of HRT. Now having stopped the exogenous hormones and started Tamoxifen, I feel that my chances of progression are very, very small. Learn as much as you can about your own pathology. Consider having the slides looked at by a second lab. Educate yourself. No physician understands your own situation as well as you — this was told to me by a physician! February 27, 2021 at 3:06 pm Hello Deborah, thank you for sharing your story and for the advice. I’m currently looking into having a similar test like Ki-67. I thank God for leading me to this page. jennifer M says: April 8, 2021 at 6:38 pm Great site! Re the screening figure , the mortality reduction is actually zero (zero overall mortality benefit with screening ). Consider adding that below the stats you show stating the absolute risk reduction for breast cancer death that you state (which might be an overestimate). And label that as breast cancer death April 21, 2021 at 10:10 am Hi everyone, As always, I am posting my yearly update to my microcalc adventures. I’ve been posting here for 10 years, and I know it’s important to update so that others can see what’s been happening. I went in for my diagnostic mammogram to follow the microcalcs that were first seen in 2010. At that time, I did my own research, found DCIS411 and others in the breast cancer field who recommended against doing overly invasive biopsy. My “small grouping” of calcs had been rated BIRADS4 (biopsy recommended). I declined the biopsy. For every year since 2010, I have had a diagnostic mammogram, and thus far have had little to no progression whatsoever of these calcs. I have continued to refuse a biopsy, opting for surveillance. So far, I’ve continued to be very happy with my approach. No biopsy, no invasive treatments, tests,surgeries, etc. In that time, I have actually had TWO radiologists pronounce my calcs as benign or probably benign based on the lack of change. Others have continued to play the fear game and categorize the images as BIRADS4, biopsy recommended. This time, the radiologist rated it BIRADS3, no biopsy recommended at this time, probably benign. Very pleased with that, even though it still sucks that radiologists are so worried about their CYA (cover their you know whats) instead of relying on science and medicine. The bad thing this time is that I actually got into a very heated argument with a mamogram tech She wasn’t a radiologist, just the tech (the one who squeezes boobs into the mammo machine). This woman proceeded to harangue me during the entire exam, even though I told her my 10 year history upfront, and why I had not had a biopsy. It was as if her ears were closed to what I was telling her. She said, “aren’t you worried??????” and she also used the word “lethal” several times. Are you kidding me? I found myself holding my hand up to stop her nasty berating attitude! She told me all about her own personal experience with breast cancer, how 25 years ago she found the same thing and calcs are a fore runner to breast cancer and yadda yadda yadda yadda. I tried to be polite to this totally unprofessional woman (who has been at the radiology practice there since I’ve been going there, so she obviously has a lot of experience and seniority there), but I finally had to ask her to stop with her lecturing of me, that I knew what was going on with my particular case and to quit trying to “fear” me. I tried to speak to her rationally, but she was clearly hysterical or using her own situation as a guideline to my situation. She had no authority whatsoever to speak to me as she did. She was totally outside her professional ballpark and I can only imagine what she does to other women during the day. It makes me sick to my stomach to think about all the women she has created unnecessary hysteria and fear within. Maybe they keep her on staff as the “professional fearmonger”. I have no idea. Anyway, she went away and came back several minutes later to let me know that the radiologist said the calcs were “stable” (duh….that’s what I had been trying to tell her), and to come back in 6 months. She then said, “well, I guess you aren’t going to come back in 6 months, are u?” I said, “No, I come back every 12 months and feel that 6 months is overkill in this situation.” She looked at me rather oddly, as if maybe…………….JUST MAYBE…I had planted a seed. That would be nice, huh? I wish she had been more open to education and information, and I truly tried to do so in that brief time between arguing with her and trying to calm her down. I like to think my words and my example has some impact on her, although with her hardcore behavior, I doubt it. So, that’s the latest. Going on 11 years now, NO BIOPSY, and none recommended this time. What will next year bring? Who knows? But so far, so good! I urge every woman reading this who has been automatically in knee jerk reaction told to get a biopsy for microcalcs to DO YOUR HOMEWORK, ask questions, don’t rush out the door in a panic into the biopsy suite or the surgical suite, and don’t let yourself be treated like sheep or cattle. I didn’t, and I”m very glad I didn’t! I’m fully aware that next year’s mammo may show something different. And I told Miss Hysteria that as she was berating me. But I wanted her to realize that her approach was wrong, and that the “standard of care” regarding microcalcs in the U.S. is WRONG. This protocol needs to be revised to allow women a surveillance option. I am convinced that the thousands up thousands of unnecessary biopsies connected with microcalcs has literally kept the mammo industry alive and funded. At our expense and at the expense of our health. It’s a scary thought and one that needs to be faced and discussed by the medical world. NOW! Anyway, I will update again in 12 months and let you all know what (if anything) is happening with my microcalcs. btw, at one point, they had found calcs in BOTH breasts (left and right). Oddly, there hasn’t been another mention by them of the left sided calcs . Maybe they decided to drop it and not push it with a patient who is informed as I obviously am. Who knows? Take care everyone, I follow this board every day, and my heart goes out to all of you who are fighting this information battle together. Hang in there, ask questions, and we will see improvements in care in the future!! April 21, 2021 at 10:24 am So wonderful to hear your 10 year update and yet also very sad to know what horrible fear-mongering you had to endure! Sadly most women are not as informed and educated as you are and may succumb to the scare tactics and pressures. THIS is why we all must keep sharing….it takes a village of Wise, Informed, Supported & Empowered (WISE) women! Please help educate all women to have INFORMED CHOICE in mammography screening by sharing this “Be WISE” page: https://dcis411.com/bewise/ Many blessings for continued good health, strength, peace, light and love, Donna April 22, 2021 at 1:09 pm Donna, thank you so much for all you have done to bring the DCIS issue to the forefront. Without your leadership, I wouldn’t have known as much as I do, or had the courage to stand strong in my decision – a decision based on information instead of fear. I can’t express enough what your work and this site has meant to me over the years. Together, we will all play a vital role in making the changes that need to be made, so that other women will be spared unnecessary procedures, pain and expense. Thank you forever! April 22, 2021 at 11:16 am Thank you so much for updating us. Because of your post, I feel empowered and hopeful about the future. It’s so important to play a very active role in our health and the decisions concerning our health. We have a voice and a place at the head of the table. No more making decisions out of fear. We have to do our research and gather the data to make the best decisions for ourselves. Cheers to you my Sister. Thanking God for health. April 22, 2021 at 1:18 pm thank you so much for your kind reply. It empowers ME to be strong and not run in fear when confronted with difficult situations. You, Donna Pinto, and every woman here who has come up against this issue of overtreatment, overdiagnosis, and lack of respect for patients are true HEROES to me! I promise to always follow up here and let everyone know what’s going on with my health. We are among those in the forefront of much-needed change and as you wonderfully say, we have a place at the head of the table! I wish you the best of health and happiness! LikeLiked by 1 person January 8, 2022 at 11:02 am Do you recall the major factor (morphology – amorphous? pleomorphic? and grouping) warranting a BI-RADS4 / biopsy for your calcifications? Were there any associated simple cysts or benign masses around the areas that would/could likely yield greater probability of calcifications being benign? January 10, 2022 at 11:49 am Thanks so much for your question. When I was originally recommended to get biopsy over 10 years ago, the radiology report indicated a “linear” pattern of the calcs. I think it also might have indicated “clustering”. That’s the only descriptions that have ever been used. Other than that, there were no other specific descriptions of the calcs that might have indicated malignancy. The radiology report has always been quite vague, which was another big reason why I resisted biopsy. Since that time, as per my 2021 update, there’s been little to no change in the calcs, and that’s why they decided it was most likely benign. As indicated from 2021, I will continue to follow the calcs and report in 2022 what the latest results are. And no, there were never any other indicators surrounding the calcs such as cysts or any other findings which might have indicated it was or was not benign. . All I had to go on were these very vague descriptions of “linear” or “grouped”. For me, that was in no way specific enough or clear enough to have an invasive biopsy. I felt at that time, and still feel today, that unless there’s growth or very worriesome changes in the calcs (linear or whatever), that I am not going to have a biopsy. Just because calcs are linear (meaning they are potentially in a ductal line), doesn’t mean they are malignant. Benign calcs can be linear also. They never even got into any type of specifics of saying they were powdery or pleomorphic or any of the phrases you read about online. Unfortunately many times calcs are vaguely described, and on that basis, we are supposed to rush into a biopsy? No way! So, I hope this answers your question and I will definitely update as always this year as to the current findings. Good health to you and happy new year! January 10, 2022 at 2:13 pm Thank you informedconsent2014. I am with you. I am more comfortable with active surveillance for now, I seek to reduce benign biopsy rates for BIRADS 4A/B assessments through risk stratification and alternate, less invasive interventions. I have yet to find a breast surgeon who will answer my questions review all of my options so I (not they) can make and informed choice. SonoCine appears to be good alternative to Mammograms for detecting invasive cancers. Any thoughts on this? How about MRI’s? You continue with annual screening w/ 3D digital mammography? January 11, 2022 at 1:05 pm I am very supportive of other forms of active surveillance such as MRI, etc. Unfortunately, not every type of health insurance will pay for these alternative ways of surveiling, so for now, yes, I do a yearly 3D mammogram. I would love to use some other format that doesn’t expose me to yearly radiation exposure, but for now, it’s the best I can do. But if you can utilize alternate methods for active aurvillance, definitely do it and reduce your radiation exposure. Hopefully with more and more women educating themselves, we can take control of our own health and put an end to unnecessary biopsy procedures for microcalcs. It would be interesting to know the actual numbers of all the unnecessary biopsies performed for these small abnormalities. We probably will never know for sure, but I’m sure it’s a LOT! In my opinion, it’s all about money making by radiologists and surgeons. Our health comes last for these people! June 1, 2021 at 8:16 pm I have intermediate DCIS and sr are confusing me and one just want to cut me up due to I feel overwhelm and angry lol the option I have is cutting my breast up June 12, 2021 at 12:15 pm I I wanted to share my experience After being diagnosed In June 2018 with DCIS. (High Grade) In July I Had a lumpectomy and then an excision bro to have clear margins and then in November I had six weeks of radiation. When I initially met with the breast surgeon I was concerned because I had silicone breast implants. I asked her if they should come out or be swapped out The Dr advised me to just leave them. I think I had them in for eight years at that time. Then I met with the doctor that would be doing the radiation and also I met with an oncologist. I found it interesting that not one of them said anything about swapping out my implants. It was never mentioned to me about how the radiation would affect the implant. I was given a information in a looseleaf about what to expect from radiation. But nothing was mentioned about dealing with breast implants before radiation or for that matter after radiation. Fast forward one year and 8 months later. My right breast that was radiated has shrunk and has a deviate from the lumpectomy and has moved up. I find it uncomfortable and cosmetically looking unattractive.. I met with a Plastic Surgeon this week. I really have no good options at this point. As many of you know the radiated breast is difficult to operate on. My options are a mastectomy with reconstruction which I would then have a scar across my breast and have to my nipple removed with possible but not probable tattoo after a year It’s a pretty serious operation! Another option would be to have tissue taken from my back and placed in the breast. She said as far as surgery it’s not that easy an operation On a scale from 1 to 10 it’s a five. She also mentioned that cosmetically it would not be a good result. It’s also six week recovery time. When I left the doctors office I realized my best option is to just deal with the pain and not do anything at this point. Cosmetically it would look worse. The Dr told me if the implant could rupture at some point then I would have to deal with it but they may never rupture. I just know that I can’t just have them swapped out without going through a lot! It was like she was telling me I should’ve dealt with this before the radiation. However being naïve and not one of my three doctors addressing it I did what I was advised to do. The doctor wanted to know if they discussed my implants before my surgery Quite honestly no they did not other than to say leave them alone. I almost got the feeling that the doctor didn’t believe me. So I left there feeling defeated! It seems my best option is to do nothing at this point. Cosmetically I can live with it I guess but I will worry as they get older Or if the discomfort gets to be too much. I’m at 10 years now. Down the road I’ll have to maybe deal with it at some point. I just wish I had been giving better advice! My hope is that other women that read my story will understand to take their time do the research and realize that they have other options. DCIS was so very confusing! Five says: July 22, 2021 at 10:04 pm So sorry you had to go through this. Maybe you can contact the show “Botched” Dr Nassif and Dr Dubrow have reconstructed numerous breasts with deformities. Lulabel says: September 2, 2021 at 4:33 pm I have just been diagnosed with intermediate-high dcis. The treatment will either be a lumpectomy plus radiotherapy or a masectomy, to be decided after an mri in 2 weeks time. However, I feel quite strongly that the treatment is probably unnecessary. I have very small, dense breasts which grew rapidly when I became pregnant aged 23, then diminished quickly following a termination. Could this be the reason for abnormal cells in my breast? How is the grade of a dcis decided? Is it by size ie the area of the abnormal cells or the look of an individual cell? I have been scared by this but mainly I feel angry because on the one hand I doubt this will turn into breast cancer but fear makes me go ‘but should I do it just to be on the safe side?’ I will very likely get & die from throat and or lung cancer because all my close relatives have died from it, I grew up in a household full of second hand smoke, smoked myself & have lived in an area of London with a high level of air pollution for over 20 years! I feel that irrespective of what treatment I do or don’t have to my breast, it’s not going to prevent me getting fatal lung and throat cancer. Other than smoking 20 years ago, I am healthy, slim, eat a pescatarian ovo lacto mediterranean diet & drink very moderately. As you can probably tell, I live in the UK & our national health service, while being good in many ways, seems to have a ‘one size fits all’ attitude to this – chop it out or chop it off & blast it with radiotherapy. Reading through the postings here it does seem the US doctors do provide their patients with more information. My cancer nurse at my hospital is nice & helpful but it feels impossible to get detailed information so I can decide for or against treatment & surgery. It would be great to know what questions I should be asking to get the info I need. Many thanks in advance – finding your page & story has been a lifeline September 9, 2021 at 2:11 pm Hi Lulabel, I would suggest getting a 2nd PATHOLOGY opinion. This is a Dr that looks under the microscope at the cells. Best to have someone who is not associated with the 1st hospital. I am not sure if this is possible in the UK, but you could call PreludeDx and ask them if they could help you or refer you to someone in the UK https://preludedx.com/breast-sos/ You could also email Dr. Laura Esserman and ask her if she has recommendations in UK. https://breastcaresurgery.ucsf.edu/faculty/breast-care-surgeons/laura-j-esserman,-md,-mba.aspx I am happy my site has helped. You can also email me: dp4peace@yahoo.com September 9, 2021 at 1:49 pm I’m also from UK and feeling that I’m being pressurised into unnecessary operation within 2 weeks. Waiting for your reply to Lulabel question. Thanks September 9, 2021 at 2:14 pm Hi Auriel. Please see my reply to Lulabel. Take time to get more info…2nd PATHOLGY opinion and DCISionRT are both important before making any decisions!! Here is everything I suggest: https://dcis411.com/resources/. Please let me know if you have more specific questions. My email: dp4peace@yahoo.com. September 29, 2021 at 3:24 pm I just had a breast biopsy today for suspicious calcifications BiRads 4b. When I asked the radiologist if Penn Medicine does “active surveillance” for DCIS she said “no” and that she’d never heard of it. I’m like ok the JAMA study has been out since 2015 & women deserve to know ALL of their treatment options. Maybe she doesn’t know because that’s not her area of expertise. I hope that my results come back benign but if they don’t I will be working with a DCIS literate doctor. Your website has been very helpful! Thank you! Five says: October 4, 2021 at 8:51 pm Unfortunately many DCIS doctors are not going to advise active surveillance because in my opinion there is no money in it. I was diagnosed 2 years ago with high grade DCIS I am getting ultrasounds every six months I am never having another mammogram because I have dense breasts. If a tumor shows up I will have ablation, where they insert a needle in the tumor and microwave or freeze it. Cancer is a state of mind once you have a plan it is not scary. I am not taking poison drugs like tamoxifen I am taking more HRT and I feel great! October 7, 2021 at 1:05 pm I was diagnosed in june of this year with dcis grade 2/3 . I chose to postpone surgery and instead change my diet, lose weight and walk every day. Of course the doctor tried to scare me but I’m a very laid backed, non stressful person. My only concern is at times I question my choice because of it being a grade 2/3. Most research I’ve read say it’s ok to watch and wait with grade 1 but not grade 3. Because of things I’ve read, I’m second quessing my choice. October 7, 2021 at 1:39 pm Did you get 2nd pathology opinion and DCISionRT? Five says: October 7, 2021 at 5:58 pm For your peace of mind get ultrasounds every six months and if a tumor is there it is only six months old or less and very treatable. Last year I met a woman who had a stage 1 breast.tumor, a real diagnosis of cancer, not DCIS maybe it will become cancerous, she went to City of Hope and in 45 minutes they froze her tumor and she is cancer free no suggestion of mastectomy, poison drugs, radiation etc. No bullying! Your gut is right that is why you have taken your time and you are on this blog researching don’t second guess yourself you know your body better than any doctor! Joanna says: February 20, 2022 at 2:58 pm How can i subscribe to your newsletter? I just was diagnosed with DCIS stage 0, i just had a lumpectomy and am refusing additional treatment. My doctor finally admitted that my chances of recurrence is as follows: “94% per year you will never get it back and added, but some women can’t handle that and need to know they took all the treatment possible to feel better and relieved.” Women must be more courageous and face it as it is, fear blinds us and these doctors know well how to play with us physiologically. Faith and discernment is a must as well. February 20, 2022 at 10:47 pm You can “follow” to receive emails Thank you for your comments and insights. May 3, 2022 at 11:50 am Hello, I am 40 years old, I was diagnosed with DCIS 0, low grade, 4 mm. I had in Germany two lumpectomies with clear margins. They recommended me RT because of my age and dense breast… In 2 days I have to decide! It’s so hard! My intuition said no and all of my doctors said yes! Wishing you all the best and all the heath from entire universe! February 25, 2022 at 12:35 pm Just diagnosed and am scared to death.. DCIS grade 2 in 3 areas of the left breast… contemplating mastectomy in the hope of warding off cancer becoming invasive.. My mind is spinning and my anxiety is through the roof. Gail says: May 3, 2022 at 6:13 pm Do you have a family history of breast cancer? Unless that or something else has motivated your doctors, I believe it really is your decision. May 3, 2022 at 10:02 pm Hello, I am 40 years old, I was diagnosed with DCIS 0, low grade, 4 mm. I had in Germany two lumpectomies with clear margins. They recommended me RT because of my age and dense breast… In 2 days I have to decide! It’s so hard! My intuition said no and all of my doctors said yes! Wishing you all the best and all the heath from entire universe! May 9, 2022 at 10:59 am Hello Donna and everyone! Well, it’s that time again…time for my ongoing (now11 year) update about my microcalcs. It is now May 2022, and I just had my mammogram. For those who have been following my saga, back in 2011 I was told to get a biopsy on a grouping of microcalcs, I luckily found DCIS411 and did a lot of research which led me to refuse the biopsy and opt for a watchful approach. I endured a lot of pressure from various medical people, but stuck to my gut feeling on this and didn’t cave in. I come here every year and check in with the latest on my case so that you all can see the current findings. As usual, I was basically harassed by the same mammography tech who did the test last year. And as usual, I explained to her (as I did last year), my approach for over 10 years and why I have refused the biopsy. If I run into her again next year, I will print out a lot of pages from DCIS411 so she can finally educate herself and bring herself into the 21st century about microcalcifications! Problem solved! Or better yet just give her the website address so she can read to her heart’s content! Maybe then she’ll stop aggravating patients with her unnecessary fear mongering! (and the crazy thing is, this woman is NOT a doctor, not a radiologist, just a technician, yet she thinks she has some sort of special job title where she can harass patients with her personal recommendations!) I’m sure we’ve all unfortunately run into this type before! Anyway, this year the radiology report downgraded the Birads score yet again to Birads2, stated that the microcalcs were “stable”, no biopsy recommended, and only routine mammogram for next year. So, this is good news and certainly helps once again to prove to all these medical “professionals” that my approach has been correct. If I had followed the fear factor recommendations from years past, I probably would have been having biopsies in BOTH breasts on multiple occasions, but I thankfully did my homework, pushed back on the microcalc insanity in the U.S.A. and saved myself a lot of physical pain from invasive procedures as well as a lot of emotional pain and maybe very unnecessary lumpectomies, radiation and god knows what else! So, I am very pleased with my approach. I will check in again next year and let you all know the findings. We know that things can change, or something else might be found in future. BUT…….I believe I have awakened a few people to the insanity of having a knee jerk reaction to biopsy recommendations when a few microcalcs are found. Watchful waiting as far as I am concerned is definitely an option. Please please do your personal homework before jumping into biopsy of microcalcs. That is my advice! (i am now 66 years old, no history of breast cancer in my family). At the end of the day, it is YOUR body, and you need to make informed decisions. Take care everyone, and once again, thank God for Donna Pinto….an angel on earth who has been a trailblazer in this area! Hugs to all! May 9, 2022 at 5:37 pm Love that you check in here and report on your status every year! It is sooooooo amazing to hear how you have followed your instincts and continued to push back and stay the course. Thank you for being a trailblazer — and thank you so much for your kind words and appreciation of me, DCIS 411 and all my efforts. More and more women are joining us in this movement for informed consent and informed choice. May we all be continually blessed and may we we all keep on shining the light together! Much love, Donna September 13, 2022 at 8:06 am This dx turned my life upside down for sure. Same dx DCIS stage zero and I got conflicted information. I unfortunately did the biopsy which I know after research was the reason 2 years after biopsy I noticed a lump. I was being pushed, bullied and scared into having surgery, radiation and hormone therapy. They tried it but it didn’t work! They even tried to tell me not to wait long since I said I had to think. I was even told was sites to research on the internet. Cancer is big money and from my research there are so many alternatives. Im sad for all these women going through this and taking extreme action due to fear, bullying and misinformation. We women need to definitely take back our power and stand firm on own own beliefs, feelings and ways we want to be treated medically. We shouldn’t be ridiculed for the decisions we make about our own health and body. Holistic medicine should go hand and hand with mainstream medicine. Women please do your own research! Just breathe, take time to decide what you want to do despite what everyone else is telling you. Go with your gut feeling. There are so many women healing their bodies the natural way and thriving. Sending peace, love, light and healing vibes to all. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Email (required) (Address never made public) Name (required) Connecting to %s Notify me of new comments via email. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Email Address: Recent Posts Recent Posts DCIS is NOT Breast Cancer — An Online Support Group Leading a Paradigm Shift September 14, 2022 The Case for NO TREATMENT of Low-risk DCIS July 22, 2022 Overdiagnosis – “That’s Not Even a Word” June 14, 2022 Lions, Tigers and Fears — the Cultural Problem of DCIS March 18, 2022 September 2022 July 2022 June 2022 March 2022 January 2022 April 2021 October 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 July 2019 June 2019 January 2019 November 2018 August 2018 June 2018 April 2018 January 2018 April 2017 March 2017 January 2017 December 2016 October 2016 September 2016 May 2016 April 2016 November 2015 October 2015 August 2015 July 2015 May 2015 April 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 October 2014 May 2014 February 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 July 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 Support	277,610
How and why warfare is changing has become its own genre of late. Enter Jahara “Franky” Matisek and Buddhika “Jay” Jayamaha. Both have military backgrounds and are on faculty at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Old and New Battlespaces builds on their previous scholarship regarding “social media warriors.” Like their articles, readers will find the book either astonishingly naïve or extraordinarily prescient, depending on what war they inhabit. Sept. 30, 2022 2034: A Novel of the Next World War This is a thriller that carries a cautionary note for those interested in national security who worry about the risks of human miscalculation. The point that the book makes is that in the emerging threat environment, when state players rely heavily upon technology to improve military capabilities, the human factor remains central. Sept. 30, 2022 The Ledger and The American War in Afghanistan The American war in Afghanistan has finally come to an ignominious end, but the inevitable post-mortems have only just begun to trickle in. No doubt soon they will become a flood, adding to the mountains of studies, analyses, and full-length volumes that have appeared virtually since the onset of the war two decades ago. In no small part because of the chaos that surrounded America’s final withdrawal from that embattled country, many analysts and observers have been quick to draw parallels with its equally chaotic departure from Vietnam nearly a half century earlier. Sept. 30, 2022 The Digital Silk Road is Jonathan Hillman’s hi-tech companion to his book The Emperor’s New Road: China and the Project of the Century, published in 2020, which dealt with the vast Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the largest developmental project of our time. The Digital Silk Road (DSR) is the BRI’s high-tech portion, its transoceanic fiber-optic cables and its space-based satellite chains every bit as much a part of the BRI as a railroad project in Africa or port construction in South Asia. And like the BRI, the DSR’s goal is global and hegemonic: in establishing it, China intends to be the world’s “indispensable hub and gatekeeper” of the digital space. Sept. 30, 2022 The recent fall of Kabul is a stark reminder that policymakers need to understand much more about the problems of nation-building. Some may try to swear off any further involvement with nation-building, but these problems cannot be ignored when failures of law and governance in weak states underlie a pressing migrant crisis on America’s own borders. As the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction has noted, America’s refusal to prepare for future stabilization missions after the collapse of South Vietnam did not prevent the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq but instead ensured that they would become quagmires. To begin thinking more carefully about these vital problems, a good place to start is with Keith Mines’s book Why Nation-Building Matters. Sept. 30, 2022 Interview with Kevin Rudd The interview was conducted by Michael Miklaucic on March 29, 2022. The Honorable Kevin Rudd served as Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010, and again in 2013. Sept. 30, 2022 Great Power Competition: Understanding the Role of Leaders in French Joint Forces Engaged in counterinsurgency or counterterrorism operations for several decades, Western forces are now faced with the resurgence of Great Power competition (GPC) and the specter of high-intensity warfare. This type of conflict, characterized by the clash of symmetrical military powers confronting each other with high-tech capabilities in a wide range of domains and fields of action, marks the return of potentially high levels of attrition and the end of the relative operational and strategic comfort known during past asymmetric conflicts. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 is an excellent example of this, demonstrating the disinhibition of a part of the stage with respect to international law. Is France, seen as a balanced power, ready for this return to GPC? Sept. 30, 2022 This article examines the ongoing war in Ukraine and explores options that lead to ending the conflict in some way that would constitute success or “victory.” Decisive victory in a purely military sense is an unlikely prospect. A frozen conflict, a larger and longer version of Donbas across the entire Ukrainian frontier, is increasingly likely despite the efforts by the West to induce Russia to back down. The prospects of a grinding stalemate are evident and extending the fighting creates spillover consequences for other U.S. strategic priorities. A war of endurance may play to U.S./European economic advantages but could evolve in a way that harms longer-term interests. Sept. 30, 2022 The primary purpose of this article is to respectfully communicate to a Chinese audience a Western view of the future world order. China needs the West as much as the West needs China. However, the West has awakened geopolitically to the toxic power politics that Russia is imposing on Ukraine and China’s support for it. China is thus faced with a profound choice: alliance with a declining and weak Russia or cooperation with a powerful bloc of global democracies that Russia’s incompetent and illegal aggression is helping to forge.	5,445
Few words can't explain the personality of a person. Aatifa is a name that signifies a person who is good inside out. Aatifa is a liberal and eccentric person. More over Aatifa is a curious personality about the things rooming around. Aatifa is an independent personality; she doesn’t have confidence on the people yet she completely knows about them. Aatifa takes times to get frank with the people because she is abashed. The people around Aatifa usually thinks that she is wise and innocent. Dressing, that is the thing, that makes Aatifa personality more adorable. Way of Thinking of Aatifa Aatifa probably thinks that when were children our parents strictly teach us about some golden rules of life. One of these rules is to think before you speak because words will not come back. Aatifa thinks that We can forget the external injuries but we can’t forget the harsh wording of someone. Aatifa thinks that Words are quite enough to make someone happy and can hurt too. Aatifa don’t think like other persons. She thinks present is a perfect time to do anything. Aatifa is no more an emotional fool personality. Aatifa is a person of words. Aatifa always fulfills her/his wordings. Aatifa always concentrates on the decisions taken by mind not by heart. Because usually people listen their heart not their mind and take emotionally bad decisions. Aatifa used to think about herself/himself. She doesn’t believe on the thing that if someone good to her/his she/he must do something good to them. If Aatifa don’t wish to do the things, she will not do it. She could step away from everyone just because Aatifa stands for the truth. Aatifa knows how to make herself/himself best, she always controls her/his emotions. She makes other sad and always make people to just be in their limits. Aatifa knows everybody bad behavior could affect herhis life, so Aatifa makes people to stay far away from her/his life. The people around Aatifa only knows what Aatifa allows them to know. Aatifa don’t create panic in difficult situation rather she thinks a lot about the situation and makes decision as the wise person do. Elegant thoughts of Aatifa Aatifa don’t judge people by their looks. Aatifa is a spiritual personality and believe what the people really are. Aatifa has some rules to stay with some people. Aatifa used to understand people but she doesn’t take interest in making fun of their emotions and feelings. Aatifa used to stay along and want to spend most of time with her/his family and reading books. Tags: Muslim girls names with meaning Pak24tv is an informative website. We are trying our best to provide you the best information about the things that are relevant to your interest.	2,768
The government of Iran has announced the arrests of a “terrorist network” that was allegedly planning sabotage and assassination operations inside the Islamic Republic. The announcement was released by the Iranian Intelligence Ministry and aired by a host of state-controlled media on Tuesday. The reports were vague, but claimed that the sabotage ring was supported by Israel, and that its members were “plotting fresh attacks” against Iranian government targets. The Intelligence Ministry said that Iranian counterterrorist teams decided to move against the “large and sophisticated” network after preparing the ground during “months of operations”. An unidentified Iranian government official was quoted as saying that the arrests of the group members involved the “recovery of large bombs, automatic weapons, handguns, [as well as] telecommunications equipment” from houses and apartments belonging to alleged sabotage group members. One report stated that some of the arrests were concluded following “firefights” between the suspects and Iranian government forces. Reports also claimed that the network led officials to the discovery of a separate “regional command center in a third country”, which was not named, but which is widely suspected to be Azerbaijan. Earlier this week, The Washington Post reported that American intelligence agencies had ramped up intelligence and sabotage missions directed against Iran’s nuclear program. Read more of this post Reddit Filed under A specialized intelligence website written by experts, since 2008 Tagged with Azerbaijan, Bush Administration, counterterrorism, Iran, Iranian Intelligence Ministry, Iranian nuclear program, Israel, Mujahedeen-e Khalq, Nevada, News, sabotage, United States	1,835
A listing of events for the Department of Military Affairs and Veterans Services, NH National Guard and community partners. The DMAVS Calendar contains events and activities open to the public or community partners that the Department and/or NH National Guard are hosting. It also contains events and activities hosted by community partners that may benefit Service members, Veterans, and their families as well as those who support them. Submit a Request to Add an Event to the Calendar If your organization would like to submit a request for an event be added to the DMAVS Calendar, please provide the following information to Kim Hillson, Kimberly.J.Hillson@dmavs.nh.gov. Title of Event Date Brief Description of Event (including website, phone or email for more information) It is not guaranteed every event submission will be added. All requests will be reviewed for appropriateness and relevancy. Follow the Department on Facebook and LinkedIn to be the first to know about events and happenings in the community related to Veterans!	1,070
Trick or treat! As the last rays of summer fade away, the spooky season rolls around and reminds us of all the fun fall activities that await our four-legged friends. Howl-oween is a fantastic time of the year to bond with your pup and what better way to do it than with fancy dress? Why dress up your dog for Halloween? Why not, we ask? As pet pawrents we want to share all the milestones with our canine companions. This includes the high days and holidays like Halloween. Plus, just imagine all the cute Instagram posts you can capture as your pup struts his stuff dressed as a scare-mongering character from film or TV. Make sure your pup is the cool canine of the block and plan ahead with your costume. It doesn’t matter if its shop bought or made with love but the most important thing is that it has to be fun. You could even mix and match with your pup as the ultimate statement of love and loyalty. If you are stuck for spooky costume ideas, here are a few of our favorites to get you feeling inspired. All aboard! It is time to board the Hogwarts Express. This Halloween, make sure that your dog looks absolutely spellbinding with a Harry Potter inspired costume. Choose the full wizarding attire complete with a black cape, red and yellow tie and black glasses - don’t forget the scar on the forehead to complete the look. If your dog likes to take the less is more approach to fancy dress, a yellow and red scarf will make him instantly recognizable as Harry Pawter, plus it will keep his neck toasty warm all winter long. We all have fond memories of our favorite supernatural cartoon friend and now that we have a fur baby it is the ideal time to relive childhood memories.This spooktastic costume idea is budget-friendly and bundles of fun to make. All it requires is an old white bed sheet with eye holes and a hole for the snout cut into it. This is an ideal costume choice for those wanting to bewitch neighbors while being short on time and $$$. To make it more comfortable, synch it in at the waist by placing a black harness over the top. This way you can achieve spooky style and safety all in one. If your dog is irresistibly cute, so much so that you could just eat him up then we have the ideal costume for you. Play on your dog’s good looks and choose America’s favorite snack as your fancy dress. We all love a puppy pun and not only will your dog look deliciously cute, but they will be wrapped up and protected from the elements. Bonus points if your dog is brown as they will look even more like a Frankfurter sausage. Whether you are a Star Trek fan or simply enjoy playing with words, this Halloween costume is a fun dress-up idea. All you need is a white coat complete with a notepad and pen stuffed in the chest pocket. Add a stethoscope to the neck of the white coat and to amplify the geek-chic look, add a pair of black glasses (if your dog will let you). If you feel creative, accompany your pup with the medical theme and dress up as a skeleton. You could even carry a real beef bone with you as a treat for your dog once the trick-or-treating is complete. If there is nothing your dog loves more about going on road trips with you, it is the fact they get to enjoy a sneaky Puppuccino while riding shotgun by your side. Celebrate this sweet treat in all its glory by DIY-ing your very own puppuccino costume. Grab some latte-colored brown felt, print a Starbucks logo, and get creative. We recommend creating a dog coat from brown felt and using fabric glue to hold it together. Cut the two upper parts and glue them together along the spine. Then cut a wide rectangular piece of felt and glue one short side to one of the upper sides of the coat. Place Velcro or press studs on the other sides to hold the creation in place. Buy shower pom-poms and place them around the neckline, add the Starbucks logo to the back and roll up dark green craft paper to create a straw. Continuing with the foodie puppy puns, this list would not be complete without the addition of a corn dog costume. While dressing as an actual corn dog may not bring in the IG likes, take the concept back to its roots and dress your canine companion up as corn on the cob. Just imagine their little smiley face poking out the top of the yellow corn kernels - they will look as sweet as sweetcorn. To create this outfit, use a dog coat as the base and glue yellow pom-poms to the surface. From the tail upwards, covering the legs, place a dark green fabric over the yellow pom-poms to represent the leaves of the corn on the cob. If your dog is fond of barking at the other dogs and laying law and order in the neighborhood, then a police fancy dress will suit his temperament. To do this costume idea justice, it is worth buying it from a store. Play with the idea even further and dress up in jailhouse style with orange overalls or black and white striped pajamas so that your pup can be the “Good Boy” of the family. Put your DIY skills to the test and create a yummy California roll-inspired creation that will have the neighborhood dogs drooling. Cut a wide rectangle from black felt and place Velcro on both ends. This will be the waist belt that will hold the sushi roll. Next for the sushi roll, you will need another wider rectangle of black felt, a white towel, and three pieces of colored foam for the filling (green and red work well). Place the foam filling inside the white towel and roll it into a circular shape. Pin together with a safety pin. Then place the black rectangle around the white towel and glue it together. Once your sushi roll is formed, glue it to the black waistband to complete the look. Star Wars fans rejoice there is a costume for your fur baby that can easily combine with your galactic Halloween fancy dress. Purchase a Pup Vader costume and let your dog’s Jedi powers shine as he represents the ultimate Dark Lord of the galaxy. Accompany the theme and dress in other Star Wars character costumes for some good old-fashioned family fun. Is your pup more Diva than dog? Channel their inner pup pop princess and create a Halloween costume inspired by Lady Gaga’s Paparazzi video. This costume idea works especially well on dogs with light, long-haired fur. All you need is a blonde wig, a pair of black square-shaped sunglasses, and a piece of black sequin fabric that you can fashion into a dress. While this outfit may appear like a challenge to create, it is actually very easy. Simply take the fabric, drape it around the body and fasten it with two knots (one at the top and one at the bottom) around the back to hold it in place. Make sure the accessories have an elastic strap to stop them from falling off. This costume is best for fur babies with experience in fancy dress. Subscribe today! Our Pet Products support How can we help? We pride ourselves on providing the best customer experience possible. Please do not hesitate to reach out!	7,119
I just finished a lengthy discussion with an old friend of mine about life and labels and sexuality. The last time we saw each other we were talking about what it may have been like if she ended up with two daughters and a wife instead of two daughters and a husband. She has been in the middle of the sexuality spectrum since I have known her, and it was a toss up as to if she would end up with a man or woman. Her husband is significantly older than her and it is likely that someday she will end up back in the dating pool, and may end up with a woman. It would be such a pity if people jump to the conclusion that her marriage was a sham, or that she has been dishonest with herself or them all those years. Because if there is one thing I think humans love to do it is label people, and put them in a box. It is safe, predictable, comfortable, that is if they stay in that box. By like me and you, most of us don’t. Sometimes even the box we agree to be in is defined differently by you than it is me. For example, I came out as a lesbian just as I was finishing my freshman year of college, I was about to turn 19. Unlike many people I know, I came out before I ever had a girlfriend. That isn’t to say I didn’t have a crush. At the time I was dating men, and I had a lot of first and second dates, but rarely more. I had met a guy, let’s call him Dan. He was great, a school nurse, smart, funny, handsome. I went out with him a dozen times. But something was missing. Parallel to dating Dan I was fantasizing about my best female friend, we will call her Sarah. For all intents and purposes we were having an emotional affair, but nothing physical. So, like many times before, I just told myself it was a fleeting crush, a phase and that it happened to everyone. One night Sarah and I had plans to hang out just the two of us. I was really looking forward to it. It had been a long week of school and work and I only wanted to hang out with her. Go to a bar, drink a few beers, talk and laugh all night. Just as we were getting ready to leave her phone rang. It was Joe, the dud of a guy she had a crush on that had been stringing her along. Suddenly he wanted to go out. “Do you mind?” Sarah says…”He hasn’t called in weeks and I really want to see him.” I knew that they would get drunk and have sex. Gag. So I slumped off and pouted and decided to call Dan. He had just gotten back from the city teaching sailing lessons and yes, he would love to go out. He picked me up and we went to Fridays, I guess that was a big deal when I was 18. I shudder at the thought now. I decided that I was going to do the same. Get drunk and have sex, after all, maybe I would feel better and Dan was a great guy, nurse, sailing instructor, he had a JEEP! We drank the night away (he was 21 to my 18 and the server didn’t seem to think I needed to be carded) and ended up at his house. Halfway through the “adventure” I started crying, got up, got dressed and went home. Immediately upon arriving my friend Sue was sitting in the kitchen. “what’s up K” she asks. “I am gay.” As you can imagine that led to a few hours of talking and more crying and a few more beers. At that moment I had never been more sure of anything in my life. I was gay, that was it. I am now a few days shy of 35 years old, married over to a wonderful woman (together 9 years last week) and we have a two year old son. So what does this have to do with examining your life and labels and such. Well, it wasn’t always so cut and dry. I have struggled as a gay person, as many do. It is damn hard sometimes. Other times I forget, because I am really just a married person with a beautiful family. So I moved from one label, straight, to another, gay. And people have a whole different set of expectations of you depending on which you are. Everyone in my life expected I would have children from a very young age, I always adored them and am a natural caretaker. The minute I came out almost every person’s response was “but I thought you wanted kids?” Hello, I didn’t give up my uterus! I am the same person, same values, same everything, except now I want to date women. My wife is more feminine than I am. So of course once everyone got over the fact that we still both had our uterus’ they assumed she would give birth. When in fact she wasn’t sure about being pregnant and I knew it I wanted to with every cell in my body. You get my point. As humans we label people and we expect them to behave according to that label. And when they don’t we may question their authenticity, their honesty. When in fact we may have no idea who they are or what they set out to think, feel, or do. As long as you are self aware, and examining your own life and living as authentically as you can, screw what others expect. It is your life. As a practice I try to end my thoughts about other people with “maybe”. Maybe there are this, or maybe there are that…or maybe not. Nothing is certain. As Socrates said, “an unexamined life is not worth living.” Filed Under: Buddhism, coming out, communication, Lesbian mom, mental health, mindfulness, philosophy Tagged With: coming out, communication leadership, difficult people, mental-health, mindfullness Trigger – no not that kind May 1, 2012 by justlikeyoume 3 Comments It happens to all of us, you may not even know it is occurring when it does. Your heart rate increases, your face may flush, maybe your palms get sweaty, if you have a nervous twitch it may show itself, and likely you get defensive, that is if you are like me. It is that moment when someone says something that irritates you, sets off an alarm, or otherwise triggers a reaction in you that likely stems from some set of experiences from growing up. If there was ever a trigger in my life it is my mother. She has been visiting my wife, son and I for the last two weeks. What that means for me is I have been in my version of hell for two weeks. Culminating in last night’s conversation that started with: “I feel like you constantly have a wall up with me. I thought we were going to be close again” quickly followed by, “what did you think of your childhood”. Now, of course she waited to have this conversation until my wife was safely out of the country (home for her brothers graduation) and of course not until she had a good two or three glasses of wine topped off by a few tokes of hash. I think I should provide some context here. We all have a story, mine may or may not be like yours, to some degree. I grew up the oldest of three, (sister than brother) in a small house in a wealthy suburb in Illinois. We, however, were poor. My dad was a train conductor (ticket taker) and my mom stayed home. Not because we could afford for her not to, but because my dad did not allow her to work. My dad looked like a guy who worked on the railroad. A little over 6 feet tall, balding black hair, mustache, about 50 pounds overweight, all in the belly with a loud voice you could hear booming even down the street. The funny thing about his job is that he would take the commuters in and back on the morning ride, and then hung out at the station until rush hour that evening. During that time he drank beer, smoked and played poker with his buddies. For 5 hours! And somehow was paid to do this. What that meant for me is he always came home drunk, before the night even began. My mom had her own addiction issues, pills, coke (though not ever day), a smoker and light drinker, at least at the time. We lived in a tiny bungalow on Brandon Avenue. I shared a bedroom with both my brother and my sister. There was puke dried on the carpeting in the hallway to our upstairs bedroom from the previous owners dog, I think it was permanent. Most of my friends came over one time to play and then weren’t allowed over again due to the daily screaming matches in my house and the never-ending flow of drugs, booze and cigarettes. And that is just the beginning, really just a light-hearted set up to what was to follow. So you can imagine the trigger reaction I had when my mom challenged me as to why we weren’t close, and what I thought of my childhood. I mean, I have been in therapy for 12 years and have had my own executive coach for five, I coach people for a living to further help me get away from the childhood that I never stopped running from. So much so that I am 34 on the very cusp of 35, a Global Manager of Organization Development for a multi-billion dollar global company, have moved 4 times in 9 years, all for promotions and each time happier that I wasn’t living near my mother. In case I haven’t mentioned it, my dad has been missing for 18 years, so I didn’t have to work to get away from him. She really didn’t know what that question was going to get her. And I am certain now she wishes she never asked. One of the quotes that I use to remind myself that life is just life, and with it comes both suffering and joy is below: “Pain is not punishment, and pleasure is not reward.” Pema Chodron I don’t think my mom found it helpful when I ended our conversation with that. But it helps me realize life isn’t out to get me, or reward me. It just is. Filed Under: Buddhism, communication, Drugs, Lesbian mom, mental health, mindfulness, Uncategorized Tagged With: alcoholism, anxiety attack, Buddhism, childhood, difficult people, drugs, mental-health, mindfullness, mother, stress Queensday – or weeks for some April 30, 2012 by justlikeyoume 2 Comments Today is Queensday, the day in the Netherlands that the Queen is celebrated – the ultimate matriarch. Unlike in other countries where there is much pomp and circumstance, the Netherlands celebrates with a giant party, drinking, music, and…wait for it…a giant tag sale. The entire city of Amsterdam empties out their closets and cellars and throws down blankets to sell the crap they no longer need. Walking through Vondelpark where the “children’s market” is reminiscent to walking through grant park on the 4th of July during the taste of chicago, but with used clothes and toys for sale. On this particular day my mother is in town visiting, and has been for two weeks. While she is technically the matriarch of my family, since my father has been missing for 18 years, she doesn’t embody any of the traits. Pill addicted, on disability for “pain”, she has spent the trip like a raver from london, taking her pain pills, drinking, hash, weed, cigarettes, sleeping until 10, and more drinking (did I mention it was my good scotch and cognac???). My mother has been here for two weeks and has acted as if it has been her queensday every minute of it. While I mistakenly thought she was coming to visit her grandson and help out around the house a bit, she was here to party. If you are like me in any way, spending more than 4 hours with your mother triggers you into some moment in the distant past when you were 16 years old – my skin prickles at the sound of her voice, everything she does sets me off, crunching potato chips and talking so loud it indicates she is in desparate need of a hearing aid. Now you may think I am a bitch, talking about my mother this way. I have always had a hard time with the idea that “blood is thicker than water” or the “come on, she’s your mom” – we all have heard it. However, in my humble opinion, getting knocked up and giving birth does not entitle you to a lifelong loving, close relationship with your children in which they in turn take care of you (yes, there is some resentment there). You have to earn that. We do not owe our parents for giving birth, putting a roof over our heads and feeding us. That was a decision they made when they decided to get pregnant and go through with it. My mother is still making my sister pay her back for when she was in rehab at 13. Not kidding. I digress. It is this feeling of entitlement that gets people, including me, into trouble. As adults no one owes us anything and vice versa. We can make the conscious choice to particpate in this world and give of ourselves. Give by listening, being compassionate, loving, taking care of ourselves first (yes, i said first), at the very least, treating people as you would a campsite in a national park – in better condition than it was before you arrived. So how does one survive a two week visit by someone who triggers the worst of you? Well, a good friend of mine reminds me ofter of the Prayer of St. Francis, particularly three lines: Grant me the ability to comfort rather than be comforted; to understand, rather than be understood; to love rather than be loved. I use these three lines to deal with difficult people, including my own mother. I try to have compassion for her, she is unhappy, so I manage my expectations and don’t expect of her. The trick is not to lose yourself in this. For another time. Filed Under: Buddhism, communication, Drugs, Lesbian mom, mental health, mindfulness Tagged With: childhood, difficult people, drugs, mother, queensday Recent Posts Learning to Stay Ultimately, what happens in our life is Did you make a New Year’s resolution? W Emerging from 8 days of silence and slow Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Email Address: What has come before What has come before Select Month May 2016 July 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 October 2014 September 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 May 2012 April 2012	13,644
If you or somebody you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, call the national suicide hotline at 988. Nov 18, 2022 Gasoline Export Ban Act would prevent US oil exports when gas is $3.12/gallon According to The Price is Right, $3.12 is also the approximate price of 170 Q-tips cotton swabs, 30 fluid ounces of Clorox Ultimate Care… Nov 17, 2022 Exception for Certain Bars to Admissibility Relating to Previous Unlawful Entry as Children Act… The bill was inspired by the months-long plight of a man in Houston named Jaime Avalos. Nov 16, 2022 Add a note about this bill. Your note is for you and will not be shared with anyone. Because you are a member of panel, your positions on legislation and notes below will be shared with the panel administrators. (More Info) How well do you know H.R. 1314 (114th)? Use this study guide to find out. You can find answers to most of the questions below here on GovTrack.us, including on the overview, summary, details, and text tabs for this bill at the top of this page. What would this bill do? In a few words, what would you say is the subject of this bill? This question is asking you to determine what areas of policy this bill is meant to impact. Doing so is an important first step in analyzing the intentions behind the policy and its possible effects. To start, look at the bill’s title and see if it helps. At the top of the details tab, you can find the committee assignments of this bill. Those will likely give a clue about the substance of the policy in the bill, as committees usually only look at bills within a certain jurisdiction. The Library of Congress provides us with bill subject areas listed at the bottom of the details tab. When in doubt, refer to these. The text of this bill is 56 pages long. What strategies could you use to learn about the bill without having to read it all? Even if you’re a lawyer, this bill is probably too long to be worth reading. It might not even be possible. Here are a few suggestions for understanding the bill without reading the whole thing: You’ve been tricked! This isn’t one bill, it’s several bills in a conga line! Actually, it’s called an “omnibus” bill, and it’s when Congress decides to pass a bunch of legislation in a single package. You can browse through the incorporated bills in the related bills section under the details tab. It may be better to investigate a few of those rather than the whole omnibus. Someone has made a statement about this bill, which you can find in the position statements section under the overview tab. Member statements can be useful for analyzing a bill. Just keep in mind they have a stake in the game. There is a summary available for this bill. Does it help you understand what the bill would do? Our summaries provide some context on the history of the issue and the arguments for or against the bill, plus information about the bill’s status and its likelihood of passage. We also collect summaries from the Library of Congress’ nonpartisan Congressional Research Services and, after removing biased language, from House GOP. The goal of this study guide is to help you understand the bill well enough that you could write your own summary. Try using the summaries available as reference. You can find them under the summary tab. Who is this bill likely to impact? Is this bill important? These questions are related. Be sure to answer the first question before you answer the second. Even if you think this bill looks boring, is there anyone who would say otherwise? Participating in a democracy isn’t just about representing your own interests; it’s also about understanding and empathizing with the interests of your peers. When you look at a bill before Congress you should consider who it will impact and how. Then you can make a judgment about whether the bill matters and whether you support it. Try coming up with a list of who will be affected by this bill and how. When you think you’re done with your list, ask yourself one more time: Is this bill important? What else do you know about this bill? What do you know about the sponsor? Is this the kind of bill you would expect from them? Why or why not? The bill’s primary sponsor is displayed at the top of the overview tab. The sponsor's GovTrack page provides information about their history and recent actions in Congress. Similarly, you’ll find a list of cosponsors at the top of the details tab. The most immediate thing you might notice about the sponsor is their party. Here are some other factors to consider when thinking about the bill’s sponsor, all of which can be found on the sponsor’s page: Where do they represent? Is this bill uniquely important to the sponsor’s constituents? What committees are they on? If they are on a committee this bill was assigned to, they will have greater influence over its passage. Where do they fall on the GovTrack Ideology-Leadership Chart? We publish an analysis of members’ cosponsorships to give an idea of where each member falls on the political spectrum, and how much influence they have in Congress. This information could be helpful context for understanding the bill. These are only a few of the factors at play when a member chooses to sponsor legislation. What wasn’t on this list that should be? Some Members of Congress have made statements about this bill. What do those statements tell you about the bill? Do the statements agree about what the bill would do? One way to learn more about a bill is to look at what members of Congress say about it. You can find press releases about this bill made by members of Congress in the position statements section of the overview tab, or at ProPublica Represent. When a member makes a press release about a bill they signal that the bill is important, and often include their argument in support or opposition of it. Understanding those arguments is informative for understanding the bill itself. Step away from GovTrack for a moment. Is anyone talking about this bill? How does their perspective help you understand the bill? It’s important to compare information from various sources. What other resources could you use to put the information on GovTrack into context? Has anyone else written about the bill? Try putting the name of the bill into your favorite search engine to see what comes up. You might find there is already a conversation going on around the bill, or perhaps this bill isn’t getting much attention. If you can, you should look at multiple sources with varying perspectives. Don’t take what any news article or organization says for granted without comparing it to a few other sources. What kind of expert would be able to tell you more about the policies this bill would impact? Congress often calls in expert witnesses to explain nuanced policy issues. Members of Congress on whichever committee has been assigned to review the bill will seek out these experts depending on the legislative topic. For example, legislation about nuclear power plants might be referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Since most of the representatives who serve on that committee are likely not nuclear scientist, they will call in those scientists to explain important details about nuclear energy. By now you should have an idea of the policies, or at least areas of policy, in this bill. Given that knowledge, what type of experts would you want to hear from to learn more about this bill? Try to get as specific as you can. What can you do about this bill? How can you impact your government? Start with the basics. What are some of the tools available for Americans to interact with their government? How would you apply those tools to this bill? Keep in mind that bills sometimes get reintroduced to multiple sessions of Congress before ever getting a vote. Odds are good that a given bill won’t get passed, but maybe there are ways you can help give it another shot. If you think this bill is not likely to pass in the current session of Congress, how might you try to get it reintroduced in the next one? What can your Member of Congress do to impact this bill? (Hint: Are your representative or senators on a committee this bill was assigned to?) In our representative democracy, each member of Congress has an obligation to their constituents. That means your representatives are the most likely to be responsive to your concerns, since they care about your vote. What can you ask of them? 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Advocacy organizations, think tanks, caucuses and other legislative stakeholders are constantly working to influence whether a bill passes. Are there any organizations interested in this bill? Try using your favorite search engine to find out. If there are, and you agree with their positions and methods, you may want to join or support that organization. You can help that organization accomplish its goals by volunteering for them or donating some money. If there isn’t an organization you like, maybe you need to do the next best thing: Make one! Grassroots movements form all the time when many people care about an issue that isn’t getting enough attention. Do you know many other people who care as much about this bill as you do? Starting a grassroots movement is a challenging task, but if there are a lot of people who care about this issue who aren’t being heard, it can be worth the effort. 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Our public interest mission means we will never put our service behind a paywall. GovTrack.us is taking a new focus on civic education Help us develop the tools to bring real-time legislative data into the classroom. If you’ve visited a bill page on GovTrack.us recently, you may have noticed a new “study guide” tab located just below the bill title. This is part of a new project to develop better tools for bringing real-time legislative data into the classroom. We hope to enable educators to build lesson plans centered around any bill or vote in Congress, even those as recent as yesterday. We’re looking for feedback from educators about how GovTrack can be used and improved for your classroom. If you teach United States government and would like to speak with us about bringing legislative data into your classroom, please reach out!	14,356
It is important that all students continue to develop ownership and responsibility for their education. In order to encourage and develop self-management skills, support will be provided to assist students with completing assessments on time. In addition, consequences will be identified for students who submit assessments late or who fail to submit an assessment. A. To encourage and promote successful achievement for all students, teachers will: – Communicate in advance key dates for completing assessments. – Plan for major assessments to be completed in stages, so that students are less likely to be faced with an “all-or-nothing” situation at the last minute. – Encourage and model time-management skills and techniques. B. To demonstrate responsible attitudes and develop self-management skills, students will: – Communicate with teachers when there are extenuating circumstances that prevent them from meeting a deadline. – Hand in work on time even if they are away from school on the submission date. – Seek assistance from teachers and counselor to develop alternative strategies to manage deadlines and prioritize tasks. – Strive to be principled and positive when faced with challenges that he/she may not be able to overcome alone. – Maintain an honest and respectful attitude when communicating with teachers. C. To encourage student responsibility and the development of self-management skills, all teachers will: – Take into consideration legitimate reasons for missed deadlines – Assist the student with the completion of the assessment by requiring them to attend the next scheduled revision session(s) or additional sessions purposely planned to address the late submission. – Provide alternate assessments where, in the teacher’s professional judgment, it is reasonable and appropriate to do so. – Discuss and agree on a revised submission date. – Communicate with the student’s parents/guardian and share information on any decisions made in relation to a revised deadline, alternative assessment or consequences associated with a late submission. – Communicate with the student’s counsellor to deal positively with repeat cases of late submissions. Consequences for Late Submission of Assignments Consequences for late work will address behavior, not achievement. Work evaluated against specific criteria will reflect a valid assessment of the criteria and not be impacted by the lateness of the work. Staff will not deduct points for late work. Late and missed assignments for evaluation will be noted on the report card as part of the evaluation of a student’s development of the Learning Skills / Work Habits/ Approaches to Learning Skill. Failure to complete the required assessment tasks for a given course may prevent students from establishing a pattern of achievement and reaching the upper levels of the IB / OSSD grading scale. For IB Diploma Programme Internal Assessment tasks which need to be forwarded externally for examination or moderation, extensions are not usually possible. Missed Test / Exam Students who are absent for a test will be given an alternate test on their first day back in the respective course. A doctor’s note will be required to validate the absence. If a student does not submit a doctor’s note or submits a parent letter only the teacher will follow-up with a parent to inquire about the absence. Students absent for an exam will be given a zero. The only exceptions are at the discretion of the principal. Illness must be documented by a doctor’s note submitted no later than three days after the exam. Practices Related to Supporting Students with Attendance on Test Days: Teachers are required to share with students the requirement that a doctor’s note be submitted to verify an absence on the day of a test. Teachers are required to check the appropriate Grade Calendar to avoid scheduling tests on days when three assessments are already listed.	3,991
Starbucks Workers United members hope to win over customers who might not be thrilled with the strike by offering an even more exclusive commemorative item: A union-designed red cup with the Starbucks Workers United logo on the front. More than a thousand Starbucks employees went on strike on Thursday on what is one of the company's busiest days. Members of the Starbucks Workers Union are picketing outside more than a hundred stores across the country on what they say is the group's largest single-day strike. The walkout falls on what's known as Red Cup Day, when the coffee giant hands out limited-edition holiday reusable cups. They're considered collector's items and customers line up at the crack of dawn to get their hands on a decorated cup. It's one of the coffee giant's most profitable days on the calendar. But baristas such as Josie Serrano say it's emblematic of one of the union's fundamental requests: a call for better staffing. "It's honestly one of those days that a lot of ... baristas try to ... ask for off because it's always always a very insane day," said Serrano, who works at a store in Long Beach. Calif. Serrano says she has worked at Starbucks for about four and a half years. The store she works at is one of the 264 that have voted to unionize over the past year and joined the nationwide strike on Thursday. Staffing is just one of the issues that Starbucks Workers United representatives say prompted them to launch the so-called Red Cup rebellion: A national strike with more than 100 stores staging their own picket lines. The walkout is intended to get Starbucks to bargain with workers in good faith as the two sides try to hammer out new contracts, Serrano says. According to the union, the company has retaliated against union leaders, and Starbucks lawyers have walked out on bargaining sessions or made last-minute rescheduling requests that make it challenging for members to participate. But Starbucks' A.J. Jones, an executive vice president of communications, disputes that allegation. "Nothing could be further from the truth," Jones told NPR, adding that the company has provided Starbucks Workers United with ample notice of bargaining session letters. Jones said the company has probably been "overly aggressive" in trying to schedule bargaining sessions. The problem with recent talk breakdowns, he said, is that union leaders at the table want to record or broadcast negotiation talks on social media — a legal no-no. "Under the National Labor Relations Act, you are not allowed to record bargaining sessions. And that actually is a clear violation of the act because of what's being discussed." The workers union denies that that is a legitimate impediment. They say all they are doing is including union members on Zoom calls, which they claim they are allowed to do. Meanwhile, on the picket line, leaders hope to win over customers who might not be thrilled with the strike if it interferes with their chance to get a red cup. So, they're offering an even more exclusive commemorative item: A union-designed red cup with the Starbucks Workers United logo on the front. Serrano says this is a new kind of labor movement. "I feel like the movement has been very fun. It's been very positive. And we just really want to be able to share that with our supporters ... like this is this is a party." Currently, there are about 60 new bargaining sessions coming up before mid-December. Vanessa Romo is a reporter for NPR's News Desk. She covers breaking news on a wide range of topics, weighing in daily on everything from immigration and the treatment of migrant children, to a war-crimes trial where a witness claimed he was the actual killer, to an alleged sex cult. She has also covered the occasional cat-clinging-to-the-hood-of-a-car story.	3,914
Anytime EJD drops new work, I get excited. And just like I do when all his books are released, I ran to cop this one. No matter what EJD writes, I can assure you a few things for certain: 1. You gon’ learn a few new words. Big words. Small words. Words from other languages. Oh, you gon’ learn today! 2. You will meet at least three characters who will stick with you long after the books ends. 3. You will find Black women. Beautiful Black women. Black women of all shades, sizes and hues. Smart, cultured Black women. You may even find a few crazy Black women, but you know, Black women. 4. You will find Black men. Beautiful Black men. Fine-arse Black men. Black men who make you want to jump through the pages and lay yourself bare. Black men who love Black women. Black men protecting Black women. Black men of all shades, sizes and hues. You will find a few crazy-arse Black men who will beat you (other men) to death with bare hands or shoot the sh*t out of you or beat you with an object because they feel like it. You’re even going to find a few Black men who ain’t worth a whole lot. (see, DeWayne Sr.) Okay, if I keep this up, I’ll never get to the gosh-danged review. So here goes. I loved this book. I hated this book. Brick is the reason I loved this book. DeWayne Jr. is the reason I hated this book. I disliked DeWayne from the moment I met him. As his POV continued, I hated him by the end of the book. The reason I disliked DeWayne is based solely on biasedness. Okay, so maybe I didn’t hate the book. Maybe I just disliked DeWayne with passion. Don’t worry, DeWayne, I wasn’t too fond of Coretta either. I most definitely wasn’t feeling Frenchie. And DeWayne Sr.? Forget about it. I don’t get off on talking about stuff, things or people I dislike, so moving on….shall we? I can’t say whether I liked or disliked Andre. We didn’t get to learn too much about him, but I wished we had. He and Big Legs would have probably taken us down through there, but we will never know…or will we? I’d have preferred to read more about Andre as opposed to DeWayne. Ken Swift and Jake Elliot…well…they showed up, showed out and then dipped out. Gotta love those two. I loved Brick. I loved everything about Brick. I wanted much more for Brick. I was rooting for him from the moment he was introduced (EJD has the power to do that with his writing). Brick was complex. I couldn’t figure him out. Like he told Mocha Latte, he was a goshdarned riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. Maybe she was a reflection of him? Brick was always trying to save everybody, from trying to salvage the relationship between his father and his brother to trying to save his brother’s son and the son’s mama to keeping the pace off asses safe, Brick was to the rescue. I found that endearing. Actually, this whole book could have only had Brick’s POV and I wouldn’t have been mad about it. Mocha Latte, she is one of those beautiful Black women EJD always writes about. She was smart and from the country. She found herself in a tough situation, just like the other two women she worked with. She did what she had to do to survive. I will never judge any woman for that. Out of all the women in the book (and there were quite a few), she was my favorite. This book kept me flipping pages, and even when I had to stop reading it to do something around my house, I couldn’t stop thinking about reading it. However, there were some kinks. Monologues. Lots of those. LOTS of characters. If I wasn’t paying attention, I’d have been confused as to who was talking a couple of times. Sometimes, the characters came off as elitist and full of respectability politics. It seemed as if EJD was trying to make every woman in the world happy with this one. I understand he has a plethora of women fans from all walks of life and all races, but truly, I didn’t need the around the world or the fake love from Black men who claim to love Black women, but end up with others. Sir, just take your Frenchie and go. There was so much sex and so little use of protection. YIKES! Overall, though, I’m still an EJD reader and will probably read the next book he releases. Prayers to the Most High: Oh please let it be Gideon!!! I’m going to rate this book four-pages (think four-stars). Other Apps Other Apps Comments Popular posts from this blog June 19, 2019 “He’s getting married!” “What?” “Jamie… he’s getting married,” I repeated frantically. There was a wild look of panic in my eyes, I was sure. My whole world seemed to be crashing down around me. Nothing prepared me for the news that the man I still loved was about to walk down the aisle and make another woman his wife. Kay had to catch me in her arms before my legs gave out on me. For four years I’d been trying to come to grips with the fact that I’d let a good man get away. Jamie and I had been together for almost two years before I’d cheated on him with my son’s father’s best friend. I’d met Jamie while I was head over heels in love with Aric. Even after finding out Aric was married, I held on to hope that he and I could be together. That was until his wife, Stephanie, tried to kill me and my son while I was pregnant with him. Even then, it took a while for me to see that Aric and I just weren’t meant to be together. I finally saw that Jamie was the man I Other Apps Read more November 05, 2017 “You’re prettier than your pictures online,” he said out of the blue. I laughed. “Wow. Did you just give me a compliment?” “You are. I wasn’t that impressed when I saw your pictures.” I grunted. I’d never seen Demitri before the day I met him. There were no pictures of him on Elliot’s Facebook page. I’d looked. Searched high and low. I’d found it odd. Had even questioned it once, but all Elliot had said was that he liked to keep his personal life private. “So you were looking for me online, then?” I asked. He moved his hand around in the bowl. Made a face that said he wished he hadn’t done that. “I have something I can wrap your wrist with,” I told him. “Later,” he said. “And, no, I wasn’t looking for you online. You commented on one of Elliot’s posts. So I decided to look through your profile.” “So, you knew about me and Elliot, then?” “Not at the time. I just kept seeing a woman on his Facebook page flirting with him and him flirting back with her. I knew there wa Other Apps Read more October 30, 2015 This is another stop on a new slate of reviews I'll be posting on Nikki-Michelle's Spot. Before I ever had dreams of becoming a writer, I was a reader. That hasn't changed. I love to read. A good book can always take me away like Calgon. Next up, Naughtier Than Nice by Eric Jerome Dickey . I should note that this book is NOT on Kindle Unlimited. As a reader, I'm a fan of Kindle Unlimited. If you're a reader looking to test a new author, KU is a good investment, especially in this market of....eh, that's a story for a different day. Back to Naughtier Than Nice. Man, whew. I've waited so long for EJD to get back to this style of writing. Now don't get me wrong I love Gideon and the chick from A Wanted Woman, but I longed for the day EJD would get back to the Cheaters and Liar's Game style of writing. Once I read One Night earlier this year, I knew I was going to get Naughtier Than Nice. First off, let me say it did my heart some good to get an Other Apps Read more Nikki-Michelle resides in Metro- Atlanta, Georgia by way of Lexington, Mississippi. Carried by her love of reading, she began writing at the early age of twelve and has been on a journey of "trying" to pen the perfect novel ever since (she's still working on that). Her love of writing and wanting to create fiction with true to life situations are what inspire her to continue to write stories readers will enjoy with characters they can relate to. You can catch her works in the previously released anthologies 'If Only For One Night 1&2,' 'Full Figured 3', and 'Girls From Da Hood 7'. Her full-length works include 'Tell Me No Secrets' and 'Tell Me No Lies' 'All the Things I'm Missing at Home' and the critically acclaimed, Bi-Satisfied & Bi-Sensual. She's also dabbled in the Fantasy genre as she co-authored 'Promised Land' with Essence best-selling author, Brenda Hampton.	8,744
Hip-hop has become an extremely fast-paced genre, with people constantly blowing up at a moment’s notice and fading into irrelevance just as quickly. This is a list of four rappers (one honorable mention) who are currently gaining popularity and could eventually break into the mainstream. Should they achieve mainstream success, I’m confident they will be able to maintain it. That’s why I wrote this article. All of these artists bring something new to the table and I think that they should be recognized for this. In this article, I delve into the artists’ background, their rise to fame, and what they’re doing that makes them stand out from other rappers who similarly haven’t achieved mainstream success just yet. Again, the artist’s future is not determined, so take this article with a grain of salt, but if any of them become household names, don’t forget where you heard them first. Although these artists haven’t necessarily influenced the genre, I believe that they have the possibility to do so if they are able to continue growing their fanbase and artistic capabilities. This is why I’ve included this article in the Artist Spotlight series. BabyTron is one of the most entertaining rappers gaining traction right now. Hailing from Detroit, BabyTron is a perfect representation of the unique sub-genre of Michigan rap. BabyTron started rapping in high school, forming the group ShittyBoyz with fellow Detroit natives StanWill and TrDee. ShittyBoyz started gaining some attention with the short-lived popularity of “Scam-rap”, a genre of rap that focused on internet scamming and credit card fraud. BabyTron stood out in the group though, with his casual delivery mixed with comedic lyrics that contain clever wordplay. Additionally, once Scam-rap started to lose its popularity, he was able to adapt and quickly change the focus of his lyrics from scamming to other illicit topics while maintaining the same entertaining flow. He was also signed to a local Detroit label, The Hip-hop Lab, which has helped him develop this unique style even further and improved the quality of his music. The production of his songs is also something that will stand out to a first-time listener. Most of his beats are lively and extremely fun to listen to as they utilize samples from songs from the ’80s and ’90s blended with unconventional 808 placement. This is also what makes BabyTron so special and what might make his music appeal to people who tend to stray away from modern rap music. His nostalgic production and epigrammatic delivery and bars could interest people who aren’t fans of the autotune heavy, futuristic-sounding music of Yeat and Ken Car$on. Fortunately, BabyTron doesn’t solely rely on nostalgia, which means he can innovate if he has to. BabyTron is set to be one of the leaders of the Michigan rap scene, but his success is also reliant on the growing popularity of the sub-genre. Only time will tell as the sub-genre still needs to grow and reach more listeners outside the midwest, but I believe that BabyTron is going to be one of the bigger artists of this sub-genre if Michigan, and specifically Detroit, becomes a more well-recognized capital of hip-hop innovation. In Prince of the Mitten, BabyTron raps over 19 different beats from fellow Michigan rappers’ songs Ken Car$on is continuing the tradition of heavily autotuned Atlanta trap that was pioneered by Young Thug and Future while taking inspiration from Playboi Carti’s often criticized simple delivery and lyrics. It’s safe to say that Playboi Carti is one of his biggest inspirations, with the Atlanta rapper signing Ken to his Opium label and introducing him as the opening act throughout his 2021 King Vamp tour. However, Ken Car$on is not another Carti clone. Ken Car$on reminds me of youth. He coined the name “Teen X” for his brand, short for “Teen Ecstasy”, or “Teen High”, which is meant to represent the ecstasy and excitement of one’s youth. While youthfulness is a recurrent theme in pop culture, concurrent with the obsession and romanticization of teenage years in movies and TV shows, Ken Car$on reinvents this often played out concept. His music is genuinely fun to listen to; his lyrics that regard partying and youthful ignorance are complemented by his child-like voice and appearance. His production is just as spry as his delivery and lyrics. Utilizing 8bits and other similar plug-ins, Ken’s production is reminiscent of early-90’s video games music. While this may sound counter-intuitive to the youthful concepts surrounding his music, video games are often associated with young people, so this actually adds to his youthful essence. What makes his youthful appearance genuine is that it isn’t a facade. He started making and releasing music online at around 17. This contrasts with the “Netflix Teenagers” who are almost always played by adults well in their thirties reciting scripts written by people who think they know what 18-year-olds are like, but will just end up making Vine references 6 years too late. Ken’s appearance isn’t just a stage act either. People who have met him have stated that he is a genuinely funny person who does what he pleases, no matter how silly it makes him look. Ken Car$on is gaining popularity at a decent rate. Hopefully, a future collaboration with Playboi Carti can help gain him some recognition for his reinvention of youth representation. If you don’t know who Yeat is yet, you will soon. With a simple name and simple lyrics, his music is so simple that you won’t be able to forget his innovative simplicity. The Portland (Oregon) rapper is set to be the next big thing, with cosigns from Drake and Kanye West, you’ll probably be hearing a lot more of his static, slurred flow on mainstream rap songs in the near future. As a matter of fact, you may have already heard his music without knowing it. His song “Sorry Bout That” blew up on Tik Tok last year, and is still one of the most popular Tik Tok sounds today. What makes Yeat stand out is his voice. The best way I can describe it is as if someone was attempting to melodically growl in the best way possible. His lyrics are nothing to write home about, but lyrics are not the focus of his music- as angry as it might make certain people. His futuristic-sounding production relies heavily on loud bass, very little sampling, distorted synths, and, most importantly, bells. He admitted to not knowing a thing about producing music and that the only production he ever does is when he adds the bells into the song himself after he receives his beats. With a record deal with Interscope in the books and his recent 2 million monthly Spotify listeners milestone, Yeat is hip-hop’s next big star who will help usher in an even simpler subgenre of trap music. He is the lyrical rap fan’s worst nightmare, for better or for worse. His music is modern. Modern art forms, such as visual arts and architecture, are often very simple in appearance, even if they took a lot of time and effort to create. This form of modern has now been adopted by hip-hop, with simplicity becoming a key element in how the music is presented by innovative artists like Yeat. Hip-hop is a living, breathing genre, and it’s constantly innovating and reinventing itself. The only way it can do this is by allowing rappers like Yeat to push the boundaries of the genre. Honorable Mention: Sematary Sematary is who Chief Keef could’ve been if he had grown up listening to black metal and had access to the experimentalism of Bladee’s music. The Northern Californian’s music relies heavily on extremely distorted guitars fused with twisted vocals that sound like they were growled into an Xbox 360 mic and heavily autotuned afterward. His lyrics mix black metal and Chicago drill, two of the most lyrically aggressive genres, putting him on track to becoming a very controversial rapper should he make his way into the mainstream. Low-quality is also Sematary’s image, whether it’s his purposefully poorly designed album covers or his Instagram page many of his posts look like they were taken in 2015 on an iPhone 5. His music isn’t for the faint of heart as it focuses on satanic imagery and one can find heavy distortion over almost every part of a Sematary song. Whether his satan worshipping is an attention-grabbing tactic or not is yet to be seen. Additionally, his music also attempts to reverse the reputation that black metal has gained as a genre that attracts neo-fascists. His lyrics are extremely anti-fascist, with many of his obscenely aggressive threats directed towards those groups; and when I say aggressive, I really mean it. While these topics can be shocking to some people, they could help him gain attention. The reason I give him an honorable mention is that I’m not sure if this type of music can gain enough popularity to thrust him into the mainstream. While it’s very unique, it will also turn a lot of people away as some of his songs are genuinely hard to listen to if you’re not used to the type of lyrical content or production. He could gain more popularity in the underground scene, however, which might be what he’s going for. While some may view Sematary as a bit cringe-worthy, which he no doubt is at times, I think that it’s part of the absurdity of his character. A kid who’s obsessed with 2013 Chicago drill, black metal, satanism, anti-fascism, and looks like he’s in need of a shower could be an underground sensation, or he could be the driver of a wave of nostalgia and experimentalism that will soon fade away.	10,109
How to furnish a restaurant? Now there are no more doubts, good food and good design are a winning combination. The décor of a restaurant plays a really important role in defining the customer experience, and should be in harmony with all the other elements – from the menu to the mise en place – to tell a story that conquers the heart as well as the palate. Personality, therefore, but also comfort and functionality to ensure a pleasant experience, are the elements to keep in mind to set up a successful restaurant. Certainly these are complicated times for catering, between closures and new rules to follow. Professionals and cooking enthusiasts, everyone has to deal with the limitations imposed by the pandemic. Despite the great difficulties, thinking about the future with optimism is the key to being ready when they would finally reopen as before. For some, the forced closure could be the time to stop and take a closer look at their business, the goals achieved but also the points that could be improved or renewed, starting with the decor of the restaurant. Here are some tips, with an eye to the most interesting trends. Mood chair with armrests, lacquered steel frame and polypropylene shell upholstered and frontally covered in Pure Virgin Wool. Vincent coffee tables with lacquered steel base and laminate top. The open kitchen, to begin with, is a trend that’s more alive than ever. Some define it as a real philosophy, that sees customers eager to be involved and participate in the preparation of the dishes they are about to taste. In this particular situation, it also emphasizes how the pleasure of going to a restaurant does not end with the taste of the dishes but includes a broader experience, in which the surrounding environment is more important than ever. After years of minimalism, then, the desire for color has returned to make itself felt among the trends for restaurant furnishings. Choosing particular shades and playing with original combinations may therefore prove to be a winning card to give a greater connotation to the restaurant’s identity, as long as a harmonious color palette is defined. This way, we will have a pleasant and captivating environment, that will also entice customers to take pictures to share with friends on their social channels: an aspect that should not be underestimated for the furnishing of a modern restaurant. A simple but certainly not obvious way to renovate the premises with a touch of color is represented by chairs: the Bontempi Casa catalog offers different proposals of chairs dedicated to contract furniture that can be declined in a wide range of colors, from classic to the more modern ones. With the padded and upholstered models, you can also play with the textures of the materials, from elegant premium leather to soft wool through nubuck, velvet and many others. The online configurator can certainly help you unleash your imagination and discover all the available options. Mood chair with or without armrests, lacquered steel frame and polypropylene shell, upholstered and covered in velvet on the front. Alis coffee tables with lacquered steel base and stratified top. Finally, always current and never out of fashion are the attention to details and the typical ability of Italian contract design to combine aesthetics and functionality in a harmonious whole. The sitting must have well-finished shapes and be comfortable, to go from appetizers to dessert without noticing the passing of time. The tables will have to adapt to the management of the space, ensuring the correct distance between the different groups of customers but also the possibility of being united, soon, in large tables. Enhancing the natural light that comes from the windows during the day, and creating soft and pleasant lighting for the evening, can only be an added value – as well as the eye of an expert consultant you can rely on if you want to do a restyling. contract design Prev Post January 15, 2021 Next Post January 29, 2021 Related Posts Kitchen furniture: how to choose chairs and avoid mistakes September 30, 2022 Modern leather chairs: inspiration and advice September 30, 2022 Comments are closed. Journal is the editorial magazine of Bontempi Casa, a place of storytelling where you can find the sources of inspiration that give us the creative drive to make our products. Between the quality of the materials, told by the production to the sale, passing through emotional stories that explore the world of design and living room, up to design events not to be missed. This is our world, designed for you.	4,767
This piece was written in July 2020 for my MA portfolio for the University of Lincoln. It has been published on acajournalist.com in Janaury 2021 to allow time for it to be graded. By columnist Ailsa Adams, mother to two boys with a baby girl on the way. In a click of a button, the trip was booked. Instant fear kicked in as I started to doubt how sensible our decision was. Were we being completely selfish and irresponsible to try and leave the safety of our home during a global pandemic? At this very moment Wilf attempted a backflip off the sofa whilst shouting “cowabunga” so my husband and I nodded simultaneously in agreement that it was definitely needed for all of our sanity and perhaps ironically, safety in Wilf’s case. For our first trip away we decided to test the water and book just one night at the theme park, Chessington World of Adventure, near London. Though it wasn’t my first choice, the children were desperate to return since their visit last year. As parents we were comforted by the fact there would be half the number of visitors allowed in the park, so it felt like it might be quite safe. The alarm was set for 5.30am for the first time in months and the entire contents of the house was meticulously stacked in the boot of our estate car, reminiscent of a game of Tetris. Another seemingly necessary byproduct of parenting is that everything has to be hideously brightly coloured like the game itself, as the lime green suitcase balanced below the bright red pushchair. This time though instead of the passport, wallet, keys debate before we left, we had to check we all had masks packed. How can we possibly need an entire boot full of stuff for one night at a theme park? It definitely wasn’t because of the pandemic as the masks took up no room. Perhaps it is a British thing or a worldwide phenomenon that parents excessively overpack to cover all eventualities. I think in our case, the entire theme park population under the age of five could simultaneously wet themselves and we had them covered with fresh clothes. The pandemic was constantly at the forefront of our minds and as a testing station occupied half the hotel car park, it was impossible to forget anyway. As country bumpkins this was the first time we had seen a station and the boys were completely blown away that the “actual” military army were there conducting the testing. As opposed to a fake army? I am not entirely sure but the word “actual” has to be annunciated excitedly when you are five and two, apparently. Our temperature was taken as we entered the park gates and a pang of fear washed over me. Children were running and giggling all around us with little care for social distancing. As much as it was a lovely site to see children carefree and happy, I was angry they kept getting so close to us and were not discouraged by their parents. Perhaps pregnancy hormones added to my irritability but nevertheless, the empty pram proved to be a vital lack of social distancing deterrent, as I swiped it exaggeratingly left to right. As we approached the queue for the Gruffalo ride, the character famed from Julia Donaldson’s “The Gruffalo,” I was optimistic that finally the British queuing ability would pay off. We would adhere to the new coronavirus rules and meticulously wait spaced out at two metre intervals. After a few minutes, it was clear this would not be the case as rude “Karens” pushed by us, touching us as they went to meet their spouse holding their spot nearer the front of the queue. I instantly wanted a shower as I imagined the germs spreading up and down our arms. The pandemic was adding a new level of anxiety and being close to other humans really felt unnatural. I felt sorry for the boys as they were told for the fifteenth time “don’t touch that.” Their crestfallen faces added to my guilt that their whole existence had to be altered this year, with the inevitable “why?” met with “because of coronavirus.” Followed by a sad voice that said: “Coronavirus ruins everything.” For the children it is a nuisance and inconvenience ruining their fun. I envied their innocence and lack of understanding of the gravity of such a global catastrophe with no clear end in sight. Both children cried on the Gruffalo ride and never wanted to go on it ever again. So glad we had bothered to risk our lives for the experience. The day progressed in a similar fashion as my anger level rose with each person who invaded our space. When a tiger walked by the viewing window in the zoo part of the park, it was apparently totally acceptable to forget about the pandemic for an Instagram selfie. Finally check in time for the hotel arrived as we walked back to a chorus of moaning over who got to sit in the pushchair. I longed to have a narrow enough bottom to be a contender for the coveted prize as my whole-body ached. An occupational hazard of this being the third child in a body well trodden, sagging and protruding in ways no woman ever wishes to. At this moment in time our decision to leave the house seemed extremely stupid and I regretted it to the point I had to swallow back a lump in my throat, people were just not taking it seriously. We all pulled ourselves together and checked into our Giraffe themed room which was magnificent, looking over the nature reserve with roaming cattle, zebras and ostriches. Naturally, the children were more interested in the seagull that landed on the windowsill, but at least we were in our own space and could sit down away from the crowds with a hot cup of tea. Even if it was in a disposable cup. Why would the pandemic mean crockery in our room was a no go? The sheets weren’t disposable, so I am not sure why we couldn’t have proper cups that were washed on our departure. Dinner was as expected, a reduced, carb heavy menu because of coronavirus with tables slightly too close together for my liking. My husband ordered a large glass of red wine as I glared at him, green with envy as I ordered a large water. The following day the park was even busier, so the children picked out a couple of rides each and we made our way back to the safety of our car before lunchtime. As we sat in the car, both of us sighed with relief that our time had come to an end at Chessington, wallets jingling less after the obligatory gift shop purchases to signify the end of the trip. Having had a few weeks back at home, meticulously checking everyone temperature to make sure we remained coronavirus free, I have reflected on our trip more positively. It was really good to get the children out of the house and they thoroughly enjoyed their freedom. No one got poorly, so the measures in place hopefully were good enough to prevent spreading the virus. It was also lovely to watch the children enjoy themselves in a setting that was off limits for so many months. Really not much of our trip was too far different to previous visits either and the coronavirus was more of a constant nuisance in the background rather than ruining the trip entirely. Whilst I won’t be in a rush to book another theme park, I am keen to get us away somewhere in the countryside in our touring caravan so we can have a change of scenery again. Related Published by The Lincolnshire Mummy Mum to two fabulous but strong willed boys, George and Wilfred aged six and three and a beautiful baby girl Sybil, who was born in November 2020. Chat all things motherhood, fashion, fitness and the endless quest to fit in my wedding dress again one day, it currently fits one thigh. View all posts by The Lincolnshire Mummy	7,737
You can follow the discussion on <strong>Helping my 3 1/2 yo slim down</strong> without having to leave a comment. Cool, huh? Just enter your email address in the form here below and you're all set. Log In Username Password Register There are no users currently online SUBSCRIBE to Receive New Posts via Email Recent Posts Tuesday, October 14, 2014 “ Starting ABM was a real turning point in Claire's mobility. Before ABM, I was working, and working, and working with her and she was actually under performing her prognosis. After our first few ABM appts, I could see significant changes in her. She was making sense of her body and as a result she started moving much more fluidly. In ABM, the practitioner does movements that teach the child effective ways to move their body. For instance, Claire has struggled with bearing weight with her feet flat on the ground. Traditional PT would put her in more bracing. In ABM, the practitioner does movements with her feet and legs, starting by moving them in the direction they like to bear weight and then gently moving them in different directions--essentially starting where the body feels comfortable and then gently teaching it new, more effective ways to move. Its so encouraging to go to appts and know that she will progress more and more and that her practitioner is working with her in a way that is not pressuring her, putting her in uncomfortable positions, or asking her to do what is difficult. Instead, she is gently leading Claire to learn new ways to move her body naturally--which then leads to concrete increases in mobility.” Works wonders for Us Wednesday, October 15, 2014 “ Have been seeing a acupuncturist since LO was about 3 months old. It has produced amazing healing of her scar, visible difference in days. It has also provided support for bowl and bladder. At 1 year we have had no incidence of UTI or constipation, and while it cannot be proven that that is credit to the acupuncture alone, I'm confident that the treatments have supported her good health.” Thursday, October 16, 2014 “ My daughter has been having craniosacral treatments twice a month since she was born. I can't know for sure, but I believe these treatments have contributed to her overall wellbeing. The craniosacral system stretches from head to tailbone and has a wave-like rhythm caused by the movement of cerebral spinal fluid. I have an amazing story. During a recent treatment, the therapist immediately honed in on my daughter's head and spent the entire session there. She had never done this before. Halfway through the treatment her eyes got big and she told me that she felt some serious movement on the suture between two of the cranial bones. She said it was "compressed" and then released. This made me remember that I wanted to talk to her about her "wonky eyes". For over a week my daughter's eyes had not been tracking perfectly. It wasn't constant and it wasn't severe, but it was noticeable by all members of the family. When I told her this she moved to a different suture that affects the eyes. She again felt movement. And then it hit me - - she had fallen off the couch the previous week! So here's the crazy part, after the treatment her eyes were back to normal. No more wonky eyes ever since. It was really amazing!” ABM Really Works! Thursday, October 16, 2014 “ We have had two ABM treatments. The first one when my daughter was only 5 months old. We had been working with traditional PT to get her to roll from back to front, but she seemed to be making no progress. Then the day after her ABM treatment she rolled over for the first time. Coincidence? Maybe. But a few weeks ago we had an ABM intensive, meaning three consecutive days of twice a day treatments - six total sessions. The results were truly amazing. The first improvement was the type that I expected - improvement in movement and function. Our daughter had always used both arms and legs to crawl, but she did it flat on the ground, not up on her hands and knees. So it was an army crawl using all four limbs. So our therapist worked on getting her up on all fours and she really improved in this area. She gets up on all fours and rocks and is working on crawling that way now. But the even more drastic improvement, that I didn't anticipate, was the improvement in her body's flexibility or looseness. I didn't realize how tight and rigid her body was. When I got home, I handed her to my teenage son and he almost dropped her because her body was so soft and pliable. And this affected her whole body, but most amazingly her feet and hips. She has dislocated hips which have always been extremely tight and clubbed feet that barely moved at all and both became extremely pliable. This improvement is truly incredible. We have been working on her clubfeet with every imaginable treatment, including myofascial release, achilles tendon release, stretching, splinting, casting, you name it. But nothing produced even close to this much improvement in the flexibility of her feet. I can't wait for our next intensive!” Sunday, October 19, 2014 “ I just read two books on Scalp Acupuncture. The first, "From No Hope to Know Hope," was written by the mother of a child with Cerebral Palsy and, to be honest, her story was astonishing. After finishing her book, I immediately ordered the authoritative book on the subject, written by the doctor who brought this method to the US 25 years ago, Dr. Jason Hao. The results described in the case studies in this book are just as remarkable. Though we haven't tried this method yet ourselves (there are no practitioners in our area), as I was reading Dr. Hao's book I kept thinking about the potential benefits for symptomatic chiari and for cerebellar malformations. The book lists a whole host of nervous system disorders (with case studies), but I thought I would mention the following conditions specifically: Paralysis, Spinal Cord Injury, Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), Vocal Cord Paralysis, Aphasia & Apraxia (speech disorders) & Seizures. Whether we are able to find a practitioner closer to home or have to travel to Dr. Hao's clinic in New Mexico, we hope to try this treatment in the future to help our daughter's mobility. Though our daughter's ACII is not symptomatic and she does not have any cerebellar problems, we will be anxious to hear from other who can use this treatment to help such conditions.” MD & ND - they both say it's working! Tuesday, October 21, 2014 “ We have been giving our daughter D-Mannose since she was about 6 months old. And though she is colonized with e-coli, she has never had a symptomatic UTI. We recently went to Seattle for clinic, but while we were there we saw a Naturopathic Urologist at Bastyr in Seattle. He said that he believes that the reason her e-coli is non-symptomatic is because the D-Mannose prevents it from attaching to the bladder wall. He explained that the reason she still remains colonized is because she always has residual urine in her bladder. Surprisingly, the urologist at clinic recommended D-Mannose as well. When I told him I was already giving it to her, he said he thought that was probably why she was doing so well. I was shocked to hear those words from an MD!” Wednesday, October 22, 2014 “ We tried this treatment on the recommendation of our pediatrician and several moms. But while it was interesting, and certainly not harmful, neither could we see it as beneficial. I later did some reading into how the treatment was developed, writings of Dr. Upledger and the premise on which it is based. It all seemed very unlikely to me. Some of Dr. Upledger's writings were really "out there" in a way that made me uncomfortable. The premise of CSF having its own pulse that can be manipulated via light touch through bone seems unlikely. More, in our daughter's case, her choriod plexus is cauterized, so it seems even far less likely. This just didn't seem worth chasing after, particularly when our resources are limited and treatments need to be prioritized.” A daily routine Wednesday, October 22, 2014 “ We've been using this product for some time. Overall, we have been very happy with it. It absolutely improves motility and, when combined with molasses seems to provide a good, regular movement without being difficult to pass or becoming too watery. It did take some tinkering to work out what dosage and combination works best. And it does require patience. Little SB bowels are slow and it may take several days to a week to begin to see a real change. This is not a constipation correction, if an issue already exists. But it is a wonderful way to help protect intestinal health and prevent constipation from developing. We use it daily, but have only rated at 4 stars because it does take a little work to get it "just right".” Wednesday, October 22, 2014 “ We started craniosacral as recommend by our PT for my daughter's head shape (neurosurgeon recommended helmet) and overtime her head shape did improve--I think partially from the treatment and partially just from time. I recommended it a a friend and her son tried it for awhile and then ultimately decided to get a helmet because the results were not dramatic enough. After our craniosacral doctor moved, we tried two others and I didn't see any results from those appts--and paid quite a bit out of pocket. At that point, we just decided to move on to treatments that I saw a quicker/more obvious results.”	9,898
Posted bydtravelsround February 18, 2014 January 9, 2019 Posted inAsia, Expat Life, Thailand, The Comfort Zone ProjectTags:blogsherpa, chiang mai, comfort zone project, expat, thailand, weight loss This post is a part of the year-long Comfort Zone Project. “Oh, why you so pom pui?” People ask me. Strangers. Friends. You name it. You’d think one of the first words I would learn in Thailand would be how to ask someone’s name, or how to ask for directions. But, nope. One of the first words I learn other than “drunk” is pom pui or “fat.” And that is because everyone asks me why I am fat. Or tells me I am fat. Or says I am soai (beautiful) followed by pom pui. Fat AND beautiful. Now, that is a nice backhanded compliment. Thankyouverymuch. Unlike in Western cultures, weight here isn’t one of those hush-hush things. It’s an in-your-face thing. Comments people make here that would make me cry if someone Western was saying it simply roll of my back. Or, they try to roll off my back. After awhile, those “you’re fat” comments begin to take a toll. Skinny is everywhere in Thailand. If you’re above a size 8 (and I think I’m being quite forgiving when I say that), you won’t be able to find cute clothes. I’m a size 10 or 12 (depending on the day), and yeah, shopping at the department stores leaves me feeling defeated when I look at a pair of pants that can’t even fit an arm through the leg, let alone my ass. The only place I can shop is Tesco Lotus, and then it is clothing that is more like a tent than anything cute and form-fitting. I’ve always battled with being overweight, and here in Chiang Mai, it is a constant reminder of those battles. When I lived in Las Vegas, I lived in a world where beauty was directly attributed to a tiny waist, big bust (check), spray tan and hair extensions. It had nothing to do with anything else. You got further in Vegas if you were skinny, and I was not a fool. Even when work asked that I get a headshot, the photographer worked magic. “I’m just going to make your nose a little smaller, your eyes a little bigger, your teeth a little straighter, your face a little smaller … oh, but you are beautiful,” he said, as he Photoshopped me to a younger illustration (or caricature) of myself. After only a few months in Sin City, I began to do PR for a doctor who shall remain nameless because after years of following his business, I think he is the most unethical doctor I’ve ever met or heard of. This good doctor had a weight loss program that basically was a cocktail of diet pills and seizure pills that resulted in the heaviest of people transforming quickly into slimmer versions of themselves. As I sat on the table after getting an EKG done, he looked at me and said “You’re going to be blown away by how fat you are.” I kid you not. Sure, I was tipping the scales at 200 at that time, but for a doctor to tell me that broke my heart. And yes, it is his job, but to say so in such a callous way … He handed me two bottles of pills, a Phentermine concoction for the mornings and Topomax for the evenings, and prescribed me a weekly fat burning shot. Hiking in Yosemite. Down to a size nothing in 2005. The shit worked. Within six months I had gone from a size 16 to a six four. I had gone from fat to toothpick. It was a miracle drug, but it had its prices. My vision became blurry. My heart would race like I had just snorted an entire eight-ball of coke for breakfast. I was skinny, but it wasn’t me. Ringing in the New Year in 2006. Just look at that neck. As the good doctor put it, I was now sexy. I had newfound attention from men. I had gone from the ugly duckling in the corner watching all of the couples snuggling to the girl with guys at her side. I had gone from the girl who hid her body behind enormous, billowy shirts to the girl wearing tight dresses. I had the body I had always dreamed of. Until I didn’t. After nearly a year of taking the pills, I decided to stop them. Cold turkey. Within months, my weight shot back up and I was back to the loose clothing. People would look at me with their brow furrowed, casting me their deepest sympathies for my weight gain. I was back to being the girl in the corner. It was then I made the conscious decision that I would not let those stares ruin me. I would not let those stares define me and my body. I would take control. I enrolled at the gym and started working out. I didn’t get back to a size four, but I made sure I could have control over my weight. The thing about weight-loss is, you have to be all in, or not at all. I had worked out for about six months when I started to get depressed, and soon even lacing up my sneakers was a challenge. So, instead I ate. Papa John’s. McDonalds. I drank. I did whatever I could to camouflage my insecurities by doing something I could control — my intake of food and drink. But, when your intake trumps your exertion, you gain weight. So, I ballooned back to the weight I was when I arrived in Vegas. It wasn’t until I left Vegas and relocated to Atlanta that I finally was able to control my weight again. For at least six months. Then, depression again. Weight gain again. Four months later … skinnier in Atlanta, thanks to hour-long cardio and personal training most of every week. I thought traveling would make me skinny, so when I set out for my career-break, I decided I would lose weight. I lost a little — there’s something to be said for walking places with a huge backpack on your back that causes those calories to just burn, burn, burn. I returned to America a smaller version of myself, but still not happy. I looked in the mirror and saw a fat, fat girl who hated herself for not being able to control her own body. “You’re pretty, but I don’t date big girls and from this picture, you look like a big girl,” one guy told me via e-mail. Photo: Ronda Churchill. Of course, the normal lose weight-gain weight battle once again ensued upon my arrival back to Vegas. I was up to five days a week at the gym, busting out an hour of cardio a pop, followed by yoga or pilates. I was counting calories. Cutting down on the booze. And, then, I wasn’t. Again. Because it is all cyclical. When I moved to Thailand, I was the heaviest I had ever been. Standing in front of the mirror in my room at Smith, looking at myself naked … I would burst into tears. At my heaviest in September 2012 in Sri Lanka. Thoughts would race through my mind. I will never find someone to kiss me again. I will never find someone to sleep with again. I will never find someone to love me. The worst part about living in Thailand and being overweight, is living in Thailand and being a western women. The chances of finding a guy are nearly zero. I’ve always operated with the belief that beauty is everywhere … that I shouldn’t have to be skinny to fall in love or to have someone fall in love with me. That no one should be anyone they are not … that as people, we are all gorgeous, whether skinny, fat, short, tall, etc. I’ve dated men who I wasn’t initially attracted to, but as I got to know them, they turned into the world’s hottest people. Attraction is important, yes. But, there are other things, too. And, I always held tight to the belief that people would like me simply for me. For my heart. For my mind. For my passion. Not because I am or am not a size four. I guess I’m not everyone. A year after Sri Lanka and 20 lbs lighter Even as the pounds began to fall off — a total change in diet (cutting out meat), along with sweltering heat and sweating my weight out of me daily — dropped the scale about 20 pounds. But, it didn’t matter. People saw me the same. Fat. Pom pui. And soon, it became just a part of my life. Everyone commenting (and I mean everyone — strangers, friends, people I see everyday and can only exchange bits of broken Thai or English), even when their comments were not asked for or welcomed. I have no idea why anyone thinks it is ok to tell someone they would be so much prettier/better/etc. if they weren’t fat. Sometimes, it boggles my mind. I don’t look at them and say, “you know, you would be better if you pulled that stick out of your ass and completely rearranged your face?” It would certainly not be met with an understanding smile. So, why the double standard? Why is it OK for someone to give you their opinion about what makes you “not worthy” of being loved? And since when does weight become the single most important factor in any part of life? I know people here don’t mean it to cause pain. It is either no big deal since calling someone “fat” is normal, or they tell me because they think it can help me become a better me. But that doesn’t mean it just rolls off my back. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t impact my self-esteem. Or the way I feel about myself. Today, I’ve grown accustomed to being “fat” even though my weight continues to drop. Men here still don’t look at me. And, I still get judged as to the person I am based on my clothing size. Is it disheartening? Yes. Is it defeating? Yes. Is it life? Sadly, so long as I live here, it is. No amount of weight loss … no amount of lifestyle change will ever amount to me having the Thai version of a perfect body. While it used to make me sad (hence, staring at the mirror in tears), today I look at myself and think “fuck you. Really. Fuck. You. If you don’t like me for who I am, cellulite and all, then please. Do me a favor. Fuck yourself and go find a skinny woman who will be your everything.” January 2014. Still losing weight and now time to get healthy. Because I am worth more than my weight. At the same time, I want to give myself a chance to kick this once and for all. I want to look in the mirror with confidence, even if the people around me don’t see the beauty I possess, regardless of whether I am 100 or 200 pounds. It is one of the reasons why I started The Comfort Zone Project — because I want to push myself to be the best version of me I can be, and give myself the best version of the life I am living. I enrolled in a gym. I hired a personal trainer. Drinks are cut down to twice a week. Smoking is going to stop. Either I will be a fat girl in Thailand and embrace the shit out of it, or I will do my damned best to be the not-so-fat girl in Thailand and love myself. Because, you know what? I deserve it. Related Posted bydtravelsround February 18, 2014 January 9, 2019 Posted inAsia, Expat Life, Thailand, The Comfort Zone ProjectTags:blogsherpa, chiang mai, comfort zone project, expat, thailand, weight loss Published by dtravelsround Awakening the soul while traveling ... a story of being on the cusp of adulthood. View more posts Previous Post Previous post: Next Post Next post: 155 thoughts on “The fat girl in Thailand” February 19, 2014 at 5:51 am A great, intimate post. Your statement that you are worth more than your weight is spot on! One’s true beauty is on the inside, as we all know the external stuff will change. This Comfort Zone Project you’re doing is brave and beautiful. Just be sure to love yourself on the inside, regardless of what’s happening on the outside You’re gorgeous! Diana says: February 19, 2014 at 11:58 pm Thank you. I love you both so much. Thank you for the never-ending support and love. February 19, 2014 at 6:30 am Really great article – and anyone who doesn’t see you for you… well frankly it’s their loss and very much your gain! But wowser you look GREAT (in all of these photos, truth be told) – but you look really well in the 2014 shot – well done you! xx Diana says: February 19, 2014 at 11:58 pm Giselle and Cody says: February 19, 2014 at 7:44 am People who choose to ignore you because of the way you look are really missing out because you are incredible. You are so dear to the two of us and we both think you are such a beautiful person. We love you sooooooo much!!! Diana says: February 19, 2014 at 11:58 pm Thank you so much! I love you both heaps and heaps and heaps. Michelle says: February 19, 2014 at 8:04 am Literally a lifelong battle…one of my earliest memories with you is at a WW meeting in sixth grade. Such tough stuff but I will be here reading and rooting you on! Diana says: February 19, 2014 at 11:57 pm Wow!! I remember those weigh ins at WW! It really is a life-long battle. It is sad that we even felt the need as sixth graders to go to WW. I remember how vicious kids were back then (and probably still are). Sometimes I wonder if it wasn’t for all of those bullies, if I would have such issues as an adult with how I look at myself. Thank you so much for the support, Michelle. I appreciate it so much! Michelle says: February 20, 2014 at 7:28 am Yup, I always wonder if that was even the right way to go so young. I remember going to a weigh in and running into our 6th grade reading teacher. OUCH. My daughter came home yesterday with a BMI assessment that shows her as “overweight.” I literally had to stop myself from tearing it up. She isn’t at all and…ugh. Anyways. Diana says: February 22, 2014 at 6:00 am Ugh. I don’t have kids, but I can imagine how you felt. You always want what is best for the people you love. And you don’t want them to endure a moment of sadness. February 19, 2014 at 8:50 am It is surprising how similar and yet different personal experiences can be. I lived in South America and had the same comments. Kudos to you for choosing health! Treat yourself as kindly as you do your friends. Take comfort in the fact that you are not alone in this. Above all, live a life that is authentic and true to who you were created to be. Diana says: February 19, 2014 at 11:56 pm It is like that in SA, too?!? NOOO!!!! You are right — I do need to treat myself as kindly as I treat my friends. With this project, I have started to be nice to me, and it is an odd thing. I never realized how much I do that doesn’t make me happy, but makes my friends happy. There needs to be a balance — and boundaries — and that is all part of the project. Since I started it, and started working out, I have noticed how much more inclined I am to just hang out by myself, to get lost in my own thoughts more, and to give myself permission to just be selfish for a little more of my time and focus on me. It feels really, really good. Thank you so much for the kind words and the support. Hilary says: February 19, 2014 at 10:17 am Yes!!! To all of it… I remember being destroyed by a boy at college when I rocked up in my awesome new outfit and he told me in all sincerity I would look really sexy if I lost a bit of weight. The only time I ever managed to get to a ‘happy weight’ was for my wedding ( I found myself a chubby chaser!) But the honeymoon in Vegas put paid to all that…. I, like you, am constantly struggling with my size, but always find myself drawn to the doors of the bakery. Since being in Chiang Mai I have had a few of the other school mums tell me how Pom pui I am. I have to admit I was quite depressed when I found out what that means. I always intend to lose weight and quit smoking, but I have no resolve whatsoever. You ARE beautiful, but I totally understand where you are coming from. If you ever find yourself in need of a reluctant over weight smoker for a gym buddy, feel free to get in touch!! I’m really enjoying your blog ( which I found shortly after we came here) , and I know how hard it is to write a personal story like this, keep your strength and keep telling those bastards to go fuck themselves because you deserve better. Diana says: February 19, 2014 at 11:54 pm Hilary — I would LOVE a work out buddy. I go to Fitness Thailand — you game?!? I have been destroyed by guys in the past, too. I remember one guy I liked in Vegas told me how hot I would be if I just lost some weight — but not in my boobs or ass. Thank you so much for your support. I hope we do get to hang out and motivate each other!! Just shoot me an email! ldf says: February 19, 2014 at 10:49 am I lived in Thailand for four years, trained muay thai fulltime, was a size 6 and dealt with this all constantly. It’s tough and the damage stayed with me for awhile after returning to North America but it did get better. I’m glad you’re using this as motivation for lasting change – inside and out. I really enjoyed this piece – thank-you for sharing your experience. Diana says: February 19, 2014 at 11:53 pm I think between the whole idea of people just being blunt and the single western women in Thailand thing — there will be lasting effects on me, well after I have left Thailand. It has opened up a lot of insecurities I have about myself that I didn’t really realized I had … at least not in the State or Europe. It is important to be happy with myself, and I have been unhappy far too long. I’m excited about working on me and appreciate you taking the time to weigh in. February 19, 2014 at 11:33 am Diana says: February 19, 2014 at 11:51 pm February 19, 2014 at 11:45 am Diana you seem to touch me with every single post you write. I can’t imagine what it must feel like having people just say things like that outright (I mean, my Nana won’t think twice about telling me I’ve put on weight when she visits but, hey, that’s Nana’s for you) and I can understand why it hurts, regardless of whether the person’s doing it to hurt you (which like you said; not likely in Thailand) or because they’re trying to make you a better person. But then, does being thin make you a better person? No. Does having lumps and bumps here and there make you less of a person than someone else? No. I, too, have struggled with my weight. Both before I was travelling and during. I love running, but sometimes finding the time when you’re travelling is difficult, despite what some people might say about 6am runs on the beach. 6am?? No. Just no. I’ve been luckily enough not to encounter people being so blasé about the fact that I might not be a perfect size 8, whatever ‘perfect’ may be, but it is something I want to change. I’ve been trying to change this by signing up to some races and have one coming up in March in London. Even though you ARE worth so much more than your weight, I’m looking forward to seeing you take on this journey (I feel like there needs be a ROAR there – YEAH bring it on!) and am, as always, 100% behind you Diana says: February 19, 2014 at 11:51 pm Thank you so much, Beverly! I think someone telling you you are fat, or suggesting you lose weight, is OK — depending on the person. My mom? Sure. My best friend? Absolutely. A stranger on the street? Not so much. But, it isn’t to be mean, and I know that. It just takes those insecurities swimming in my own head and puts them in my face, rather than tucked safely into the far recesses of my brain to deal with on a rainy day. I think a truly beautiful, good person is something that shines through — regardless of weight, looks, etc. It is the heart, the mind and the attitude. I think it is great that you are signing up for races! I have terrible knees and ankles and can’t run, otherwise I would love to do that. Thank you so much for your support. ROAR. February 19, 2014 at 11:59 am I’m 5’7″ and weigh around 117 now…and I’m still called big and fat in Thailand. I will never get used to how they’re so blunt about appearances. Diana says: February 19, 2014 at 11:48 pm Seriously??! You are tiny!! It is a tough thing to get past the bluntness. I know no one means to cause pain, but you take a Western woman and put her here, with the background she has and the entire “don’t talk about weight” thing we have grown up with, and it is really hard on the self-esteem. February 19, 2014 at 12:24 pm Wow. Simply wow. This hit a bit close to home for me. Diana says: February 19, 2014 at 11:47 pm February 19, 2014 at 12:33 pm Thank you for sharing this, I know it must have taken courage. First of all, I’ve gotta say YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL. Seriously. Secondly, you so have the right attitude about this. Health and fitness CAN’T be about wanting to look hot for the rest of the world or even for yourself. It needs to be about feeling good and loving yourself. This morning I motivated myself to take a run on the beach because well, it was a nice thing to do. It was a way to feel connected with nature, get my endorphins going, and have a boost of energy for my day. If I made it about punishing myself for the fried noodles I ate, the new flab I’ve acquired since leaving Costa Rica, or comparing my body to another woman’s on the beach, I’d never keep it up. Wishing you the best on this journey. I can tell you’re such a strong woman so just keep letting it roll off and keep loving yourself. Diana says: February 19, 2014 at 11:47 pm Thank you, Camille. Good for you on motivating yourself! I always remind myself how good I will feel after I am done working out. Those endorphins kicking really have changed my attitude. It’s a good thing. And yes, you can’t punish yourself. I had three little oatmeal cookies the other day, and you know what? I loved the crap out of them! Thanks for the support. I truly hope our paths cross one day — you inspire me. February 19, 2014 at 1:04 pm Gosh, what a personal post, congratulations on just writing this. I can’t believe what the Dr did, loosing so much weight in so little time is not healthy! Remember though you are in Thailand and many women (if not most) are too skinny- the comment by Alana above mine summarizes it pretty well. More power you you! Diana says: February 19, 2014 at 11:45 pm Thank you! The doc was terrible and completely unethical. It was not healthy, and yet he kept encouraging it. I remember one time, after I had lost about 30 pounds, he looked at me and told me how sexy I was and how sexy I would be … once I lost the rest of the weight. Caitlyn says: February 19, 2014 at 1:51 pm Congrats on a great post – you certainly have a lot of courage, more than me because I just don’t think I can write so personally on my blog. I wish I could and you’ve certainly given me some inspiration! Though not as bad as it sounds in Thailand, I get it in the Netherlands a bit – I am always an XL in clothes when I’m an M at home; people just seem to be beanpoles here. Thanks for a truly great read. Diana says: February 19, 2014 at 11:44 pm Thank you, Caitlyn. You can write personally — just tell that voice in the back of your head to shush and let the words flow. I find it quite therapeutic to just write honestly and candidly. And then, to see the amazing love and support that flows from others just encourages me to continue to do it. I appreciate the kind words. Embrace that XL!! I always think to myself that I may be a 2X here, but at home I am a medium, and that makes me feel better. February 19, 2014 at 2:06 pm Diana you are beautiful and always have been love and jingles xxx Diana says: February 19, 2014 at 11:42 pm Thank you, Lucy!! Love and jingles to you, too. February 19, 2014 at 2:58 pm Diana….you are gorgeous!!!!!!! I would love to look as slim as you did at your heaviest. Lol I wonder what the Thai’s call me then. That smile of yours is awesome and what I notice most…even from a hundred metres away. Thanks for writing this for all us Pom pui girls We are all worth far more than our weight. Diana says: February 19, 2014 at 11:42 pm Thank YOU, Viv!! I appreciate the support. We ARE worth FAR MORE than our weight. Calli says: February 19, 2014 at 10:42 pm Great post! I can’t believe the differences in culture that would have anyone thinking calling someone fat is ok, it must be completely heartbreaking to face that everyday. Thank-you so much for sharing this so openly and candidly! Diana says: February 19, 2014 at 11:41 pm When I first got here and people said it, I was with my boss. She told me not to let it bother me, and that it isn’t meant to be mean. So, I kept that in mind. It made it sting less, but it still wore me down and made me think about myself and what I think of myself and the issues I have about my weight. I think it is important for anyone coming here for an extended period to understand the cultural difference in regards to weight and commenting — for those who don’t know or understand, it is quite shocking and hard to deal with at first. For me, it has been a catalyst to get my ass into gear. sarah says: February 19, 2014 at 11:36 pm D – I love this. Thank you for sharing. This is personal, and is is super brave of you to put it out there, and I have so much respect. We EACH have issues we are insecure about, and/or drive up to be really upset with ourselves. Hang on – that doctor!!!!! NO ! ! Anyway, Im really excited to keep hearing from you. You have my 100% support, and I love the way you are taking care of yourself. With love, girl! Diana says: February 19, 2014 at 11:39 pm Thank you so much, Sarah! I always want to be honest, and with this project, I need to be. Yeah, that doc was terrible. Thank you for all of the support and love. I appreciate it greatly!! D says: February 20, 2014 at 1:32 am I found you beautiful the first time I saw your blog. Now I know you have a beautiful heart also. Do not settle for anyone who does not find you beautiful. Love your bog. Love you. Diana says: February 22, 2014 at 6:11 am Thank you so much! I really appreciate that!! February 20, 2014 at 3:19 am What an incredible post, Diana. I teared up several times while reading this one because I have struggled with my weight for years and spending the last 2 years in Asia really hasn’t made that any easier. I have actually lost about 50 lbs (best guess, I don’t actually weigh myself) in the past 2 years and would probably fit into a size 8 back in the States, and yet whenever I try to shop for clothes in this part of world it is always so demoralizing. I remember needing to buy replacement pants while in Chiang Mai and just breaking down sobbing while in the change room because no matter how much weight I had lost, nothing, not even the biggest Western brand sizes in the department stores would go over my hips. I’ll always be curvy, no matter how much weight I lose and I hate that I’m made to feel like such a whale here. Going to markets, I’ve had stall owners slap clothes out of my hand and tell me that I am too big and then show me huge gargantuan elastic waist pants while they crow “free size! Extra large!” Even when I’m not browsing I have shop owners call out to me that they have “big sizes” as if to remind me that I am SO FAT. So anyway, from one not-waif to another, thank you for being so brave and sharing this with us. You are not alone and I wish you all the best as you continue on your journey to get healthier (not skinnier!). February 20, 2014 at 7:20 am Wow Steph, I think you are kick ass and a size 8 will never be fat in any quarter. Shopping in Asia can be demoralizing, but I always listen to the What Not to Wear duo, “it’s not you that’s wrong (your size or shape) but the clothes!” Diana says: February 22, 2014 at 6:02 am Demoralizing? Dear god. It is the WORST. Diana says: February 22, 2014 at 6:11 am Thank you for sharing, Steph! I have had the same thing happens to me in this region, numerous times. It is tough and very demoralizing and emotionally damaging. Now it is time to take those words and let them bounce off. Because if I continue to let them sink in, to eat at me, it will cause long-lasting harm, and I value myself more than those words and opinions of others. Thank you so much for your support. February 20, 2014 at 3:49 am I visited ENP and stayed in Chiang Mai in 2010. I was doing some shopping on my first day there, and I couldn’t believe that I was getting chased out of shops by shopkeepers yelling, “NO BIG! NO BIG!” It was humiliating. I am a big girl (size 14) but really? In the US, I’m just average size. Not too big, not too small. I live by the words of Audrey Hepburn, “Happy girls are the prettiest girls.” And I have found a wonderful, sexy, loving man who believes that, too. You are beautiful. You have an amazing smile. You are a talented writer. Thank you for sharing such an intimate side of yourself. Good luck to you. Don’t let the Tiny Thai mentality get to you. Diana says: February 22, 2014 at 6:09 am EXACTLY. Beautiful quote. Perfect. Thank you so much for the kind words. I REALLY appreciate your comments. I try not to let that mentality get to me … at least now. I definitely have in the past, but it stems from my own thoughts on myself far more than their thoughts on me. Working on it. February 20, 2014 at 5:40 am Wow, I wish I could have met you. I think we would have been good friends, you seem like such an amazing person. I was also conscious of my size while in Chiang Mai; wearing shorts in public is not something I normally do. I’m not sure if people were calling me names at all, but I did have more comments on my tattoos than I would have at home. Maybe they took the focus off of my size. I bought a few pairs of pants at the markets, forget about t-shirts though. My daughter is about a size 6 Australian and I had to buy her a large. I wish you all the best, just strive to be healthy not skinny. Be happy within yourself and things will happen naturally. Diana says: February 22, 2014 at 6:08 am Seana, that is so sweet! Next time you are in the city, let me know. It is hard not to be conscious of your size while in CM, or anywhere in this region really. I remember when I was in Cambodia looking for a nice shirt to wear with Lek. The shop owner told me basically that nothing she had, or anyone had, would fit me. I was devastated. Quietly so, but all the same. Thank you so much for your support. Rebecca says: February 20, 2014 at 5:41 am It must have taken your all to write that and put it out there. I am proud of you. I really responded to end of the cycles. The ones when melancholia or depression washes over you and you just… can’t. And then that spirals and you are back to square one. Diana says: February 22, 2014 at 6:07 am So true!! You know … once I started to write this, I just kind of went for it. I had sent the post to my mom to read before I published it, and she commented that it was pretty personal, and was I OK with putting that out there on the internet. You know what? I was. Because I know I am not the only one who has felt like this, the only overweight women to walk down the street in THailand and be called fat. And, to be able to share my story, to let others know it isn’t just them, to prepare them for visiting Thailand … I’m glad I did it. The support and wonderful comments have been so wonderful … I have definitely shed quite a few tears from all of the love that came from writing this. It means the world to me to see so many people understand where I have been/where I am, and to share their stories, too. February 20, 2014 at 6:15 am Nice honest and personal post Diana, people not often realize that is not the size we wear that matters but who we are. Diana says: February 22, 2014 at 6:05 am Ali says: February 20, 2014 at 6:37 am Weight is such a tough thing. I hate being overweight, and I completely understand how frustrating it is to try to lose that weight. I do NOT understand why some people think it’s ok to tell you you’re fat! Even if they don’t mean it as an insult, it still seems crazy. Your weight really shouldn’t define who you are, and there really are guys out there who will love you no matter what. It’s just harder to find one of those guys where you are right now, a smaller pool to pick from. Good luck, I think it’s so important to learn to love yourself no matter what, and from there you will have more strength to tackle your weight. I need to figure out how to do all of that myself! Diana says: February 22, 2014 at 6:05 am The thing is, they don’t realize here it isn’t OK. That it isn’t what Westerners are used to hearing. It is their culture, and in their culture, it is said with a smile. I know it hurts though. Damn it hurts. You are right, there are guys out there who will love me for ME … just not in Thailand. Thank you so much for your support, Ali, and for sharing your thoughts. <3 February 20, 2014 at 7:13 am My God, sweets. This post was beautiful, brave, full of ‘fuck yeah’. Really touched me. People often think because I’m short and kind of hourglass that I don’t struggle with my weight, but I have. I was an overweight teenager and Asian, so you can imagine how much I got kissed in a town where skinny girls who were blond were the standard. It wasn’t until I left small minded Calgary for Vancouver that I realized I wasn’t half bad looking. People told me I was. Really? I thought. Is that true? I was with my ex for years and my weight ballooned up and down, after we broke up, I lost 25 pounds and became a size 4 for the first and last time in my life. I, too, had the same things you talked about. Men really started to pay attention to me, want to date me, sleep with me, buy me drinks. It was disturbing that who I was never mattered to them really. But I had a lot of confidence boosting moments, not so much from them, but really committing to health finally – eating food that made me feel good, stopped smoking (I use to too), realized I really enjoyed a bout of exercise. Those are the very positive things I got from that period. After that, I had to stop running because of bad knees and gained about 10 pounds back. I realized to physically maintain a size 4 for me is impossible, I’d have to do intense exercise 2 to 3 hours a day. It’s jut not how my body is made. Quite a few months ago, I stupidly looked at my BMI, according to the North American BMI, I am technically overweight. My 5’1″ frame if it were stretched out would be the perfect BMI. I realized many things over the past 2 years, that somewhere in the ideology of many cultures, not just ours, that a way a woman looks is melded to her value, to either, get to know her, sometimes be her friend, or f*ck her. Somewhere becoming a woman, not a girl, aging and being mature has not become acceptable for women. It’s okay for a boy to become a man, in fact he’s rewarded for it, but for a girl to become a woman means she’s insignificant, old, useless, someone nobody wants to be erotic with, let alone love. When you add the emphasis on appearance, my effing God. I dare anyone to look at photos, even movie posters and what you’ll see are the male images show men with wrinkles and grey hair = sexy, and the women, especially if they are over 35 are airbrushed to death, and fucken hell, they better be skinny or else. How do women fight these images?? It’s awful, makes me sick actually. I’ve felt the same things you mean in China. In fact, my own mother use to say how fat my arms were, but that’s Asian culture, if you aren’t a stick figure with no hips, you aren’t considered attractive. I’m the opposite. I’m short, very hourglass and can never flatten my hips if I tried. So, what did I do? How did I learn to love who I am, accept who I am? A lot of hard work, a lot of breakdown of messages. 1. I do not read fashion magazines, stopped that years ago. They are meant to make people feel there is something wrong with them and hey, I should buy this anti-aging cream. Bullshit. I like my wrinkles. 2. Read this amazing essay by Susan Sontag, she talks of the way women are not allowed to age and what you should do: tell the truth, in other words, fuck you all. https://docs.google.com/a/lithitchhiker.com/viewer?url=http://64.62.200.70/PERIODICAL/PDF/SaturdayRev-1972sep23/27-37/ 3. This Facebook page says it all, Healthy is the New Skinny: https://www.facebook.com/healthynewskinny. Being healthy, does NOT mean being skinny. It means taking care of your health by eating food that makes you feel good and exercising when it feels good. 4. Body shape and size has NOTHING to do with skinny. You cannot change the biological way you are built and it’s high time you, or anyone stopped feeling ashamed of it. 5. I frickin love this chick, Style Has No Size: https://www.facebook.com/StyleHasNoSize. She shows women who are inbetweenies and that feeling pretty and wearing clothes that make you feel good are for EVERYONE, not just skinny people. She also shows images of plus size models with bodies like mine and 80% of the world looking sexy and attractive, feminists hate that about plus size models, but I think it’s high time to show real bodies as they are: free, beautiful and erotic (sometimes). 6. As for love, I read this amazing book: http://www.amazon.com/Its-Not-You-Reasons-Single/dp/0399162879. The gist, there’s nothing you need to change about yourself to be loved. You are as good as anyone, you just need to find a person that meshes with you, and he won’t give a shit what size you are. In fact, my site designer is a plus size model and her boyfriend is hunky. 7. Finally, my daily mantra is: “I love my body, I am comfortable with it, and it doesn’t matter if others are not”. 8. When I eat or exercise, it stopped becoming a way to be skinny, but a way to be healthy and feel energetic. PERIOD. Once you see it that way, losing or gaining weight becomes so NOT important. After arriving to all this, I notice my overweight BMI body still attracts guys, but now, it’s the right ones. You will too, I promise. Embrace how beautiful you are in the inside my dear and none of their words or those other things matter. You’ll start to meet the right guys, instead of the ones that just wanted a size 4. I am sorry to leave such a long winded comment, but thought I’d share the resources that have helped me. I came to a conclusion a long while ago, and that’s nobody, women, gay, straight, whatever, should ever feel ashamed to be themselves, and yet were are taught to be and this is wrong! Diana says: February 22, 2014 at 6:03 am Jeannie — I don’t even know what to write. Thank you so much for sharing this. I can relate so much to everything you wrote (except about being 5’1 and Asian). You are beautiful. Stunning. And so amazing. Thank you for sharing the links, thank you for sharing your words. Spot. On. Teresa says: February 20, 2014 at 7:25 am Thank you so much for writing this. It’s hard to be in the “limelight” as a travel writer and to talk about the weight issue. I see myself in your story oh so much- but thank you for being so brave to share this. I hid for a year being depressed and battling an eating disorder; going from skinny mini to pom pui. I come from a Hispanic family that discourages me losing weight; that being fat is “healthy.” Now, I’m an expat in Holland where tall, slender Dutch women surround me, and I am just the opposite- a short, curvy, American/Spanish gal. I am SO lucky my boyfriend (Who is damn tall and skinnier than me) is supportive and understanding as to how this weight came on so quickly. There are good men out there that appreciate a beautiful woman- inside and out. I’m compelled by this article and motivated to be healthy. For me, the journey to weight loss starts with the depression/stress/anxiety and of course- getting a Dutch bike! Diana says: February 22, 2014 at 6:02 am Thank you for sharing your story, Teresa. I hope one day to meet a good man … but first I want to become a better me — inside and out. I really should get on a bike, but the traffic in Chiang Mai scares me soooo much!! Alex says: February 20, 2014 at 5:51 pm So many things I want to say right now, D…. first of all, I love you! That’s the most important bit. Next, I appreciate you sharing your story. Most people could learn to live with more compassion and I think seeing another person’s journey first hand like this is a great lesson. My mother has had a similar struggle and writes a blog about how she’s finally found peace in overcoming her food addiction — I’ll send it to you. It breaks my heart to think how many people are prisoners in some way to their physical appearance. For me the journey has been two-fold. Half of it is learning to treat my body with respect and give it the care it deserves. The other half is accepting that even when I do those things I’m not going to be a Victoria’s Secret model — and accepting what mother nature gave me. And finally, Thailand is a crazy, weird weight vortex. I consider myself a petite person and I’ll always remember a time I was browsing a stall at Chatuchak looking for jean shorts and realizing they were all too small for me and then saw there was a sign saying ONE SIZE FITS ALL. And the woman looked at me looking at the sign and she turned to me and said “…. but not you.” Ha. Diana says: February 22, 2014 at 5:59 am Aw, I love you, too! Thank you, Alex. You are tiny … for someone to tell you that you won’t fit into a pair of shorts just makes me shake my head. I understand genetics, and body types around the world, but still … I would love to read your mom’s blog. And, you are right — it is important to accept what mother nature gave each and every one of us. I embrace my big boobs and ass. And my frizzy hair. February 20, 2014 at 8:29 pm Hi, Thank you for sharing. I can’t imagine what that would be like, I wonder why they feel like it is okay to be so superficial in their culture. It seems that you have realized the most important thing is that the inner dialogue you have with yourself is kind. My best friend in highschool was Thai and I couldn’t understand why she freaked out going from a size zero to a two because of American food, I guess maybe she was dreading the comments upon getting back. Anyways, thank you for sharing-your honesty is beautiful. Keep your chin up! Diana says: February 22, 2014 at 5:57 am It is really hard to have a kind inner dialog with yourself when you aren’t happy with yourself. But, it is something I have worked on a lot … all of my life. There are times I look in the mirror and am angry, and think I am ugly and fat, and times I look at myself and think I am pretty. It depends on the day, the mood, the moon … you name it. Now, I am trying to be kind though. The pressure here to be skinny is everywhere. I have Thai friends who are a normal (aka Western normal) size, and they are constantly told they are fat, too. I remember one night, I was on the motorbike with my good friend here. We are around the same size, and the woman at the bar told us she didn’t know how we could ride the bike together because we were both so big. My friend laughed and smiled. I silently told her to fuck off. It’s just different here … a part of life … and as a Westerner, it can be really hard to adjust to it. I don’t think I will ever be OK with it, but I know I won’t be as bothered by it once the weight isn’t such an issue in my life. The more I let myself feel bad about myself, the more the comments hurt. I have noticed since I started working out, and even a little before that, when people say I am fat, I tend to just have an inner dialog in my head that tells them I am working on it, and I know I am not skinny and will never be skinny, but I will be happy. Rease says: February 21, 2014 at 11:23 am I have so much to say about this that I don’t know where to start. Let’s begin with you. I have a confession to make. Do you remember when you ran up to me at TBEX Steamboat and hugged me and I said “wait, who are you?” Yes, I was a bit drunk, but the real reason I didn’t recognize you is because you have freckles and in your photo-shopped photos I had seen of you, the freckles were completely erased. You were so much prettier to me in person. No buts. I was only sad that you felt you should be photoshopped at all. While I’m sure Thailand is much skinnier and skinny-focused than Argentina, I had these same problems in Argentina. I also wear about a size 10 (give or take depending on brand and fit). When I moved to Argentina, I was actually at my thinnest ever. Why? Because I went through a really horrible breakup, lost 7 pounds in a week WHILE training for a half marathon. I ran 2 half marathons in 2 months all while not really eating more than maybe half a protein bar a day. I looked like a bobble head. My round face, big bust, and big butt remained while my waist tried to suck in more and more. When I finally gained the weight back in Argentina, my friends admitted they liked me so much better that way and told me I looked so strange being as thin as I used to be. The people in Argentina, however, had a lot to say about my weight gain. My landlord came into my apartment, a mere hour after I had finished an hour long boot camp class followed by a 45 minute Insanity workout – and she said “Rease, you must really like Argentine food. When you got here, you were like this (holding up a pinky finger) and now…you are much bigger. You’re chubby” I stared at her, mortified. Suddenly thinking of ever delicious medialuna I had eaten and all the amazing ice cream. I said “you know, i work out for at least 1 hour every day. Hard work outs. I work really, really hard” I felt proud to stand up for myself, but I cried the minute she left. Also, I totally understand the clothing thing. I once spent an entire day shopping for pants in Argentina. The last store I went into I went right up to the counter and said “I need the biggest pair of pants you have” The pair they gave me wouldn’t even fit over my thighs. You know what? That was ok. I called my mom, she went to some stores in the US and shipped me clothes. Inconvenient, but fine. I don’t weight myself AT ALL. It’s pointless and stupid. Sometimes the doctor will tell me I have lost or gained weight. I never care. I do measure my waist on occasion, to keep myself in check. I work out regularly and focus on how I feel in clothes. This is about YOU. You are beautiful, no buts. I hope you always remember that. And if you need someone to buy you clothes and ship them to you, I’m your girl Diana says: February 22, 2014 at 5:54 am You are so sweet. Thank you, Rease!! I waited an entire year to weigh myself – and the only reason I did was because I was at the hospital getting my “check up” for my work permit, not because I was gunning to get on a scale. I tend to look at clothing and how it fits me to see if I am gaining or losing weight. It’s just a number. Some of us carry it better than others. I know exactly what you mean about standing up for yourself and then crying after. Goodness knows, I have done it. I am getting new pics tomorrow. Promise not to photoshop them Cailin says: February 21, 2014 at 11:50 am On my recent trip to Zimbabwe I think it was the first time that someone that I didn’t know ( a private tour guide that I had for the day) came right out and asked why I was fat and if I worked out and why not. I was stunned that this person I didn’t know would say that to my face. My knee jerk reaction was to try to explain to him my thyroid problem and blame it on that like I always do. He pretended like he understood but I still felt like he was judging me the whole time. Other people on my travels want me to hike a million steps to the top of mountains and volcano craters, which I can do. But obviously because of my weight it might take me a bit longer. I’m no athlete but they pressure me to go faster and get annoyed by my slowness. It gets really frustrating. I don’t want to be over weight and I tell myself every day that I need to do something about it, but I’m really good at finding excuses to be lazy. I also know that I will probably never be happy with my size big or small. I remember back to high school looking in the mirror and thinking I was fat. I see photos from then now and I was soooooo skinny. Our brains and popular culture really fuck with our personal image. You are brave for writing this article, power to you! Tell those people to get lost, you are beautiful no matter your size and right now I would kill to fit into a 12 or 10! Diana says: February 22, 2014 at 5:51 am I have noticed the more people comment on my weight, the less I trust myself to do active things. I get nervous, like I won’t be able to do it. I know a lot of it stems from not believing enough in myself and trusting my body to not mess up, but it has really impacted how I travel. I tried paragliding, but freaked out and ended up falling off of a cliff because I didn’t believe enough in my ability to “fly.” I won’t learn how to drive a motorbike. I love to walk, but know that I am not in good enough shape (and am conscious of that) and don’t want to do hikes with my friends who are more athletic. It is something I really want to work on. It is so easy to find excuses. I ALWAYS find excuses. You are right, popular culture, Hollywood … all of it really impacts the way society looks at those who are plus a few pounds. I love seeing women who are women, who have shape, curves … I think it is beautiful and for other people to judge a body instead of a person just really bugs me. I would go hiking with you any day. Just, no steps. Or hills. I hate them. February 21, 2014 at 1:18 pm I had the same thing happen to me in the Philippines, people kept asking me if I liked to eat and when I went back to Canada if I was going to eat a lot. I asked a man I worked with and he said – well yes you are far too big for me. I was 120lbs at that point. I was only 23 so it really damaged my self esteem at that time but now I look back and laugh. Diana says: February 22, 2014 at 5:48 am As a westerner, it is really, really hard to receive comments like that when arriving to another country. It can seriously damage fragile self-esteem, even if it wasn’t meant to be cruel. 120 lbs? That is nothing!! Laura says: February 22, 2014 at 4:45 pm Such a powerful post! As someone who went on my first diet at 8, I understand every word of this. I can’t imagine what it would be like to have it thrown in your face by strangers daily, as if your own internal dialogue isn’t harsh enough. Good for you for switching the dialogue to “fuck you!” Diana says: February 24, 2014 at 3:13 am So true. I am my own worst enemy, but when others (even strangers) decide to chirp in, too, it can be so dangerous to emotional stability and self-esteem. Thank you for the support!! February 23, 2014 at 10:07 am This is such a beautifully written and honest article! Sounds like you’re doing the right things to be healthy in the best way. I trying to get on the same plan, and it’s tough! Hope to make it happen soon. Diana says: February 24, 2014 at 3:12 am Strength in numbers, Cheryl!! Thank you so much for the kind words. February 23, 2014 at 7:35 pm You do deserve to be happy! No one deserves to hear that they are unloveable in any way, shape, or form. You are BEAUTIFUL! You are strong and determined. As long as you love yourself, that is all that matters. Thanks for sharing this very personal story. Your strength is admirable. Diana says: February 24, 2014 at 3:12 am Thank you, Mary! You are right — as long as you love yourself, nothing else matters. I need to get back to that February 24, 2014 at 4:33 am Brian is forever getting his belly touched in SE Asia as it’s bigger than normal. He put it down to looking like a buddha & it being goodluck! Turning the negative into a positive. A lot of asians are not happy in their own skin. Have you seen the amount of ‘whitening’ creams you find in all Asian shops? Maybe they want to be bigger in size? If we all looked the same (apart from twins etc) it wouldn’t be an interesting world! Diana says: February 27, 2014 at 3:16 am I love how Brian turned that around! That is fantastic! You are right — they are trying to change themselves here with the whitening creams, nose jobs, eyelid jobs, etc. Society in so many countries focuses on looks, and Thailand is no different. It is a shame that so many people cannot be happy with how they are and that we are such a looks driven world. February 25, 2014 at 6:02 am This is a really great post Diana, thanks so much for writing it. I had an almost identical experience growing up in Indonesia as a pretty big kid (at 14 I weighed upwards to 200 pounds) where people would just come up to me in the street and say: “Wow, you are sooo big!” or “I can’t believe how fat you are!” I’m sure you can imagine the utter embarrassment I felt going out everywhere, as if it wan’t bad enough being a tall, blonde growing teen in a foreign country. It took me a long time to get on top of it, but in the end I managed and I feel much better now at a weight that’s healthy for me, not for what others think. I still have trouble finding clothes, and I hate it when tiny shop assistants tell me: “No sorry we don’t stock anything that big.” But like you I think that there comes a time when every person has to accept who they are not who other people want them to be. I’m happy with where I am now, and I know that I’ll never be a skinny girl, but I will be what my body type is: healthy, fit and muscular. And that’s more than enough. Good on your for getting through it though, I am right there with you! Again, thanks for writing Diana says: February 27, 2014 at 3:15 am Thank you so much for the support. I really appreciate it. I wasn’t sure if I was going to publish it, but I really wanted to share my experience here with others since it is something many of my readers would probably like to know. I can only begin to imagine how damaging to your self-esteem your experience in Indonesia must have been. I mean, as a child growing up in the States, kids bullied me all of the time for not being skinny, and I know that even to this day, I have issues from that. Acceptance is not an easy thing, it takes time and a hell of a lot of strength. I am so glad you are happy with where you are now. It sounds like you are kicking ass! February 26, 2014 at 3:53 am You nailed it! I am 48 and always dealing with the same thing, everywhere. We are in Spain and the old ladies comment to me too. When I was in Thailand about 22 years ago, they would shoo me out of the shops with “you too big, you too big” and I was much smaller back then. We are heading over to SEA in July for about 10 months, so I will have to toughen up by then. I am a big girl and always have been. I don’t think I have ever been smaller than a size 12 from 12 yrs old, so I couldn’t ever been skinny enough for Asia. Embrace your energy and passion and don’t try to please others. Love yourself and settle for nothing less than the best in the people that you surround yourself with! Thanks for sharing this and being so open. Diana says: February 27, 2014 at 3:13 am I can’t believe that happens in Spain! When I was there, no one ever said anything to me, or talked about me in Spanish. When you come here, it is definitely important to be aware of what goes on, but also to remind yourself that the culture here is far more open about weight, and they don’t look at what they say as a mean thing, but more of a ha ha, you’re fat and cute thing. Not that it makes anyone feel better about themselves. I think the most important thing for anyone coming here is to know what to expect, and to be secure enough with how they feel about themselves to not let it bother them. Thank you so much for your support. I look forward to meeting you when you get to Thailand! Sally says: February 26, 2014 at 9:48 am You are beyond brave for writing this. The road to healthy is hard for pretty much everyone, whether they are skinny or fat, but you just have to deal with people noticing if you haven’t worked out recently. It’s so hard to keep up. But every time you do run or exercise or choose the vegetables, it does something, even if you can’t see the culminating effect. I hope you can concentrate more on how healthy you feel and what you’ve already accomplished and less what people around you are saying. And if you get the chance to move to a country that isn’t so in-your-face about looks, then maybe take it. Because as much as you can deal with the comments now, it’s probably still something that sets up a barrier for really being yourself all of the time. I think leaving Thailand might be a breath of fresh air you didn’t even realize you needed… Anyways, keep up the good work, taking care of yourself, writing and otherwise! Diana says: February 27, 2014 at 3:10 am Thank you, Sally. I am really working on this. It is important to me to be kind to myself and to honor myself — it is something I haven’t done in a long time. For now, I am staying in Thailand. I’m not ready to leave here yet. March 3, 2014 at 3:54 pm I read somewhere the other day that in Vietnam when locals call you fat, what they’re really trying to say is that you look healthy. Not sure if this is entirely true, or if the same applies in Thailand, but I could quite imagine they don’t mean it as a bad thing! If you do want to lose weight, make sure you do it for the right reasons. Do it to be healthy, do it to boost your confidence, but do not do it to make other people happy. We can spend our entire lives trying to please others, and in the end some people are always going to disapprove. Diana says: March 5, 2014 at 3:31 am I know they don’t mean it as a bad thing. I am losing it for me, and it feels really, really good. I love looking in the mirror and seeing the changes already! Pingback: Summer in March \| Blue Eyed Sight Michelle says: March 10, 2014 at 11:37 pm Wow. I just read this post and I have to say that through the photos that you posted on this post with your fluctuating weight, you truly do look like a beautiful woman with a beautiful soul in each and every one. As someone who has struggled with my own weight for my entire life, it has taken me a very long time to become happy and comfortable with my body. I applaud you on being able to write a post like this and for taking charge of your health and happiness. Best of wishes on your journey! Diana says: March 12, 2014 at 3:18 am Thank you so much for your support, Michelle! I really appreciate the kind words!! March 11, 2014 at 3:54 pm Wow! What an honest post. I’m sure it look a lot of courage to write it. I’ve lived in Thailand all my life and also find it strange that despite Thais’ kind and considerate nature (also the feeling of Kreng-jai) that they still openly call people plump or poum pui or just blatantly Oun (fat). They don’t mean harm but I’m sure as in your case, the effects are deep and hurtful. Anyways, I too believe you are more than your weight. Confidence is beautiful. All the best! Diana says: March 12, 2014 at 3:17 am Thank you so much! I’ve never heard the word “Oun” … or at least never noticed it, which is probably a good thing! I appreciate your support! Julie says: March 16, 2014 at 7:00 am You’re amazing Diana, keep up the great work and continue being a better version of yourself. Your post has made me feel worthy and that my weight should’t define me. I’m currently struggling with my weight due to having depression and it’s been hard to keep off the weight. Because I keep finding comfort in food and then it becomes cyclical. I know what you mean when you’re regularly called “fat”. Because being a vietnamese girl, I get it a lot from family or other people (especially vietnamese) who don’t know me. It’s been hard hearing those hurtful comment and they by saying those things will help me change. However, just lowers myself esteem. But after reading your post, I have been inspire to try to leave those comments behind me and work toward getting healthier. So thank you for your honesty! Julie says: March 16, 2014 at 7:24 am I forget to mention that I live in Australia and I still get these “fat” remarks. Diana says: March 16, 2014 at 8:53 am Hi Julie — thank you so much for sharing your story. I know entirely what you are going through. Please take the steps you need to work out your depression — once you do, it feels so amazing to not have the weight of the world on your shoulders, and to be able to put things in perspective. I struggled with depression most of my life, and it is so hard, and so defeating. You are as amazing as you think you are — so believe it in your heart and do what you need to do to make yourself happy. I’m always here for support and encouragement! Julie says: March 16, 2014 at 8:53 pm Thanks for your support and encouragement, Diana! I’m getting the help I need to get better. The challenge is changing the way I think. It’s easier to get attack when you’re vulnerable because it’s like a validation to your insecurities. It’s a work in progress and you’re living proof that if you change the way you think you can get healthier mentally and physically. Keep inspiring others and always be happy! Diana says: March 18, 2014 at 3:17 am That is wonderful to read! It is hard to change the way you think — it is the only way we have ever known. April 4, 2014 at 12:41 pm Historically women have been expected/conditioned to take up as little space as possible – in some societies this is still a major thing, generally reflected through weight/the worship of skinniness. As for the (foreign) men there – would you really want any of them? I have lived in Asia for 14 years.I so hear you. Diana says: April 6, 2014 at 12:31 am Ha ha! You are SO right, Valerie! I am not interested in dating anyone here. April 4, 2014 at 1:14 pm Thank you for writing this. I am moving to Bangkok for a month in about a week and this was so good to know what I’m coming to as a plus sized woman in the US. I had an idea but it’s good to know as well that I am not alone in the way I will be treated. Thank you! Diana says: April 6, 2014 at 12:31 am You are welcome, Rachel! Hopefully Bangkok will be a different experience for you than Chiang Mai! Jenny says: April 4, 2014 at 11:39 pm Ohhhhh, I know EXACTLY how you feel! My Thai yoga teacher makes a point of suggesting we do a class of more vigorous ‘weight loss yoga’ every time I go! And it’s definitely only for me! Weirdly, she also poked at the flabby bit under my arm once during Warrior II. That was kind of off-putting! I probably would have been upset if it hadn’t been so absurd. I really found myself nodding along with everything you’ve written here, I can totally relate. I also worked in PR before I left to travel, and I’ve also found it a struggle being a fat girl in Thailand – everything from trying to find clothes to coping with the heat. I’m even staying at Smith! Ha! But I’m also working to turn things around – going to the gym, eating much smaller portions and tracking my weight and measurements every day (with an app me and my husband made, no less!) to keep me mindful and on track. It’s reassuring to hear I’m not the only one. I’ll be following along with your brilliant Comfort Zone Project and cheering you on. We can do this! Diana says: April 6, 2014 at 12:30 am You live at Smith?!? We are neighbors! I don’t live there anymore, but am still close by for now! I have been working on turning everything around for almost two months and have done really well. I am starting to see muscle, my facial structure … it is fulfilling and makes me really happy to be doing something good for me and being able to see the results so quickly. What app did you do? I’d love to see it! And, I’d love to meet a neighbor!	65,988
One of the most important steps in becoming an autonomous adult in the United States is being able to care for your own finances. The Federal Reserve estimates that 70% of all consumers have at least one credit card, and the 2016 Federal Reserve Payment Study found that debit card use grew from $2.1 trillion to $2.56 trillion between 2012 and 2015. In 2015 alone there were 69.5 billion transactions involving the use of a debit card. Banking has moved online, but there are still 600 counties in the United States where community banks–which account for 99.5% of all American banks–only have a physical location. Even for banks with an online presence, it’s still often easier to apply for a checking account in person. If you’re ready to make application for new bank account, here’s what you need to do. Before you apply for a checking account, you need to decide which bank to use. Often the best choice when choosing a bank is to go with a community bank. America’s community banks hold nearly $5 trillion in assets and make $3.3 trillion in loans to individuals, agricultural entities, and small businesses. They may not be as large as some of the national banks with sophisticated online banking systems, but more and more are allowing online banking. They’re safe, easy for you to communicate with, and often better able to understand the needs of people in your community than an impersonal representative from a big financial institution. Not all bank accounts are the same, so when you are ready to apply for a checking account, make sure you understand the interest, fees, ATM options, deposit details, online bill pay options, and any rewards that might be offered. Make sure you know what the specifics are on insufficient funds, wire transfers, overdrafts, and direct deposit. When you apply for a checking account, you’ll need to specify that account holders. This is likely to just be you, but if you want to share finances with someone for any reason you’ll need all their information as well as yours in order to apply for a checking account. To apply for a checking account, you’ll need two forms of identification, such as driver’s license, a state ID, a passport, or a birth certificate. You’ll also need your Social Security number and your date of birth. You’ll likely need some kind of proof of address, so bring a lease or a utility bill with your name on it. You’ll also need to bring an opening deposit, so it’s worth researching in advance what that has to be. Some checking accounts can be opened with as little as $25, though many accounts will be higher, especially if they’re interest-bearing accounts. At the Bank Sometimes you can fill out an application online, but other times you’ll need to or may prefer to do it in person at a physical location. If you’re approved, you’ll need to make your deposit and sign all the documents. You’ll then get deposit slips, personalized checks, and an ATM or debit card. The card will take a while to come and will need to be activated online or by phone. If you want your paycheck to go straight to the bank account, you’ll also need to set up direct deposit. Many banks will waive monthly fees if you have direct deposit, so talk to the payroll department at work. It’s not hard to apply for a checking account, and whether you want a bank with lots of physical locations or banks with mobile banking, there are plenty of good choices. Decide what you need before you go, gather your materials, and then go join the rest of the world with your brand new bank account. About the Author Related Posts 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. 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As account holder who originally listed LowToner.com you can alter this listing. i.e. 'Delete' or 'Edit' the asking price or type of offers invited. But if the domain name or extension is incorrect you will need to delete the listing and add the correct details as a new listing. A new listing will create a new unique verification code that will need to be (re-)placed in the TXT record of your domain's DNS. It can then be verified by us before the domain is listed for sale on SelectDomain.com (The current verification code is listed directly below). 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These cookies do not gather personal information that could be used for marketing or to track where you have been on the internet. Some cookies may collect information about website usage on our site, but in anonymous format. e.g. to indicate to us the most visited pages. These cookies cannot identify visitors and are used to improve the overall experience. Our website may also use Google Analytics cookies whereby information collected by these cookies is transferred to and stored by Google on their servers in the US in accordance with its own privacy policies. Photo, video, link and social media elements of our site may also serve cookies from third parties (e.g. social media shares). These cookies are not controlled by us but by the third parties concerned. Please refer to the relevant third party websites for information on their cookie and privacy policies.	16,853
We officially did our first road trip of 2022 and it was in Tunisia! However, we didn’t go with our campervan Rainbow this time, but simply rented a tiny car and went off to explore! While we were in Turkey back in November, we met a Tunisian couple, Maha and Aladin, who told us everything about Tunisia. You could feel their passion as they spoke about it and we immediately realized that Tunisia won a spot on our bucket list! Plus at that point, we considered them friends and we wanted to see them again. However, during the time we had considered traveling there, there still was a quarantine in place for everyone entering the country due to Covid 19. So we asked Maha to lets us know when everything was lifted and we would plan to go. In February 2022 we got Maha’s call that we were finally free to enter. By March 7th we were on a plane to Tunisia! What was our plan? As usual, we didn’t really plan much ahead. We like to ask for suggestions from locals but we also love to improvise. So after spending a few days in Tunis hanging out with our friends we decided to book a car and start a road trip around the country. Unfortunately, we did not have as much time as we hoped but we were going to make it work anyway! We love road trips because they give us the freedom to go where we want and stay as long as we like. Here is our itinerary and some of the things we recommend doing while there! However, keep in mind that Tunisia is a lovely country and there is so much more to see than just what we are advising here. Our time was limited and we had to make a choice. Are you ready to come with us on our road trip? Each description comes with a video so you can get a better feel of what we saw. Enjoy Tunisia!!! Itinerary Tunis is the capital and largest city in Tunisia. It is a huge city! Honestly, we were a bit overwhelmed and uncertain about where to stay while we were there. In the end, we opted for La Marsa area which is on the sea and it felt a bit more relaxed compared to the center. However, we easily reached the downtown area by taking a shared taxi after all we did not want to miss a walk through the Medina quarter of Tunis. The Tunis Medina has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. It contains many monuments, including palaces, mosques, mausoleums, madrasas, and fountains. It dates back to the 7th century and it is built around the Zitouna Mosque. We could not enter because it was preyer time, but we did walk around it. Plus we were able to enter one of the shops and go up to their panoramic terrace to admire the view over the medina. We walked around for hours in the tight medina streets packed with people and many many little shops. Luckily we had the chance to taste one of the best sandwiches I ever had, it was cheap and extremely delicious and spicy! While there we also had a chance to drink some mint tea at one of the many tea shops in the medina and taste a delicious fruit tart in one of the tiny streets! But we didn’t buy anything else, although there is so much you can buy here!!! Just a short drive away from downtown Tunis you can visit Carthage. This was the ancient city that once ruled a huge empire across the Mediterranean. There are still so many ruins you can visit all around the area: the museum, Antonine’s Baths, the Punic port, the Roman Villas, and the Theatre. It is also a very nice walk to go up to Byrsa hill to enjoy some epic views and the museum. The ticket gives you the chance to enter all the different sites, which you can easily walk to if you enjoy it, or get a taxi. We dedicated a whole day to the exploration of the area, walking from one part to the other. It is always interesting to see how grown-ups experience ruins differently than kids. They are jumping on every rock and exploring every tunnel, we, on the other hand, are reading the history and imagining what it must have been like back then. There is so much history here! Another lovely place to visit while staying in Tunis is the picturesque seaside town Sidi Blu Said. It is famous for its white and blue architecture which inevitably reminds you of Greece. Everyone in Tunisia recommended us to go here. Honestly, it is lovely to just walk around the small streets and enjoy the stunning views over the sea. Something else that you cannot miss while you are here is stopping on the main street to get a hot bambalouni (Tunisian hot doughnut). We tried them also in other places in Tunisia but those in Sidi Bou Said were particularly delicious! Sidi Bou Said is named after Abu Said Ibn Khalef Ibn Yahia El-Beji, a Muslim saint who spent most of his life studying and teaching at the Zitouna Mosque in Tunis. After traveling through the Middle East, he came back and arrived in the peaceful village of Jabal el-Menar. He spent the rest of his life meditating and praying until his death in 1231. Now his tomb has become a pilgrimage site for devout Muslims, and over time, the town has grown up around it. After leaving Tunis, our plan was to go directly to the desert and then drive back up from the coast. The drive to Tozeur is about 5 hours, so we decided to make a little break to visit Kairouan. This is one of the holiest places of Islam in Tunisia and it was the first capital of the Maghreb. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. The medina and the Great Mosque are for sure two of its main marvels. In fact, this site draws thousands of pilgrims to its prayer rooms and enclosures each year. The Great Mosque is one of the largest and oldest mosques in Tunisia. This city it’s been a center of Sunni teachings since at least the 7th century. We were not there for long but still enjoyed strolling around the streets of the medina and meeting also with a few locals that were happy to chat with us. As we continued to drive to the desert it was fascinating to see how the environment changed, we went from green and lush to dry and with very low vegetation. Finally, we arrived in Tozeur which is a town surrounded by the Tunisian desert. There are date palms everywhere and the best dates come from here! Our plan, while we were here, was to go into the desert. For this reason, we left our little car and booked a 4×4 tour with Voyajes La Palmeraie. It was such a fun adventure and our driver was great. Make sure to check out the video to get a better feel of what the trip is all about. Our half-day adventure included a stop at Chebika Oasis, where you can visit an old village and walk down to the waterfall that brings life to this part of the desert. We did a quick panoramic stop along the way and tasted our first palm juice ever, learning all about the process of how they make it. Next, we went to Tarmeza, another oasis village, and saw the gorgeous canyon at Mides. Finally, it was time to continue our drive across the desert for some dune bashing in your 4×4 to reach Mos Espa, for our kids this was absolutely the highlight of our adventure and Luca could not get enough. Instead, although the Mos Espa film site (Star Wars) was fascinating to see it was also our least exciting moment because we were constantly stopped by someone trying to sell us something, however, the location is beautifully located amongst the Sahara dunes. For our stay in Tozeur, we booked two rooms in the Maison D’Hôte called Jridia and it was absolutely lovely, (you can see it in the video). During this road trip, we were not done with the desert yet! Our next plan was to actually sleep in the Sahara Desert and to do that we had to head to Douz. On the way there we crossed Chott el Djerid. This is a saltwater lake and throughout the year, geological changes modify the water’s colors to all kinds of hues of pink. Although there was barely any water while we were driving across it (60 km to cross) we still had to jump off and check out for ourselves its natural salt deposits. Our kids dipped their shoes in the salt too. It did get a bit messy! This is definitely one of the greatest natural treasures of southern Tunisia. Once we left behind this amazing environment, we were finally in the Sahara desert. Unfortunately, the wind was not cooperating with our plans and we had to revisit our original plan by staying a few extra days in the area to wait for the wind to calm down so we could head more deeply inside the desert. We did try to venture to the oasis of Ksar Ghilane, but could barely see anything along the way. The wind was that strong! We did still jump in the oasis for a swim although, by the time we got out, sand was all over us! A few days later we had a window of low wind and made our way to sleep one night in the Sahara desert! Our main goal was to wander around in the dunes riding camels and maybe adventuring also on a few quads. Did it happen? Luckily yes! For our stay, we booked a tent at Dunes Insolites and had one of the most amazing experiences there. We were also extremely lucky to be there during a Tunisian holiday. There was a large group of scouts who made the whole experience much more unique. We saw how the berbers cook the bread in the sand. We witness some traditional dances and also saw a horse show. The scouts dressed up in their traditional clothes and sang for hours. It was an amazing experience! It was finally time to leave the desert behind and hopefully find some sunnier weather. The next stop was Matmata. This area is famous for the type of homes the Berbers built here. I had seen photos of this type of home but I had never connected it to Tunisia until I was recommended to absolutely stop here. In fact, in this area, you can find them all over the place. The homes are known as troglodytes, which are houses that were built completely underground to keep cool during hot summers and warm in winter. One of them, Hotel Sidi Idriss has been turned into a hotel after it was used as the film set for Star Wars Episode 4 movie. We did stop in to take a look there too! Once you arrive there you will notice many places that are museums. You can enter and visit at a fee or donation and see what these dwelling look like. However, if you don’t want to go inside you can simply walk around and look down at every hole you see, for sure that hole is where a troglodyte is! Djerba is another very popular summer destination which we visited clearly not in the best time of the year. Strong winds and stormy days made our visit there very different from what you see in most videos or blog posts online. But after all, we don’t travel only in peak season so sometimes we won’t find the best weather. In order to get to Djerba, you have a few options. You can cross with a 15-minute ferry boat ride or simply drive across the bridge, although depending on where you are coming or heading to, you might take longer to get there. We took the ferry on the way over and the bridge on the way off. Keep in mind that although the ferry can be a fun way of crossing, there can be over a 2-hour wait to get on it. So make your considerations before getting stuck in line waiting. There are plenty of places to explore on this island but we opted for something that intrigued us more once I read about it: Djerbhood. What exactly is it? It was a street art event in which artists from all over the world gathered in the village of Erriadh to create 250 mural paintings. This project was established by the Itinerrance de Paris gallery in June 2014. So all you have to do is park your car and go for a walk making sure to not miss any of these amazing murals. We had a blast taking photos everywhere. We were admiring art and was all completely free! Djerba is another of those places that should be visited in the summer when everything comes to life and the weather is stunning, unfortunately we were a bit too early into the season to experience that in first person! We have not been too lucky with the weather on our road trip as I have mentioned repeatedly. It was windy and rainy and although it was spring it felt like winter wanted to come right back. However, I must say that these last 3 stops have been delightful also with bad weather. We stopped first in El Jem. Here you will find an ancient amphitheater built by the Romans in 238AD. This is the largest and best-preserved Roman amphitheater in Africa and it was designed to seat 35,000 people. It must be on anyone’s itinerary for Tunisia! It is still in great shape and it is absolutely amazing and fun to explore! Our kids had so much fun running all over the place. Monastir was the town where we planned on spending the night. From what I read and the many resorts I saw, during high season it must be very busy. However, we were there in rainy days and it was just perfect. No crowds and we managed to explore a bit of the town. We spent a few hours around the ribat (fortress), which sits right on the sea. The old town, contains the Great Mosque, the ribat, the souks (marketplaces), and some Muslim quarters. In 1988 the old city was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Ribat was worth visiting. It is still in great shape and it was fun to go all around it. We also climbed to the summit of its high tower so we could admire an extraordinary panorama across the roofs of the medina, the sea, and the courtyard of the Great mosque. Across from the ribat is the Mausoleum of Habib Bourguiba containing the remains of former president Habib Bourguiba, the father of Tunisian independence and the former president. Just a short drive away from Monastir is the city of Sousse. It is well known for its incredible citadel fortress. We parked the car and went for a walk in the old medina. We experienced a visit to a carpet shop where they showed us the process of making carpets. Just before leaving, we noticed right in front of us the ribat, apparently the major attraction of the town. This gave us a chance to admire the whole medina from a higher point of view. We stopped here just for half a day but absolutely loved what we saw! Hammamet is another great summer place with lovely beaches that unfortunately we could not enjoy yet. However, it was still lovely to wander around the narrow streets of the old medina and later stop at a cafe for a meal while enjoying the sound of the sea. Also here you can visit the fort, run around the walls and enjoy views of the sea and the city from the upper part of the fort. Did you know that Hammame used to be a simple fishing village surrounded by lemon groves, but it is now a thriving resort town with many hotels and many visitors coming every year? It is one of Tunisia’s first tourist destinations due to its fine beaches and warm waters. I hope you enjoyed coming with us on this tour of Tunisia. We spent a month here but there was so much more to see, but time never seems to be enough when you are exploring a new country. What I do want to mention though is that what made this road trip more special was the kindness of the people. Many stopped to say hi and welcome us and anytime we were lost or trying to find our bearings there was always a Tunisian ready to help. This is what we value most in a country and we found it here. Come to Tunisia!!! ← Previous Post Next Post → Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Email Address Day 1561 - Queen Creek, AZ (United States Day 1560 - Queen Creek, AZ (United States Day 1544 to 1558 - Queen Creek, AZ (United States Hi and welcome to our page! We have many new frien We are an Italian family of 5, traveling and worldschooling around the globe. Come join us on our travels!	16,851
Turnkey Solution to Increase Attendance and Reduce Tardiness and Early Check-outs at Lake Hills Elementary in Riverside, California “We have used the ZooZingo Attendance Program for several years now with success. What I like most about the program is that it includes everything we need and it is easy to administer. I have not been able to find another program that is this easy to use for such an important issue – increasing attendance and reducing tardiness. The ZooZingo program also helps reduce the number of students being checked out of school early by their parents. The students love the reward cards and the plush animals and they learn something with each set.” Attendance Intervention at Hall Elementary in Aurora, Illinois “Our elementary school has struggled with disappointing attendance records for a number of years. Attempting punitive measures met with very limited success. We have always maintained that if there was meaningful truancy intervention at the elementary school level, the pattern of on-time attendance would be established from the very start of a child’s school journey. When our principal learned about ZooZingo, we decided to try this method of encouraging students to take ownership of their attendance. We have been very happy with the results! We have seen the students become steadily more determined to get here on time, every day, and not be signed out early for appointments unless absolutely necessary. I have overheard students tell parents who are signing them in tardy, “Oh, now I don’t get a chance at the animal drawing this week and I won’t get all my cards!” In the end, only the parents can fix the problem, but now the students have a vested interest in trying to get here on time and every day possible.” Solving Early Check-outs and Tardiness Problems at Meadowview Elementary, Meadowview Virginia “At our school, we have had an ongoing problem with unexcused tardies and early dismissals. On average, between 10% and 15% of our school population was missing some hours of instructional time each week. While we have policies and laws in place to help combat the absences, these two types of time missed were never addressed in policy or law. That’s when we brought in the ZooZingo products. In just a few short weeks, the motivation of the program had helped to decrease our tardies/early dismissals from 15% to a mere 1%! Students get so excited to receive their cards each week and the information on the cards ties in perfectly with much of our curriculum! The animals are so beautiful and of such great quality that the students are on pins and needles waiting to see who walks away with them. Bringing this program into our school has not only changed the attendance at our school, but has actually helped to create a climate of excellence and desire to attend school. Thank you ZooZingo!” Reduced Tardiness and Increased Attendance at R. L. Young Elementary “At the end of 2009 school year R. L. Young students had over 1,000 tardies. We implemented your program in the fall of 2010 with great success. It was a beautiful thing to watch the steady decline of tardies, checkouts, and absences each year. 2013 ended with only 335 tardies. We have certainly come a long way from 1,000 tardies just four years ago! The number of students achieving perfect attendance has also been astonishing. Good attendance plays a vital part in the educational process and you are helping us encourage our students to come to school every day. Our students have taken control of the unnecessary absences and checkouts. When parents arrive to take them home, I hear, “I don’t want to check out because I won’t get my animal card”! Our parents are more apt to make doctor appointments after school. Fridays are very exciting as students wait to see who will win the beautiful plush animals provided each week, and even if their name is not called, they know that they will earn a weekly reward of a beautiful animal card. One of our parents flagged me down in the bank drive-through one day to tell me how great the cards were. She said her son wouldn’t miss a day because of the program. This child had a very poor prior attendance record! Your company has truly thought of everything to make it easy on teachers. We like the classroom attendance posters to record any absences, checkouts, or tardies. This also serves as a reminder to students to have good attendance. The children love the plastic sleeves for housing the weekly cards. There is nothing for teachers to do but pass out the cards on Friday, mark attendance on the chart, and praise students when they come to school. Thank you so much for creating this program!” Outstanding Improvement in Attendance at Pioneer Elementary, Brentwood California “I am writing this letter in reference to the success the Sharp (ZooZingo) attendance program has brought to our school in the past two years. Prior to running the program Pioneer had an overall attendance rate of 96.2%. Upon implementation of the Sharp program in the middle of the 2010-11 school year our attendance rate increased to 97% by June 2011. This year our attendance improved to 97.4%. This is an outstanding improvement and led to an increase in student achievement, school revenue and an overall success for all stakeholders: students, families and our school.”	5,594
Stay up-to-date and informed on Home Matters, and the latest efforts to give more Americans access to the power of Home. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Donate to Home Matters Keep Home Matters strong. Your financial support enables our efforts, and expands the reach of our initiatives and messages. Donate quickly and easily via PayPal. All donations are tax-deductible. $10.00 is the minimum online donation. All donations are tax deductible. Your contribution will be made to the NNA Fund to support the charitable and educational activities of the Home Matters movement. The NNA Fund is a tax-exempt organization described under Section 501(c)(3) of the Code, and your contribution is deductible as a charitable contribution. U.S. tax laws require us to confirm that no goods or services were provided in exchange for your contribution.	895
With the exception of individuals in the military, I’ve never had someone tell me they are leaving Hawaii to move to Colorado Springs—it’s the equivalent of saying you’re choosing to leave a tropical paradise to live your life in the cold rain and snow. Still, I made the decision to pack up and drag my dog along with me to journey to the Springs in January—the coldest month of the year. For the most part, I got a lot of encouragement. After all, I’m 30 years old and have only lived in Hawaii. What’s more, I’ve never seen snow. Never been able to ski or snowboard or build a snowman. I’ve never been to Disneyland, either, but that’s another story for another day… Just about everyone thought the move would be great for me. They’d talk about how it was going to be a good experience, a way to broaden my horizons, etc. Everyone, that is, except the woman two seats away from me, sitting next to the window on Alaska Airlines flight 852. When she asked if I was going to Colorado to ski, I said, “No, I’m moving there.” Her jaw dropped and she looked completely mortified. “WHY?” she asked. “Why would you leave Hawaii?” At first, I was speechless. I looked down at Koa, my dachshund mix, who was now whining. Why WAS I leaving Hawaii? Will I freeze to death? Will Koa freeze to death? Has the plane started taxing yet? Maybe I still have time to grab my stuff and get out of here! But, after a few seconds, I gathered my wits and gave her the same answer I’ve been giving people for months: “I need a change.” And I truly do—I need a change of scenery to shake up my daily life. There’s a lot to do in the Islands and Hawaii will always be home, but there are certain things you will never be able to experience unless you fly away for a bit. In fact, as I type this a mere eight hours after landing, I’ve already experienced a whole lot of change: First of all, altitude sickness is real. Fortunately, I have yet to experience any extremely adverse reactions, but I could definitely feel the difference the moment I stepped off the plane. I have both a hard time and an easy time breathing all at once. It feels like the air is cleaner and crisper, but my body is having a more difficult time processing it. Needless to say, I’ll take my friend Jess’s advice: “Don’t go running a 5k as soon as you get there.” The static electricity is crazy. I have to tie my hair back because it keeps sticking to my face, and I get shocked touching car doors nine out of ten times. Poor Koa got shocked, too. Speaking of hair, the low humidity has been working magic on my tresses. Sure, it constantly sticks to my face, but it’s like the texture of my hair has completely changed. It feels light and fine, not heavy and thick like it used to. I bet people here don’t even know what a Brazilian Blowout is! Unfortunately, though my hair looks great, my skin does not. It’s now so dry it almost hurts. Moisturizer is a must. By the looks of it, probably multiple times a day. This list would not be complete without mention of the cold. Oh, the cold! The sun is shining, but the wind is like ice! And today was a “good” day, with highs in the 50s and lows in the 30s. I used to keep a space heater under my desk at work, so temperatures in the 50s are already borderline freezing to me. I don’t know what I’ll do next week, when the highs are in the 20s. On the upside, though, Koa and I saw and touched snow for the first time today. That’s one check off my list! Who knows what tomorrow will bring? Related Author: leavingthehilife 2 thoughts on “The Journey to Colorado Springs” January 30, 2016 at 12:24 pm I love the blog! I get the same reaction all the time about why would I move to Kentucky when I was born in Hawaii. If your missing Hawaii, fly to Vegas it will feel like your back in Hawaii. Nick and I are so happy you made this decision to move. I can’t wait to read more!	4,012
This site offers a large amount of information on bird skulls and anatomy, displaying species from all over the world. No bird has been killed to get its skull or skeleton for this collection. All wild birds died of natural causes or accidental, and in a few cases due to legal hunting by others, or died in captivity. The Experimental Zoology Group of Wageningen University has been authorized by the Dutch authorities to own protected European birds after their death. The permit nr is: FEF 27/06/2/98/0051. The Wageningen University also has a CITES exemption, nr NL004. Who wants to keep (part of) a found bird should inform oneself about the local laws on bird protection.	714
I recently read a study that was conducted regarding social media and the apparent correlation with addiction and emotional deregulation. What the researchers found was that the people who spent increased time on social media sites such as Facebook displayed problems linked with emotional regulation, impulse control, and substance abuse. This is a pretty interesting correlation… Continue reading Why are you not being told the truth about your health by your doctor? By Dr.Buttler on September 23, 2014 September 23, 2014 I find that there is a big dis-service being done in medicine every day with patients. People are not being told the truth about their health. They are not being given a very clear and concise understanding of how they got to where they are and the likelihood of where they are going unless something… Continue reading Sugar vs Cocaine- you would be amazed at the similarities By Dr.Buttler on August 12, 2014 As I continue to treat patients from a clinical stand point, I am amazed at the amount of food addiction that is occurring within our culture. So often do we forget that certain foods create a stimulant affect within the body’s physiology in exactly the same way certain recreational drugs do. There have been recent… Continue reading The power of fear when making health decisions By Dr.Buttler on May 30, 2014 I have had a few patient experiences over the past month where there has been a noticeable impact of the fear that people carry when they are making decisions about their health. Why do we succumb to fear? Is this a normal response? Is it the optimal response? How can we move forward at doing… Continue reading Moving to virtual office visits is a disaster for health care! By Dr.Buttler on April 15, 2014 I just read through a prominent medical website that the medical office visit over the next 5 years will be one that is done through the smart phone or via the internet. I believe that this will move us into an even greater state of dysfunction within our current medical paradigm. The illusion of increasing… Continue reading Is your testosterone hormone supplementation causing you heart disease? YES, but so are all the other hormones you are taking. By Dr.Buttler on February 19, 2014 February 19, 2014 Here is how it goes guys, you get overwhelmed by life due to the increasing stress that occurs (finances,romance, etc..). As this happens you begin to crave more sugar and exercise less. Then your hormones begin to change. The initial ones are cortisol and insulin. This creates more added stress on your system. The natural… Continue reading The wrong direction we are taking with cancer By Dr.Buttler on February 11, 2014 As you might be aware, Knight Cancer Institute at OHSU just received a large sum of money from Phil Knight in hopes that it would be matched in order to expand the cancer research currently going on. While this is seemingly very exciting, it is going to drive us further down a hole that will… Continue reading Why getting sick is important for your long term health. By Dr.Buttler on October 2, 2013 As the flu season falls upon us, many of you will be looking for what to do in order to avoid or prevent a cold/flu from happening. While this is a very normal approach to take for your health keep this in mind, we are suppose to get sick, and how you manage yourself while… Continue reading Stop over medicating teenagers! Help them manage their stress! By Dr.Buttler on September 24, 2013 It is quite amazing to witness the management of our teenage population when it comes to their health. For some reason we like to make things very complex in medicine. I believe it is because it keeps the power in the hands of the doctor and the medical establishment. I can not quite wrap my… Continue reading Why balancing your blood sugar is so important for your health! By Dr.Buttler on September 17, 2013 When I talk about blood sugar with my patients, they will often think I am only speaking about the amount of sugar they eat. “Blood sugar” is a term that helps explain how your body is fueling itself and the effects that take place when imbalance occurs within your metabolism. You may have heard of…	4,188
January February March April May June July August September October November December 2020 2021 2022 2023 Events for the week : 20 September 2020 - 26 September 2020 20 September Health check in by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. :: BSD 21 September Health check in by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. :: BSD 06:30pm - 08:00pm BOE Regular Board Meeting by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. :: BSD Tuesday 22 September Harvey-Swanson Picture Day by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. :: BSD Health check in by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. :: BSD 23 September BMS Picture Day by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. :: BSD Health check in by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. :: BSD 24 September Health check in by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. :: BSD 25 September Health check in by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. :: BSD Saturday 26 September Health check in by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. :: BSD	1,556
A music group consisting of Takafumi Horie, a businessman, Kenichiro Mogi, a brain scientist, and Hajime Kanasugi, a creator working in the numerous fields including music, games, and media. The group began when Kanasugi began composing a song due to being deeply moved by reading his friend, Horie’s” book. The song would become the theme song for the book. The two approached their mutual friend, Kenichiro Mogi, and the trio group was formed. The first work by the three, “Zero ~Hadaka no Oretachi~”, was released as a high-resolution digital distribution (96kHz/24bit) release from 2-onkyo music. The song features Noko (Shinsei Kamattechan” on guitar. A “High Resolution Punk Band” Previous Post New Post PiXMiX to release 2nd album on October 19!! The talented girl group “PiXMiX” will release their 2nd album “Mada, Tabi no Tochuu. Tonari […] Kyary Pamyu Pamyu will be touring Europe in November, with a stop in London on the 25th. Pop singer Kyary Pamyu Pamyu will be touring Europe this November. Part of her KYARY PAMYU PAMYU 10TH ANNIVERS […] Visual kei band Arlequin will release a new single on August 3rd, and they will be playing a special show with a 51-member orchestra at LINE CUBE SHIBUYA on June 30th Visual kei band Arlequin will release a new single on August 3rd. PICTURES will be available in three editions […] The two new YOSHIKI-inspired energy drinks “Real Gold X” and “Real Gold Y” have launch […] Footage from “THE FIRST FINAL”, the “graduation ceremony” concerts held for contestants from SKY-HI’s boy group audition show “THE FIRST”, will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on June 29th. Footage of the last show from THE FIRST FINAL, a series of three “graduation ceremony” concerts he […] DIR EN GREY will release a new album on June 15th! DIR EN GREY will release a new album on June 15th. PHALARIS will be available in four editions. All four will […] Visual kei band ACME will release a new digital single on May 2nd! Visual kei band ACME will release a new digital single on May 2nd. Heaven’s door comes about three month […] ARCHIVE Select Month October 2022 (1) June 2022 (1) May 2022 (3) April 2022 (3) March 2022 (3) February 2022 (3) January 2022 (3) December 2021 (3) November 2021 (2) October 2021 (4) September 2021 (1) August 2021 (4) July 2021 (3) June 2021 (2) May 2021 (6) April 2021 (3) March 2021 (4) February 2021 (7) January 2021 (6) December 2020 (5) November 2020 (5) October 2020 (8) September 2020 (6) August 2020 (5) July 2020 (8) June 2020 (6) May 2020 (7) April 2020 (9) March 2020 (7) February 2020 (2) January 2020 (9) December 2019 (7) November 2019 (5) October 2019 (7) September 2019 (6) August 2019 (5) July 2019 (9) June 2019 (6) May 2019 (7) April 2019 (8) March 2019 (2) February 2019 (3) January 2019 (8) December 2018 (4) November 2018 (17) October 2018 (9) September 2018 (3) August 2018 (3) July 2018 (5) June 2018 (4) May 2018 (4) April 2018 (9) March 2018 (7) February 2018 (2) January 2018 (2) December 2017 (5) November 2017 (4) October 2017 (1) September 2017 (2) August 2017 (3) June 2017 (3) May 2017 (10) April 2017 (1) March 2017 (8) February 2017 (7) January 2017 (14) December 2016 (12) November 2016 (22) October 2016 (13) September 2016 (17) August 2016 (19) July 2016 (18) June 2016 (17) May 2016 (19) April 2016 (27) March 2016 (25) February 2016 (26) January 2016 (21) December 2015 (24) November 2015 (27) October 2015 (30) September 2015 (28) August 2015 (31) July 2015 (42) June 2015 (42) May 2015 (17) April 2015 (32) March 2015 (40) February 2015 (36) January 2015 (26) December 2014 (34) November 2014 (33) October 2014 (35) September 2014 (51) August 2014 (48) July 2014 (52) June 2014 (48) May 2014 (52) April 2014 (59) March 2014 (34) February 2014 (43) January 2014 (46) December 2013 (49) November 2013 (46) October 2013 (54) September 2013 (47) August 2013 (49) July 2013 (53) June 2013 (54) May 2013 (33) April 2013 (54) March 2013 (29) February 2013 (26) January 2013 (29) December 2012 (38) November 2012 (43) October 2012 (26) September 2012 (22) August 2012 (27) July 2012 (22) June 2012 (27) May 2012 (27) April 2012 (28) March 2012 (24) February 2012 (23) January 2012 (21) December 2011 (23) November 2011 (20) October 2011 (22) September 2011 (24) August 2011 (36) July 2011 (17) June 2011 (33) March 2011 (1) January 2011 (2163)	4,523
You might be here because, along with the quarter of all Australians who will experience an anxiety condition in their lifetime, you know first-hand the sense of dread and lack of control that is trademark anxiety. The purpose of this article is to answer some questions you may have. Treating anxiety and anxiety disorders Anxiety is a ‘whole-being’ emotion. Anxiety has a very physical expression; it is connected like electrical wiring to our thoughts (it is psychological); it is embedded in the way we engage in relationships with individuals and groups; and it is deeply connected to our spiritual identity as creatures of a loving Creator. Fiona's story Fiona is a trained Christian counsellor and has worked with people who experience anxiety and depression. But it was her family’s own experience in confronting the anxiety of her daughter that forms her story here, and the questions she’s asked as a parent and church member. Fiona has learnt to more deeply to depend on God. The Mental Health & Pastoral Care Institute is a part of Mary Andrews College, an Anglican Deaconess Ministry.	1,151
it is prohibited to reproduce, modify, adapt or otherwise use any of the images in any manner or form without the express written consent of the copyright holder. Je’Jae, 24 years old (non-binary) “At 18, I was sent to Israel on some heritage trip like a lot of young Jewish people do. I went through 2 years of shaming from our Rabi “therapist”. It’s what they call “Conversion Therapy”. It took me nearly 2 years to have the courage to leave that place and to tell my “therapist” that I didn’t want to hide anymore nor I wanted to be a part of this community. This man, who was supposed to be my mentor, shamed me. He said that I would grow up being alone, that I was a sick and an unnatural person." Read more. A 2017 study by Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago found that LGBTQ youth become homeless at a significantly higher rate than the adolescent population as a whole. They have a 120% higher risk for homelessness. About 40% of youth experiencing homelessness in NYC and other large cities identify as LGBTQ. LGBTQ communities often get reduced to stereotypes and youth is a vulnerable part of it. Not only are they dealing with pressure from friends, peers at school, and society trying to tell them what “normal” looks like, but too often, kids who come out to their parents as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender are rejected or thrown out of their homes. I wanted to give LGBTQ youths a voice. I wanted to put a face on this under-discussed issue and get the public to understand the tragic scope of this problem and the profound influence that family acceptance plays in the lives of LGBTQ youths. This project was published in the HuffPost Alexander, 24 years old (man with trans experience) “I started transitioning at 18. In Florida, at the time, trans identified people were not really protected. I was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and also gender identity disorder. My mum was not accepting of me. But me liking someone of the same sex or gender was not the biggest issue. The problem was more me representing very masculine. She said to me once: “ if you are going to like girls then why don’t you look like one?" Read more. Rose, 19 years old (trans woman) “I realized from a very young age about my trans identity because I was surrounded by a lot of things in my childhood that forced me to mature early. I think that is why I began transitioning so young at age 13. To get money, I was doing sex work. I did it on and off because I have a lot of social anxiety in general so trying to find clients to have sex with for money was difficult for me." Read more. “I didn't even know what being gay or being trans meant until I was about 15 years old because it was a bad thing to know in my family. Even though I knew my whole life that I was attracted to women, I didn't know there was a label and I didn’t know it was normal. Before I came out as trans I was identifying as a lesbian. And when my parents found out, it didn't go well at all for me.” Read more. “I grew up in an Orthodox family. So when I was discovering my identity, I had to keep a lot of things secret and during my last year of high school I came out to my parents. They weren't supportive of it.” Read more. “My parents tried to ignore what they called “my life style” and pretended that it would go away. Growing up, I started to be more unapologetic with who I am. I wasn’t hiding. So the tension at home just kept rising until one day my mum just exploded on me. She told me to leave and not come back.”	3,670
Victoria can’t wait to start college, but there’s a hitch—she can’t remember anything before arriving on campus. Her memories spark when she sees her ruggedly handsome math professor, but she senses something horrific. The shock on his face affirms her fears. Toby is an alpha wolf who never thought he’d see his true love again—not after she died in his arms. Nothing could have prepared him for her walking into his class. But to his dismay, not only has she forgotten what happened, she doesn’t even know who she is. He’s determined to do whatever it takes to restore what they’ve lost. Can Toby help Victoria recover her memories, or will he lose her forever? Beads of sweat broke out along my hairline. I wiped them away, tightened my ponytail, and ran faster along the dirt trail, jumping over exposed roots and ducking under low-hanging branches. Pine trees, firs, and alders turned my path into more of an obstacle course than a trail. A twig snapped behind me. I glanced back, but didn’t see anything. Probably just a raccoon. My sneaker hit a root and my arms flew in front of me. I landed on my hands and knees, and slid down an incline. Rocks and branches dug into my skin until I crashed into a huckleberry bush. I stood and dusted myself off. Blood dripped from my legs. I pulled twigs, dirt, and small rocks from the cuts. “Nice work, Victoria,” I muttered to myself. Sasha had said I shouldn’t have gone into the forest for my first jog. But having just moved to the beautiful Olympic Peninsula, I wasn’t about to join a club when I had the great outdoors. Birds chirped all around and a stream bubbled nearby. It was like the woods were telling me I’d made the right choice. “Who’s there?” I sounded a lot braver than I felt. My heart thundered against my ribcage and I whipped my head around. My roommates had said the woods were safe, but I was also trusting people who had been strangers only a couple days earlier. Why had I gone into the woods alone? Wasn’t that how half of all horror movies started? I thought of Sasha running on a treadmill, flirting with cute college guys. Maybe she was the smart one. Footsteps. “Hello?” I called. Nothing. The birds had even stopped singing. “Is anyone there?” The footsteps came closer. My pulse drummed in my ears. I fought to breathe normally. A small gray and black wolf stepped out from behind the tree. He made eye contact with me. I didn’t move a muscle, holding its gaze. Purchase Links: Stacy Claflin is a USA Today bestselling author who writes about complex women overcoming incredible odds. Whether it’s her Gone saga of psychological thrillers, her various paranormal romance tales, or her sweet romance series, Stacy’s three-dimensional characters shine through. Decades after she wrote her first stories on construction paper and years after typing on an inherited green screen computer that weighed half a ton, Stacy realized her dream of becoming a full-time bestselling author. When she’s not busy writing or educating her kids from home, Stacy enjoys watching TV shows like Supernatural, Pretty Little Liars, and Once Upon a Time.	3,318
When selecting a plastic surgeon, it is essential to take a look at their past work and results. To make this easier for you, we’ve compiled some surgery transformations (before and afters) and will do a deep-dive on them. Follow along this blog for six of our most flawless before and afters at Stallworth Facial Plastics! Stay updated with all of our latest news by signing up for our newsletter today! We respect your privacy. I was born with a Devaited Septum, and as I grew older I found it harder to breathe out of as it was getting worst. I use to call it my "bad nostril". If I ever got a stuffy nose I always had to breathe out of my mouth due to the reduced airflow. Thanks to Dr.Stallworths work I have two beautiful even septums and can barley remember which one was my bad nostril. Its made working out easier, made it easier to breathe while sick and so many other activities more managable due to the more airflow I get! If any of my friends asked where they should go I would definitely without a doubt only recommend this place as the best. I was impressed with the amount of time and attention Dr. Stallworth gave me and answered all my questions and concerns. He has a great manner dealing with patients. His whole staff is very open and friendly. I am impressed with his work and his team. For a few years now, I have had problems with my sinuses always sniffling, snorting, spraying Afrin, just to find some relief in a little simple life process called breathing. I went to see Dr. Stallworth and gave him a little history on my issue. He did an exam and noticed several things wrong with my nose. I had a deviated septum and my turbinates were swollen and crazy, and that surgery was going to be required to correct these problems. I'm kind of a nervous guy with some anxiety, but Dr. Stallworth and his staff made me feel like family. I felt they genuinely cared and wanted to help me get my wonderful nose back on track. I had a septoplasty and turbinate reduction on March 20th and today I'm breathing again with no Afrin or any other nasal decongestants. The staff always checked on me to ask how I was doing and I never felt as if I was bothering them. I just want to say thank you to Dr. Stallworth and his staff for being the professionals that they are. I highly recommend his services and hope that others seek Dr. Stallworth to help them breathe again. I have used Dr. Stall worth for years for my Botox and couldn't be happier with the results. I have tried other Docotrs and I haven't got the wonderful results that I receive from Dr. Stall worth. - Liz Martinez 02:03 15 May 18 I would like to take this opportunity to extol the services of Dr. Christian Stallworth and his staff. I came to him to repair a problem with my nose that was the end result of playing soccer for many years and taking a few elbows and soccer balls to the face. He was very open about the type of surgery I would require and the benefits of the surgery to me. Additionally, he was honest about the results I should expect and in fact they were better than I had anticipated. I was never uncomfortable with any of the staff and all the paperwork and appointments have been handled efficiently. I would recommend this doctor and his practice to anyone that is looking for a clinic that will handle your needs in a very friendly and comfortable way. Dr. Stallworth and his team provided excellent care during all of my visits, surgery and post surgery care. He was totally focused on the best outcome for me. Since then, I have recommended others to his care and they have been thrilled with the results. I do not hesitate in recommending him for any type of facial plastic surgery. Best facial plastic surgeon hands down! Have had several procedures done by Dr. Stallworth and would never trust anyone else with my face. He really cares about his patients, doesn’t push surgery if not needed and is a true artist! My mother is also a patient (bleph & brow list) as well as many friends who are all very pleased with his work! Don’t go to a general surgeon or dermatologist for facial procedures, he’s is board certified for facial procedures/surgery. Dr. Stallworth is very professional explaining health concerns. My treatment for botox was painless & always see's Great results!!! A great plastic surgeon he took me through basal cell cancer tip of nose to a full recovery after the post Mohs surgery was completed and then he did the plastic surgery graft and repair. This Dr inspires your confidence when you are at an all-time low in feeling will I be ok.He takes time with you and answers any questions you might have Face it tip of nose is frontal view of your face!! Thank you Dr Stallworth and your great and very sweet staff as well Keep up the great work you are doing Suzanne Sandlin I had a fantastic experience with Dr. Stallworth and his friendly, reliable staff. I have struggled with sinus pressure, headaches and sinus infections for years, which was made worse by my deviated septum. I also always hated the bump on my nose, so I decided to have both a septoplasty and rhinoplasty. I was pleased to find that Dr. Stallworth has an approachable yet professional style, and I always felt comfortable throughout the process. The best part of all is that I am very happy with my results. I’ve never breathed this well in my life, and I love the new appearance of my nose. Thank you Dr. Stallworth! Dr. Stallworth and the staff were great! I had a crooked nose for over a decade from playing competitive sports, so after a recent job promotion I decided to finally look into fixing my nose and I could not be happier. From the initial consultation I could tell that I was in great hands. Dr. Stallworth knew exactly what I hoped to achieve and was upfront about fees, deadlines, and possible risks with the procedure. A highlight for me was how flexible Dr. Stallworth and his staff were - particularly with the fact that I live in Los Angeles and I didn't want to fly into San Antonio for every micro-step leading up to the procedure. They accommodated the location difference whenever possible which made it an overall seamless process. Also, shoutout to Gloria and everyone at the front desk who I spoke with on the phone over the course of a few months because they were always incredibly helpful and informative. I had the bandages taken off today (one week after my rhinoplasty) and absolutely love the result. Dr. Stallworth went into meticulous detail about everything he did to my nose and why, and he even noted that I might not have been breathing to my full potential for the past decade (???!) due to a slightly deviated septum. He answered every question I had and made sure to stress that he's easily reachable should any questions or emergencies arise in the future. (Which reminds me, bonus points: my rhinoplasty was on December 23rd, and he said I could call him - even on Christmas - if any complications arose following the procedure.) 100% recommend Stallworth Facial Plastic Surgery! I just want to share my experience at Texas Plastic Surgery. I am so grateful I found Dr.Stallworth to do my rhinoplasty, I couldn’t be happier and extremely satisfied. It took me two years to get the courage to do this procedure. Not only he is an exceptional surgeon but also a great artist. He is professional, has excellent bedside manners and took the time to answer all my questions. If anyone is thinking about having facial plastic surgery, please schedule a consultation with him. I highly recommend him. 20:58 26 May 21 After a year of staring at increased signs of aging in my face on video conferences, (thanks, pandemic) I decided it was time to do something. Dr. Stallworth has a well-deserved reputation as the VERY BEST. His office staff is uniformly cheerful and efficient, making all the logistics easy. The entire group cares deeply about the patient experience and they are all fantastic at doing their jobs. If you're thinking about getting any work done....this is the place. You found it. Go on and book a consultation! He is a god spent angel for us. I have never seen a surgeon like him, very thorough, down to earth, great at explaining the procedures. We always get positive vibes, can’t trust any other Dr over him for my daughter’s treatment. He gave us a new life. We are extremely satisfied with his surgeries outcomes. Highly recommend to all the parents with cleft lip and palate babies. He would change your baby’s life in a positive way. Receiving treatment from him is like a blessing. I had the most amazing experience with doctor Stallworth and his whole staff. Dr. Stallworth is one of the most patient, personable, caring, and talented doctors I have ever met. He has the best bedside manners and has never ever made me feel rushed. His office staff is truly the best and they have always greeted me with kindness and smiles. I actually look forward to my appointments because everyone is so enjoyable to be around. Dr. Stallworth performed a Rhinoplasty on me and I am SO incredibly happy with how everything turned out. In office before my procedure, Dr. Stallworth was able to take a photo of me and tweak it to give me an idea of what to expect. This definitely helped to ease my nerves knowing that the doctor and I were on the same page. I am truly amazed with my results and have gained so much confidence since my procedure. You can tell that Dr. Stallworth truly loves what he does and takes so much pride in his work. Dr. Stallworth is a true artist and I HIGHLY recommend him! 18:13 05 May 21 I’m not exaggerating when I say that Dr. Christian Stallworth changed my life. I had a septoplasty and turbinate reduction performed about 2 months ago. For the last 10 years I have been unable to sleep soundly though the night. I’d wake up 1 to 3 times in the middle of the night unable to breathe through my nose. The congestion was terrible. It felt swollen, and no matter how much I blew my nose it was still congested. The daytime was okay, I could breathe alright and it didn’t bother me much because I wasn’t laying down. But it was the nighttime that I dreaded, knowing I’d feel terrible in the morning. This went on for years. I felt like a zombie most days because of lack of solid sleep. I went to different ENT’s and they always prescribed fluticasone or some other nasal spray for the problem. Nothing worked. I pretty much gave up and figured I’d live like that the rest of my life. I was told early on that I had a slight deviated septum, but nobody ever said it was the main problem preventing me from breathing or sleeping. I finally went to a different Dr. who performed a turbinate reduction. That alone didn’t help much. He recommended I go see Dr. Stallworth and get a septoplasty. I didn’t have high hopes initially because nothing ever seemed to work. Even after the surgery, I was cautious about the results. But the same day the stints were removed from my nose, I got great sleep. There was some swelling, but I didn’t wake up in the middle of the night unable to breathe. I waited 2 months before posting this review because I kept thinking my problems would come back. But everything has been great. I’ve gotten the best sleep I’ve had in years. I can’t recommend Dr. Stallworth enough. If you need the best surgeon around, go see him. ella Døvvd I wrote a review on 2018 but somehow is not here. So I will write it again and is gonna be a long one! This is about Dr Stallworth, but I'd like to mention a "surgeon" that did a terrible job on me and I want to share my whole story so no one has to go through it.. this will also show you why I recommend and trust Dr. Stallworth. I had a rhinoplasty with Dr. Schaner on 2015. Even though the shape of my nose looked ok afterwards, my columella scar was hideous! It looked like someone just chopped me! It was crooked and my profile looked like someone glued to pieces of the bottom of my nose together without any care, one part was higher than the other. The first month I didn't even notice that cuz my nose was swollen, and looked terrible (something expected from a surgery) but a month, then 2 months passed and even though my nose was still swollen (a little less everyday), my scar looked BAD! Dr. Schaner kept telling me it was gonna be ok, for many months. I even had the idea that maybe my skin was the problem, I blamed myself but the longer I waited the more botched it looked. I kept waiting like he said but it was just getting worse! He kept telling me it would look better for a year and a half (maybe more)!! He performed 2 very painful scar revisions in the following years (I should have looked somewhere else already) and he just made everything worse and worse, I had severe depression because of the scar, for years! I had a terrible scar right in the middle of my face and I pushed myself to go through life like that. I gave up, I had to wear FX makeup to cover it and had to always remember not to touch my nose or the makeup will come off. Life was hell. I got engaged on 2017 to get married on April 2018. And I was DESPERATE to find someone that could fix my nose by then! I looked everywhere in San Antonio!! Until I found Dr. Stallworth! I made an appointment and he told me what he could do for me. He was so nice and gave me reassurance that he could make my scar look better! I wanna highlight that I was not a person that thought my nose was gonna look perfect, I knew that after my rhinoplasty I was gonna have a columella scar, but I did not know it was gonna mess up with the results of the entire surgery! I was obviously botched! I had the scar revision surgery with Dr Stallworth a week later and after a few days....it was AMAZING!!!! I had not smiled so much since 2015!! The bottom of my nose didn't look chopped anymore, it was smooth, in place and the scar looked tiny. I was and still am SO HAPPY that I found him! I looked everywhere for someone that could help me, and he did it! I got married with so much confidence in myself, the wedding picture I hang on my wall shows my profile and I always remember all the struggle I had to go through. That picture would have been so different if I never found Dr. Stallworth! I seriously thank him from the bottom of my heart! I am telling the whole story because I know many people get botched and NEVER mention who did it. I wanted to be very open about it and I really hope this is good information for someone else. PLEASE always do your research and look for information about the surgery you want and who will perform it. Always make sure you are in the right hands Dr Stallworth is a wonderful Doctor . He did my sons cleft lip and Pallet. . he also took off his skin tags. I Highly recommend Dr Stallworth For years I wanted to fix my nose but as a male I hesitated, to go through with a rhinoplasty. But after my breathing problems got worse during my sleep. I decided to make an appointment. After one FaceTime consultation with Dr.Stallworth, I felt comfortable and confident with my decision. I decided to have both a septoplasty and rhinoplasty and I loved my results. It helped my breathing drastically and boosted my self esteem with my new nose. Being from out of town, the staff working there were extremely accommodating and helpful, with scheduling. Every visit in the office was a fantastic experience. Took my son to see Dr. Stallworth to assess his eyelid that had been damaged in a car accident. Dr. Stallworth and his staff are all very professional and kind. Dr. Stallworth is very compassionate and seems to be extremely knowledgeable in his field of practice. I would highly recommend Dr. Stallworth to anyone who may need plastic surgery. This is my personal experience. I went in for a consultation for a septoplasty/rhinoplasty. From the beginning it was a disaster. The consult fee is $125 and they incorrectly charged me as using my insurance because you would think it would save you some out of pocket costs, but wait there’s a catch. When I brought up the fact that I paid $135 and my insurance was charged $158 their excuse was that the billing company didn’t do it correctly and that they would stop sending me a bill for $20, which of course still hasn’t happened. Also, if you do a septo/rhino they charge each procedure separately if they bill your insurance. You got it, two separate anesthesia charges, basically two surgeries even though you are only under anesthesia once. When I originally brought this up of course they didn’t come right and say yes we are charging you twice. This wasn’t brought up until my preop appointment. I mean rightfully so because that’s upsurd. Of course all of this happened after I put my 20% deposit which was $1300 and when I told them I was not going to do the surgery with them because of aforementioned issues. You guessed it. That deposit is retained by them. Keep in mind you cannot book your surgery without putting this deposit down. Dr. Stallworth charged my friend I sent there $10k for a neck lift and for my rhinoplasty $8950. You would think that if he was such a great doctor that he would offer at minimum a referral discount or even a hey thanks for the referral. Nope nothing like that. Do not go there because I don’t believe they treated me fairly or even valued me as a possible patient. This too could happen to you. This is my personal experience. I went in for a consultation for a septoplasty/rhinoplasty. From the beginning it was a disaster. The consult fee is $125 and they incorrectly charged me as well my insurance. When I checked out they charged me $135 and then they billed my insurance $158. When I brought up the fact that I paid $135 and my insurance was charged $158 their excuse was that the billing company didn’t do it correctly and that they would stop sending me a bill for $20, which of course still hasn’t happened. Also, if you do a septo/rhino they charge each procedure separately if they bill your insurance. You got it, two separate anesthesia charges, basically two surgeries even though you are only under anesthesia once. When I originally brought this up of course they didn’t come right and say yes we are charging you twice. This wasn’t brought up until my preop appointment. If you are thinking that your insurance might save you some money, the only difference was $100. Of course all of this happened after I put my 20% deposit which was $1300 and when I told them I was not going to do the surgery with them because of aforementioned issues. That deposit is retained by them if you decide not to do the surgery with them. Keep in mind you cannot book your surgery without putting this deposit down. Dr. Stallworth charged my friend I sent there $10k for a neck lift and for my rhinoplasty $8950. In my opinion they try to maximize the amount of money they earn, whether you use insurance or not. You would think that if he was such a great doctor that he would offer at minimum a referral discount or even a hey thanks for the referral. Nope, nothing like that. Do not go there because I don’t believe they treated me fairly or even valued me as a patient. This too could happen to you. If you want someone who pays attention to detail and is honest, this is the doctor to go to. I had a septo/rhinoplasty done and I could not be happier with the results. Not only do I not have a bump on my nose anymore, but I can actually breathe so much better. Dr. Stallworth and his team are fantastic. I bothered them numerous times with questions and concerns post-surgery both during office hours and after hours and they were there for me. Thank y'all for everything, I really appreciate it! I have had the pleasure of working with Dr. Stallworth in the operating room as a nurse anesthetist and also recently was his patient. I could tell you from both sides that he is a perfectionist and and excellent surgeon. He is an expert in his field and has excellent bedside manner. After my procedure he even texted me personally to check on me multiple times. I would highly recommend him to anyone who needs any facial plastic work done. You would be in the best of hands. After years of research and multiple doctor’s appointments, I stumbled upon Dr. Stallworth’s page & reviews… I had got into a car accident and was putting off surgery for 11 years. Dr. Stallworth made me feel welcomed and comfortable and ready to tackle a yet very tricky surgery. He told me he could fix my years of insecurities from the damage that my car accident left me and that’s what he did! I can now breathe fully and comfortably, no more looking in the mirror and seeing the flaws. Him and his staff are such amazing people and I will recommend them over and over again. I couldn’t have asked for a better doctor or a better staff, if you are ever doubting whether or not you should pick this facility, don’t let the doubts win. I am so genuinely thankful for my results and I didn’t think it could be done. He is an exceptional doctor with an amazing crew!	22,106
WASHINGTON—The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, today announced the following briefing: Non-Asylum Protection in the United States and the European Union Friday, June 14, 2019 2:00 p.m. Rayburn House Office Building The United States and the European Union give legal protection to some people who flee armed conflict or natural disaster, but do not qualify as refugees. In the United States, the Secretary of Homeland Security designates countries of origin for “Temporary Protected Status” (TPS), enabling their nationals to legally remain in the United States and work until and unless the Secretary terminates the designation. Approximately 417,000 individuals from 10 countries currently have TPS, living in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. commonwealths and territories. In 2018, more than 100,300 people were granted similar non-asylum protection, on an individual basis, across the 28 countries of the European Union. Since 2017, the United States has extended TPS for Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, and Yemen, and announced terminations for El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Sudan. Lawsuits have challenged the terminations. To date, Members of Congress have introduced at least 10 TPS-focused bills in the 116th Congress. This briefing will explore the background and implementation of non-asylum protection in the United States and Europe—including whether some European Union Member States are according this protection even when asylum claims are credible—legislative and legal responses, and implications for policy, law, and protection. The following panelists are scheduled to participate: Sui Chung, Attorney at Law, Immigration Law and Litigation Group, and Chair, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Committee, American Immigration Lawyers Association Additional panelists may be added. Name: Belgium Czech Republic Denmark France Germany Greece Hungary Italy Latvia Lithuania Netherlands Poland Spain Sweden United States of America Sort by NewestOldest Article In the News Azerbaijan Belgium Canada Czech Republic Denmark France Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Italy Latvia Lithuania Netherlands Norway Participating States Poland Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey United States of America Issue Citizenship and Political Rights Conflict Prevention/Rehabilitation Elections Energy and Environment Freedom of Association and Assembly Freedom of Movement Freedom of Speech and Expression Genocide, Crimes against Humanity, and War Crimes Good Governance and the Rule of Law Military Aspects of Security Tolerance and Non-Discrimination Date toggle-list in the news Tuesday, March 23, 2021 Not long ago, America’s greatest adversaries were bound together by communist ideology. Today, they most often are defined by political corruption—authoritarian leaders using the levers of government to enrich themselves and ward off political opponents. Corrupt leaders cling to power through patronage networks and exploit rule-of-law jurisdictions, like the United States, to conceal and protect their stolen assets. These leaders are also accustomed to using strategic corruption as a tool of foreign policy. Corruption has its most perverse effects on the people who are forced to live under it. Corruption undermines democracy, hollows out the rule of law, and prevents the efficient and fair delivery of government services, as evidenced in the scandals affecting certain pandemic response efforts. Corruption also fuels the rise of authoritarian opportunists who seek to exploit social divisions, restrict freedom, and use public office for personal gain. Corruption also poses a wider threat to American democracy and prosperity, and to the prosperity of our allies. Almost every major transnational threat—such as human trafficking, black markets, and terrorism—is inextricably linked to corruption. Slowly but surely, the fight against corruption is gaining momentum worldwide. In Russia, corruption exposed by activist Alexei Navalny has sparked mass protests against a political elite that systematically steals from them. In the past three years alone, outrage against corruption has fueled protests in 32 countries. Despite these encouraging signs, opportunities to root out corruption remain rare—and when they arise, the window for action closes quickly. To have maximum impact in this fight, the United States needs to be ready to assist anti-corruption reformers on short notice. Seizing Opportunities for Reform The United States currently spends about $115 million a year on global anti-corruption programs. To put this in perspective, we spend $9.5 billion annually on global health assistance programs. Unfortunately, many of the funds we put toward anti-corruption efforts get trapped in multi-year technical programs that are unable to respond nimbly to sudden opportunities for governance reform. Scholars and practitioners have demonstrated that rapid action is crucial to making corruption reforms stick. When the rare window for reform opens, reformers must act quickly and boldly to capitalize on public momentum and prevent old-guard cronies from reasserting their influence. If the United States does not compete in these environments, fledging reformers will have an even harder time succeeding, and authoritarian kleptocrats will gain ground. The United States needs to be proactive in developing strategic relationships and agile programs that will keep us relevant in moments of historic opportunity. Last month, we introduced the Countering Russian and Other Overseas Kleptocracy (CROOK) Act to upgrade America’s anti-corruption efforts by targeting kleptocracy at the source. The CROOK Act would create an anti-corruption action fund to help activists leverage public sentiment to achieve lasting reform, without any additional cost to taxpayers. The fund would be financed through a $5 million surcharge on entities found liable for $50 million or more in criminal fines and penalties under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). Based on data from the last 10 years, this bill would put an additional $16 million per year toward global anti-corruption work. Funds would continue to accrue until a historic window of opportunity opens, at which point funds would be rapidly deployed to help establish the rule of law. Imagine if the United States had been able to inject more anti-corruption resources into Ukraine after the Revolution of Dignity in 2014, or Armenia after the 2018 Velvet Revolution, or Malaysia after its 2018 election. If the United States had been ready with an anti-corruption action fund, we could have dramatically amplified the work of courageous reformers to establish lasting change, and ultimately make the United States more secure. Leveraging FCPA fines and penalties to fight global anti-corruption is a long-overdue shift. The FCPA, passed in 1973, makes it illegal for a U.S. business to pay a bribe abroad and collects enormous fines and penalties every year—often in the billions of dollars. Yet historically, these fines have gone exclusively to the U.S. Treasury rather than being recycled into anti-corruption efforts. On issues like human trafficking and child pornography, the U.S. government already uses some money collected from perpetrators to aid victims and help fight the crimes committed against them. It is time for a similar approach to fighting corruption. Enhancing FCPA Enforcement The FCPA represents America’s commitment never to export corruption abroad. This draws a stark contrast with kleptocratic powers like China, a nation that exports corruption skillfully and aggressively through its Belt and Road Initiative. Regrettably, vigorous enforcement of the FCPA—though fully legal—has been a sticking point with some allies, who falsely claim it is a means to line American pockets. The CROOK Act would undercut these claims by redirecting a portion of fines and penalties collected to help U.S. partners fight corruption. The CROOK Act would also rebut a longstanding critique of the FCPA: that the U.S. unfairly targets private companies for offering bribes rather than targeting the source of demand for those bribes among foreign officials. The CROOK Act would create a more holistic approach by helping establish rule-of-law structures that would restrain officials from seeking bribes, resulting in a more level playing field for American businesses. The world’s most prominent anti-corruption advocates have all endorsed the CROOK Act, including Transparency International USA and the Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency (FACT) Coalition. Like much of the legislation that has emerged from the U.S. Helsinki Commission on which we serve, this bill enjoys bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate. Fighting corruption is an imperative for the United States. As a beacon of liberty and the rule of law, it is our duty and the purest expression of our values. It is also a highly practical form of soft power that advances our national security. Allocating the right resources for this fight is a small price to pay for advancing good governance abroad and creating a more stable world. Passing the CROOK Act would be decisive step in the right direction. Friday, March 19, 2021 WASHINGTON—Ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on March 21, 2021, U.S. Helsinki Commission leaders Rep. Alcee L. Hastings (FL-20), Sen. Roger Wicker (MS), Rep. Joe Wilson (SC-02), and Sen. Ben Cardin (MD) released the following statements: “Events of the past year have highlighted the harsh reality of what it means to be Black in America and in many countries around the world. We must do more to address the global violence plaguing communities of color and dismantle the ideologies and structures that reinforce racial hierarchies,” said Rep. Hastings. “I have been greatly encouraged by the stand youth have been taking against racism with the hopes that their efforts will lead to a future where skin color, gender, religion, and other characteristics are no longer a determinant of one’s value or access to rights, protections, and opportunities.” “Every person deserves equal protection under law, regardless of race, color, or creed,” Sen. Wicker said. “I stand with those who are working to end the blight of racial discrimination in every country.” “We have witnessed terrible tragedies prompted by racism,” said Rep. Wilson. “The global community has a responsibility to root out discrimination and remove barriers to equal education, employment, and political participation.” “The COVID-19 pandemic has further exposed long-standing racism both at home and abroad. As the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Special Representative on Anti-Semitism, Racism, and Intolerance, I am actively cooperating with our European partners to strive for peace, equality and equity,” said Sen. Cardin. “Impactful U.S. legislation, such as the End Racial and Religious Profiling Act of 2021 I recently introduced that would prohibit law enforcement from discriminatory profiling, will bring us closer to breaking the cycle of systemic racism. I am pleased that my ERRPA legislation has passed the House as part of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which is now under consideration in the Senate. I urge my colleagues to join me in commemorating this important day that reminds us that the fight for justice is far from over.” The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on March 21, following the UN General Assembly’s 1966 recognition of the deaths of 69 demonstrators who were killed by police when protesting apartheid in South Africa on March 21, 1960. The Helsinki Commission has hosted youth leadership initiatives and racial justice efforts, including a joint meeting with the European Parliament on combating racism and systemic discrimination and an event highlighting the world’s biggest data set of hate crime statistics, compiled by the OSCE’s Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights for participating States, civil society, and international organizations. Thursday, March 18, 2021 WASHINGTON—Following the release of a U.S. intelligence report outlining foreign efforts to influence the 2020 U.S. elections, including by the Kremlin, Helsinki Commission leaders Rep. Alcee L. Hastings (FL-20), Rep. Joe Wilson (SC-02) and Sen. Ben Cardin (MD) issued the following statements: “The Kremlin wants to sow uncertainty, chaos, and disorder in the United States and uses weapons of influence and disinformation to strike when we are most divided and vulnerable,” said Rep. Hastings. “International election observers noted earlier reports of foreign actors engaged in disinformation campaigns designed to degrade public confidence in the U.S. electoral process. Although the 2020 elections were free and fair, we cannot be complacent. We must strengthen our society and institutions against further attacks on our sovereignty.” “The Kremlin’s mobilization of bots, trolls, and agents of influence to exploit pre-existing divisions in American society and further polarize discourse will not stop with our most recent elections,” said Rep. Wilson. “America’s best defense will continue to be informed citizens, continued vigilance from the U.S. intelligence community, and sanctions and other punishments on those who seek to undermine our institutions.” “Reports of the Kremlin’s efforts to influence our elections and undermine faith in our democracy are troubling,” said Sen. Cardin. “We must be vigilant against such threats, not only in the United States, but wherever Putin attempts to strike next. Working with allies around the globe to bolster our defenses against malign disinformation campaigns is vital to safeguard our foreign policy and security interests.” On March 16, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence released an unclassified version of a report assessing the scope of foreign threats to the 2020 U.S. elections. The intelligence community assessed that Russian president Vladimir Putin authorized “influence operations aimed at denigrating President Biden's candidacy and the Democratic Party, supporting former President Trump, undermining public confidence in the electoral process and exacerbating sociopolitical divisions in the United States.” The campaign, implemented by various Kremlin entities, focused on the use of proxies tied to Russian intelligence who peddled influence narratives in media and within the Trump administration. In September 2020, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions on one of the individuals mentioned in the report, Ukrainian parliamentarian Andriy Derkach. The report notes no attempts to interfere in technical aspects of the voting process. Hudson, Veasey Condemn Ongoing Imprisonment of American Trevor Reed in Russia Tuesday, March 16, 2021 WASHINGTON—In response to the ongoing imprisonment of U.S. citizen Trevor Reed in Russia, Rep. Richard Hudson (NC-08) and Rep. Marc Veasey (TX-33) issued the following joint statement: “Trevor Reed is not a political bargaining chip; he is a human being loved by family and friends. He already has suffered needlessly through pre-trial detention, a sham trial, and more than a year of his unjust prison sentence. The United States will not stand by quietly while Trevor—and all of those wrongly jailed by Russian authorities—suffer the consequences.” American citizen and U.S. Marine Corps veteran Trevor Reed traveled to Moscow in May 2019 to visit his girlfriend. In August, he was detained by police after a party and accused of endangering the lives of the police officers by grabbing them and causing their vehicle to swerve on the way to the police station. No one was injured, video evidence and witness testimony did not corroborate the accusation, and Reed’s defense team was not given access to additional video footage recorded inside the police car and police station. After spending a year in custody, in July 2020 Reed was sentenced to nine years in a prison camp—the single longest prison sentence handed down in more than 20 years for such a charge. In February 2021, a Moscow court postponed hearing his appeal indefinitely. In early March, Reed was taken from his cell by authorities and held incommunicado in an unknown location for more than a week. Officials provided no explanation to his family or to the U.S. Embassy upon his return. The Kremlin has a history of jailing U.S. citizens on spurious and politically motivated charges. In June 2020, another U.S. citizen, Paul Whelan, was sentenced to 16 years in a maximum-security prison by a Russian court. He originally was arrested in Moscow in December 2018, where he planned to attend a wedding, and spent the intervening 18 months in pre-trial detention. Friday, March 05, 2021 By Bob Hand, Senior Policy Advisor Approximately 270 parliamentarians from across the OSCE region gathered virtually from February 24 – 26 for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Winter Meeting, the first statutory meeting of the Assembly held since the COVID-19 pandemic limited inter-parliamentary diplomacy to online gatherings. The ongoing impact of COVID-19 on security, the economy, the environment and the human rights and democratic development of the 57 OSCE States remained the focus of the annual gathering. Supported by the U.S. Helsinki Commission, the U.S. Delegation remained actively engaged, fielding a bicameral, bipartisan delegation of 10 Members of Congress who participated remotely in the debates. Sen. Ben Cardin (MD) served as Head of the U.S. Delegation. The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA) is an independent institution of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) created in 1991 for parliamentarians to complement the inter-governmental work of the 57 participating States. Unlike other OSCE bodies, countries are represented based on population rather than each having a single seat at the table (the United States has the largest representation with 17 seats), and decision-making is based on a majority vote rather than consensus. The Annual Session each summer is the principal gathering, with a Winter Meeting in February and an Autumn Meeting in October to initiate and conclude the year’s work. Despite a busy congressional schedule, the members of the U.S. Delegation successfully raised critical country, issue, and institutional concerns, including the attempted poisoning and incarceration of Alexei Navalny, Russian aggression in Ukraine, the brutal crackdown in Belarus and corruption and authoritarian tendencies elsewhere in the OSCE region. Active U.S. engagement demonstrates the depth of U.S. commitment to European security, and reflects the importance of the OSCE PA as a vehicle for advancing U.S. interests and building support on issues like human trafficking, attacks on the media, manifestations of anti-Semitism, racism and intolerance, as well as country-specific concerns. Such a large delegation of Members of Congress reflected the diversity of opinion in the United States, setting an example of openness and honesty for others to follow, deflecting accusations of double standards on U.S. performance, and strengthening the message on human rights concerns in other countries where the Members of Congress can and do express a united view. Improvising Engagement Amid Pandemic Since 2002, Winter Meetings have been held in Vienna, Austria to facilitate direct interaction among parliamentarians, OSCE officials, and diplomatic representatives of the OSCE participating States. The Winter Meeting also allows the Assembly’s general committees to discuss work for the coming year. The outbreak of the COVID pandemic in early 2020 forced the cancellation of the Annual Session scheduled for July in Vancouver and the Autumn Meeting scheduled for October in San Marino. Without rules dealing with such situations, the OSCE PA Secretariat maintained inter-parliamentary engagement by organizing a dozen or more inter-parliamentary web dialogues from April into November to substitute for the traditional gatherings. While no replacement for traditional meetings, these unofficial events provided needed continuity and contact among delegates. First the first time in the history of the OSCE PA, no annual declaration was adopted, but the then-Assembly President George Tsereteli provided summaries of the web debates on relevant issues, a record of dialogue even in the midst of pandemic. The OSCE PA resumed election observation where possible and responded to political impasse within the OSCE itself by issuing a “Call for Action” urging a reaffirmation of the organization’s once common purpose. For 2021, the OSCE PA has been seeking to resume its regular meeting schedule, although conditions still required the Winter Meeting to be held remotely. Five sessions were scheduled during hours that best accommodated participants across some 16 time zones, from Vancouver to Ulaanbaatar. At the meeting of the Heads of Delegation, known as the Standing Committee, it was announced that the 2021 Annual Session would be unable to be held in person as planned in Bucharest, Romania, in early July. As a result, the Standing Committee amended the Assembly’s rules of procedure to allow statutory meetings to go forward online, including permitting elections for OSCE PA officers and other decisions to be handled remotely. Maintaining Focus on Substantive Issues and Concerns Beyond scheduling and procedures, the Standing Committee also looked at substance. Following reports from current OSCE PA President Peter Lord Bowness (United Kingdom), Secretary General Roberto Montella (Italy), and OSCE PA Special Representatives appointed to address particular concerns, there were heated exchanges between Azerbaijan and Armenia regarding Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as on Russian aggression against Ukraine and the brutal crackdown on protesting opposition in Belarus—issues that would be raised repeatedly throughout the meeting. Sen. Cardin, attending not only as Head of Delegation but also as Special Representative on Anti-Semitism, Racism and Intolerance, delivered a report on his activities, as did Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), who serves as the Special Representative on Human Trafficking Issues. “The coronavirus pandemic has created an unprecedented health crisis in the OSCE region, exacerbated by pre-existing inequities and disproportionately impacting people of color. Heightened anti-Asian discrimination, anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, and violent attacks targeting diverse populations have followed… My report details a response to these developments, as well as the global racial justice movement spurred by the tragic death of George Floyd.” Sen. Ben Cardin (MD), Head of U.S. Delegation, U.S. Helsinki Commission Rep. Smith noted, “Traffickers did not shut down during the pandemic—they simply adapted their methods. Meanwhile, vulnerable people were made even more vulnerable by both the virus and its deleterious impact on the global economy… As we worked to address these challenges, it was crucial to have information and recommendations based on real, concrete data.” The Joint Session of the General Committees effectively served as the opening plenary. President Bowness opened the session with a defense of principled-based dialogue, and guest speakers included Ann Linde, Sweden’s foreign minister and this year’s OSCE Chair-in-Office, as well as Helga Schmid (Germany), the OSCE’s new Secretary General. The chairperson outlined plans for 2021, asserting that the she will “prioritize the comprehensive concept of security across all three dimensions,” namely the Security, Economic and Human Dimension, which she argued “contributes to making the OSCE truly unique.” The Secretary General expressed her hopes to provide needed support for the organization and its mission, and she credited the OSCE PA for bringing emerging security issues into the OSCE debate. Sen. Cardin thanked the Assembly and its parliamentarians for their expressions of concern and support for the United States in light of efforts to delegitimize the November 2020 presidential elections and the related violent mob attack on the U.S. Capitol in January 2021. He also expressed support for the comments of Lord Bowness and the priorities announced by the Swedish Chair-in-Office, including to have the Human Dimension Implementation Meeting in 2021. “We must challenge those who are seeking to weaken the OSCE or aren’t living up to their commitments. That’s our priority as parliamentarians … and we must as parliamentarians support the mission of the OSCE and help strengthen it through our actions and our capitals,” he said. Finally, speaking on behalf of Rep. Alcee Hastings (FL-20), who was unable to attend, Sen. Cardin asked the Swedish chair about how the OSCE can engage Armenia and Azerbaijan in order to address outstanding issues and encourage a return to the Minsk Group settlement process to achieve a sustainable resolution of the conflict. Taking a Closer Look at the Security, Economic and Human Dimensions of OSCE Following the Joint Session, each of the three General Committees heard from OSCE officials in their respective fields, or dimensions, of OSCE work. Presenters included the ambassadors serving as chairs of the counterpart committees of the OSCE’s Permanent Council and the head of the OSCE’s Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. The three committees also heard from their respective rapporteurs on plans for drafting substantive reports that will be the basis of further activity at the Annual Session. Rep. Richard Hudson (NC-08), who chairs the General (First) Committee on Political Affairs and Security, noted the myriad of security and political issues confronting the OSCE during the past year, including the war in Ukraine, conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, and political turmoil in countries of concern like Russia, Belarus, and most recently Georgia. “Our engagement with critical issues in the OSCE space has been consistent and impactful,” he concluded. Speaking during the session, Acting U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Phil Reeker called the erosion of the European security environment the “biggest challenge we face today in the organization” and highlighted U.S. plans for the Forum for Security Cooperation (FSC) during its four-month chairmanship. The Acting Permanent Representative of the United States to the OSCE and FSC chair, senior diplomat Courtney Austrian, was present for the discussion. Sen. Roger Wicker (MS) took the floor during subsequent debate to condemn Russian violations of Helsinki Principles in its aggression in Ukraine. He said that “Moscow must withdraw proxies in eastern Ukraine” and “respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity,” asserting that relevant sanctions will remain in place until that happens. Rep. Steve Cohen (TN-09) also responded to an intervention on youth and drugs by a delegate from Belarus, arguing that citizens need to be given greater freedom if young people are to feel a commitment to the country. Three other Members of Congress participated in the session of the General (Second) Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and the Environment, which covered issues ranging from corruption to climate change. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) focused on addressing corruption. “It should come as no surprise to anyone … that legislatures have one of the most important roles to play in combating corruption—that of establishing a transparent and accountable legal and financial framework that empowers law enforcement officials and is maximally resistant to fraud,” he said. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (RI) said that the United States “is back” in efforts to combat climate change and noted recent U.S. legislation designed to address shell companies that support a global dark economy by sheltering “assets of thieves.” Rep. Gwen Moore (WI-04) spoke about the devastating impact of the pandemic on women in the healthcare industry as well as on small business, and she expressed concern about risks to supply chains and business ties to both China and Russia. Three Members of Congress also participated in of the General (Third) Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions. Rep. Cohen asserted that human rights has reclaimed its place in U.S. foreign policy, and emphasized human rights in concerns in Russia, Belarus, and Hungary. He expressed particular concern about the poisoning and recent arrest of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny and called for Belarus to release political prisoners and to hold elections with OSCE observers. Rep. Marc Veasey (TX-33) took the floor in a later debate, responding to a report on the OSCE’s observation of the U.S. general elections in November 2020. He stressed the need for U.S. states that currently prohibit or restrict international observation to consider a more open approach and concluded that “our election officials and state legislators should read this report,” along with “any American who cares about his or her country. It is a broad snapshot of our entire electoral complex system that we have here.” Rep. Robert Aderholt (AL-04) raised concerns about discriminatory restrictions on religious assembly during the pandemic, as well as on the diminishing free media environment in many participating States. “Press freedom in the OSCE region has continued to decline as some governments are using economic, legal, and extra-legal tools to silence independent media and also to bolster loyal outlets and dozens of journalists are imprisoned in the OSCE region,” he said. “We’ve seen that in Russia, we’ve seen that in Belarus, we’ve seen that in Turkey, detaining scores of journalists in recent national protests.” There was one side event held in conjunction with the Winter Meeting, organized by the Norwegian Helsinki Committee in cooperation with the Lithuanian Mission to OSCE. Seven panelists in two sessions highlighted how international instruments—such as the Moscow Mechanism, Magnitsky-like legislation, the International Criminal Court, the European Court of Human Rights, and the promotion of a universal criminal jurisdiction—could increase accountability of state actors, support Belarus’ democracy movement, and deny financial safe havens to Russian kleptocrats. Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Boris Nemtsov Foundation for Freedom chairman Vladimir Kara-Murza were among the event panelists. Assessing the Effort The virtual three-day, five-session Winter Meeting could not replace an in-person gathering in Vienna, a point frequently made by the parliamentarians themselves. However, it did allow for a resumption of constructive debate in the general committees and interaction among parliamentarians and other OSCE institutions, paving the way for a return to more traditional work as the year progresses. The need to cancel the Annual Session planned for July in Bucharest was a major disappointment, but the adoption of rules governing such emergency situations now permit some continuity of effort. Hastings and Cardin on Report that Saudi Crown Prince Approved Khashoggi Killing, New State Department “Khashoggi Ban” Friday, February 26, 2021 WASHINGTON—Following the release of a report indicating that Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman approved an operation in Istanbul, Turkey to capture or kill Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and the announcement by the U.S. State Department of a new policy to impose visa restrictions on individuals who directly engage in serious, extraterritorial counter-dissident activities on behalf of a foreign government, Helsinki Commission leaders Rep. Alcee L. Hastings (FL-20) and Sen. Ben Cardin (MD) issued the following statements: “The report released today confirmed what we already knew—that the brutal murder of Jamal Khashoggi was orchestrated at the highest levels of the Saudi Government,” said Rep. Hastings. “Too often, the world turns a blind eye to the risks journalists take simply by doing their jobs. Now we must push for accountability and justice, not only for Mr. Khashoggi but for every member of the media who has been targeted for revealing the truth. I commend the State Department for enacting a new global policy bearing Jamal Khashoggi’s name to impose visa restrictions on those who engage in extraterritorial attacks on journalists or activists. Defending press freedom is essential to a democratic and prosperous society.” “Jamal Khashoggi’s brutal, targeted killing will no longer be hidden under diplomatic cover. I commend President Biden for putting human rights at the center of U.S. foreign policy and for publicly releasing the details surrounding this horrific murder,” said Sen. Cardin. “I urge President Biden and his administration to apply Global Magnitsky sanctions on all those found responsible for the brutal murder of Mr. Khashoggi. I authored the Global Magnitsky Act to ensure accountability for individuals responsible for gross violations of human rights wherever they may occur. America’s strength is in our values. We must defend human rights and hold abusers accountable. Now is the time to send a clear signal that extrajudicial killings are universally unacceptable and that no one is above the law.” In 2020, the U.S. Helsinki Commission held a hearing to examine the troubling trend of violence against journalists, and review implementation of international press freedom commitments undertaken by the United States. In 2019, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media testified before the U.S. Helsinki Commission on the state of media freedom in the OSCE region. Helsinki Commission Digital Digest: February 2021 Friday, February 26, 2021 Chairman Hastings Introduces LITE Act to Foster Shared Values, Restore Faith in Democratic Institutions on Both Sides of the Atlantic Thursday, February 18, 2021 WASHINGTON—Helsinki Commission Chairman Rep. Alcee L. Hastings (FL-20) on Thursday reintroduced the Leadership Institute for Transatlantic Engagement (LITE) Act to strengthen ties with U.S. allies, protect democratic institutions, and support visionary leadership on both sides of the Atlantic. The legislation was originally introduced in March 2020. “Dramatic disparities in wealth, health, employment, education, and justice are leading some to question whether democracy can deliver on its promise of freedom and opportunity for all,” said Chairman Hastings. “By helping leaders ensure that laws are equitable, transparent, and enforced; elections are free and fair; and the same protections, rights, and laws are extended to all in their constituencies, we can restore faith in democratic institutions on both sides of the Atlantic.” LITE would further codify transatlantic leadership exchanges and knowledge-building activities to equip Western policymakers with legislative, communications, conflict resolution, and other leadership tools to strengthen democratic institutions in their societies as well as the transatlantic relationship. It complements President Joe Biden’s initiatives to address racial equity and discrimination, as well as to reengage with America’s European allies. Recognizing the rapid and ongoing demographic change on both sides of the Atlantic, LITE also focuses on inclusive and intergenerational solutions to current challenges and would empower individuals across generations and from diverse backgrounds with the knowledge, skills, opportunity, and access to fully participate in their democracies. In addition, LITE would assist in community reunification by helping leaders develop strategies to build resilience against the exploitation of community grievances that can lead to dangerous divisions in society. During the 116th Congress, the Helsinki Commission, under the leadership of Chairman Hastings, organized multiple initiatives to promote inclusive democracies, including a September 2019 hearing on the state of diversity and inclusion in Europe. In December 2019, the commission convened a hearing on public diplomacy initiatives that cultivate leaders who espouse democratic principles, including inclusive and representative governance. In February 2020, the Helsinki Commission hosted more than 30 young legislators from OSCE participating States and partner countries to discuss the role of young people in peace and security efforts and forge a transatlantic network for political action to address emerging human rights and security challenges. For more than a decade, the Helsinki Commission has convened U.S. and European policymakers with the State Department and other partners under the banner of the Transatlantic Minority Political Leadership Conference and Transatlantic Inclusion Leaders Network to support increased political representation in Western democracies. In November 2019, the State Department, in cooperation with the Helsinki Commission, launched a new transatlantic democracy program for youth, “On the Road to Inclusion.” The program empowers young people to collaborate across diverse social, cultural, religious, and generational differences to promote positive change through democratic practices. Representatives Gregory Meeks, Gwen Moore, Steve Cohen, and Sheila Jackson Lee are original cosponsors of the bill. Chairman Hastings Introduces Initiatives to Promote Rights and Recognize Achievements of People of African Descent Thursday, February 18, 2021 WASHINGTON—As the United States celebrates Black History Month and the world continues to highlight the International Decade for People of African Descent, Helsinki Commission Chairman Rep. Alcee L. Hastings (FL-20) introduced two pieces of legislation on Thursday focused on promoting the rights of people of African descent and recognizing their achievements and invaluable contributions to society. The African Descent Affairs Act of 2021 would establish a U.S. strategy to protect and promote the human rights of people of African descent worldwide. “We have seen a sharp increase in racism, anti-Semitism, xenophobia and other forms of prejudice and discrimination across the globe,” said Chairman Hastings. “Global racial justice movements have drawn attention not only to the problem, but also to opportunities to join efforts with countries around the world to develop and implement global and national solutions.” The African Descent Affairs Act, originally introduced in 2019, seeks to facilitate the full and equal participation of people of African descent in society; promote knowledge of and respect for the diverse heritage, culture, and contributions of people of African descent; and strengthen and implement legal frameworks that combat racial discrimination by: Developing an Office of Global African Descent Affairs within the U.S. State Department to develop global foreign policy and assistance strategies beyond the African continent; Creating a State Department fund to support antidiscrimination and empowerment efforts by civil society organizations; Requiring annual State Department human rights reports to include a section on discrimination faced by people of African descent; Creating similar initiatives at the United States Agency for International Development. A related resolution recognizes the achievements and contributions of people of African descent and Black Europeans in the face of persistent racism and discrimination. It encourages the European Union (EU), European governments, and members of civil society and the private sector to work with African descent communities to implement national strategies to address inequality and racism. “While the presence of Blacks in Europe can be traced to enslavement, colonization, military deployments, voluntary or forced migration, the movement of refugees and asylum seekers, or educational and other professional exchanges and even before the time of the Egyptians, the story of Europeans of African descent and Black Europeans still remains largely untold,” said Chairman Hastings. “The system has rendered many of their past and present contributions to the very fabric of Europe unseen or forgotten, which is unacceptable.” The resolution urges the United States to take a number of steps to improve the situation of people of African descent in Europe by supporting: EU-wide anti-racism and inclusion strategies, including implementation of the EU’s first Anti-racism Action Plan and the adoption of national strategies in all 27 EU Member States; A Joint U.S.-EU Action Plan on Racial and Ethnic Equality and Inclusion, as well as other multilateral efforts to address racial inequality and combat racial discrimination, including efforts of the OSCE, Council of Europe, United Nations and their parliamentary assemblies; The active promotion of racial and ethnic representation and participation at all levels of national, regional, and local government, in addition to other measures. Chairman Hastings originally introduced the resolution, which was co-sponsored by the late Rep. John Lewis, in March 2019. “It is my hope that when we gather in the years to come to review the efforts of the United Nations designated International Decade for People of African Descent, we will not only speak of how our efforts resulted in our respective nations publicly recognizing the injustices and long-term impact of slavery and colonialism, but also of how our societies reconciled these issues in a manner that ensured equal opportunity, access, and justice for all people of African descent,” said Chairman Hastings. Both initiatives align with President Biden’s recent executive orders on racial equality and justice. Over the past decade, the Helsinki Commission has drawn attention to continuing issues of racism and discrimination on both sides of the Atlantic, most recently through a September 2020 hearing on reinforcing U.S.-EU parliamentary coordination to promote race equity, equality, and justice following the June 19, 2020 adoption of the European Parliament resolution on the anti-racism protests following the death of George Floyd. Representatives Gregory Meeks, Gwen Moore, Steve Cohen, Sheila Jackson Lee, and Bobby Rush are original cosponsors of the bill. Thursday, February 04, 2021 WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), incoming Chair of the U.S. Helsinki Commission and Co-Chair, respectively, have re-introduced legislation that would elevate the federal government’s anti-corruption activities. S.158, the Countering Russian and Other Overseas Kleptocracy Act, or CROOK Act, would establish an anti-corruption action fund to provide extra funding during historic windows of opportunity for reform in foreign countries and streamline work strengthening the rule of law abroad. “Vladimir Putin and other kleptocrats around the world seek to undermine democracy and hollow out the rule of law for their own personal gain. This bipartisan legislation would provide the authority and resources required to fight back against these reprehensible regimes,” said Senator Cardin, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “Countering corruption and promoting good governance is a national security priority.” “There is no better indicator of the need to confront corruption around the world than Vladimir Putin’s disgraceful actions against democratic activist Alexei Navalny,” Senator Wicker said. “By targeting individual wrongdoers, this legislation would help to counter the influence of corrupt actors on the world stage, whether they be from Russia, China, or Venezuela. Any steps we can take to crack down on illegal practices and strengthen the rule of law are welcome.” The anti-corruption action fund established in the Cardin-Wicker legislation would assist countries where U.S. assistance could significantly increase the chances of successfully transitioning to democracy, combating corruption, and establishing the rule of law. For example, Ukraine in 2014, Ethiopia after the election of a new Prime Minister who instituted important reforms in 2018, or Armenia after the December 2018 parliamentary election. This no-year fund would establish a mechanism to allocate aid and take advantage of ripened political will more quickly. The monies for this fund would derive from a $5 million surcharge to individual companies and entities that incur Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) criminal fines and penalties above $50 million. S.158 also would establish several complementary mechanisms to generate a whole-of-government approach to U.S. efforts to strengthen the rule of law abroad. These include an interagency taskforce; the designation of embassy anti-corruption points of contact to liaise with the task force; reporting requirements designed to combat corruption, kleptocracy, and illegal finance; and a consolidated online platform for easy access to anti-corruption reports and materials. Wednesday, February 03, 2021 WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), incoming Chair of the U.S. Helsinki Commission and author of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, and Helsinki Commission Co-Chair Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) have introduced the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Reauthorization Act (S. 93).The bipartisan legislation would extend U.S. sanctions against violators of human rights and corrupt actors so they do not escape the consequences of their actions even when their home country fails to seek justice for their victims. “The Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act has been a powerful tool in our global effort to protecting human rights and fight corruption. I thank Senator Wicker for working with me to strengthen the law as a message to abusers and kleptocrats who think they can act with impunity,” said Senator Cardin. “This reauthorization will send a clear signal of our national commitment to defending democratic values and the international rules and standards that enable us all to live peaceably together. When human rights abusers and kleptocrats violate these norms, it is incumbent upon us to create concrete consequences.” “When it was introduced, the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act was a groundbreaking tool for combating human rights abuses and corruption around the world,” Senator Wicker said. “Since then, the law has helped to hold the worst violators accountable no matter where they are. I look forward to working with Senator Cardin to make this legislation permanent, so that the U.S. can continue to defend human rights abroad.” Actions taken under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act continue to demonstrate the reach, flexibility, and broad scope of the Global Magnitsky authorities. The United States responded to serious human rights abuses and corruption globally, addressing some of the most egregious behavior this tool can attempt to disrupt and deter. These actions targeted, among other things, serious human rights abusers affecting millions of members of Muslim minority groups in northwest China’s Xinjiang province; corrupt actors in South Sudan involved in draining the country of critical resources; and Ugandan officials engaged in an adoption scam that victimized Ugandan-born children. These designations clearly demonstrate the importance of this tool, when appropriate, to target individuals and entities engaging in specified conduct. The Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Reauthorization Act (S. 93) seeks to harmonize the original Act (Title XII, Subtitle F of P.L. 114-328; 22 U.S.C. §2656 note) with Executive Order 13818 by: Removing the victim status requirement to ensure no victim is excluded; Adopting the “serious human rights abuse” and “violation of internationally recognized Human rights” standards to expand the actors and abuses eligible for sanctions; Simplifying the standard for corruption offenses; Supplementing the activity-based targeting standard with a status-based standard; and Allowing for the sanctioning of immediate family members. S. 93 calls for a report on the steps taken through diplomacy and assistance to foreign or security sectors to address persistent underlying causes of serious human rights abuses, violations of internationally recognized human rights, and corruption in each country in which foreign persons have been subject to sanctions. It also repeals the sunset clause in the original legislation. Helsinki Commission Digital Digest: January 2021 Friday, January 29, 2021 Wednesday, January 27, 2021 Today, the world comes together to remember the horrors of the Holocaust. We honor the six million Jews and five million others – Roma, Afro-Germans, gay men and women, people with disabilities, and more – whom the Nazis brutally murdered. And we stand in awe and celebration of those brave souls who managed to survive. It is difficult to comprehend the terrors that took place in Europe between 1939 and 1945. But we carry an obligation, to those who perished and those who survived, to prevent further genocide and mass atrocities. It is critical that we understand what happened to them, so that we can prevent it from ever happening again. One of the most important things to understand about the Holocaust is that while a limited group of particularly evil monsters orchestrated it, they could not have succeeded without the active or tacit support of millions of average people. Men and women agreed to turn over their neighbors, patrol the ghettos, drive the cattle cars, guard the death camps, and line people up to shoot them down. Or men and women decided to avert their gaze and do nothing to stop the atrocities. I don’t believe that all of those people were born villains. I think they were taught by their communities to adopt a level of anti-Semitism and prejudice that likely would have be recognizable to many of us today, and that the Nazi propaganda masters exploited those feelings. That terrifies me, because it means that the Holocaust was not an anomaly. It means that, under the right conditions, a similar atrocity could happen again. The hatred that gave rise to the Holocaust is still very much alive. The Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) 2014 Global Index of Anti-Semitism found that more than 1 billion people – nearly one in eight – around the world harbor anti-Semitic attitudes. Over 30 percent of those surveyed said it was ‘probably true’ that Jews have too much control over financial markets, that Jews think they are better than other people, that Jews are disloyal to their country, and that people hate Jews because of the way that Jews behave. Such sentiments too often translate into violence, leading 40 percent of European Jews to report in 2018 that they lived in daily fear of being physically attacked. Sadly, these trends bear out closer to home, too. Jews make up fewer than 3 percent of the American population, but the majority of reported religion-based hate crimes target Jewish people or institutions. In 2019, the ADL reported that anti-Semitism in America had hit a four-decade high. According to the 2020 survey by the American Jewish Committee, more than one-third of American Jews say they have been verbally or physically assaulted during the past five years simply because they are Jewish. I believe that the world looks to the United States for moral leadership. When we allow anti-Semitism, racism, or other kind of intolerance to flourish here, other countries take that as license to do the same. Moreover, we need to recognize the nexus between and networking among those who traffic in hate and conspiracies in the United States, and other like-minded individuals and groups around the globe. Combatting the most dangerous forms of this bigotry will require understanding the ways in which such groups are reinforcing and learning from each other. Unfortunately, the last four years – beginning with white nationalists chanting ‘Jews will not replace us’ in Charlottesville, and ending with an insurrectionist wearing a ‘Camp Auschwitz’ sweatshirt while storming the Capitol – are a dark stain on this country’s record. By allowing such vicious hatred to take root and to grow, we failed ourselves, and we failed the rest of the world. Now, we have the opportunity to redeem ourselves – to become leaders once more in the fight to eliminate anti-Semitism and all forms of hatred around the globe. It will not be easy, but it is something we have to do – and it starts with education. In the ADL’s 2014 global survey, 35 percent of the respondents had never heard of the Holocaust, and 28 percent of those who did know of it believed that the number of Jews who died in the Holocaust has been greatly exaggerated. Meanwhile, the AJC’s 2020 Survey of the General Public found that nearly one-quarter of Americans know nothing or not much about the Holocaust, and nearly one-half are not even sure what the term ‘anti-Semitism’ means. How can we hope to learn, as a society, from the horrors of the Holocaust, if so many people either do not know or do not believe that it happened? How can we root out anti-Semitism if almost half of us do not even understand what it is? We must educate the next generation on the horrors of the Holocaust and the dangers of intolerance. I am proud to have led efforts to provide full funding for the recently enacted Never Again Education Act in order to expand the reach of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s world-renowned educational programming. This will allow educators across the country from K-12 through college to access age-appropriate curriculum on the Holocaust. It will also bolster the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s continued collection and use of survivor testimony so that tomorrow’s leaders will see and hear for themselves why we must never again allow hatred to thrive. At the same time, we must fight against Holocaust denial in any form, in any part of the world. As the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly’s Special Representative on Anti-Semitism, Racism and Intolerance, I am committed to countering attempts to erase or revise the events of the Holocaust, such as Poland’s efforts to punish those who speak the truth about the three million Jews killed there. I am deeply disturbed, for instance, by the news of a slander lawsuit against two Polish scholars for their writings on Jews forced into hiding during the Nazi occupation. I am also appalled that Hungary’s Viktor Orban has erected a monument that tries to whitewash Hungary’s wartime role in the murder of more than half a million Hungarian Jews. On a day we remember the liberation of Auschwitz, I remember too that one of every three Jews who died there was Hungarian. “The Holocaust happened, and it can happen again. It can. We made a promise to our grandparents and to our grandchildren that it never would. I believe that we are each responsible for keeping that promise. So let us heed the lessons of the past in order to build a more peaceful, just, and compassionate future for all. Monday, January 25, 2021 By Emma Derr, Max Kampelman Fellow The Helsinki Commission’s flagship fellowship program recognizes former U.S. Ambassador Max Kampelman, who spent his life working toward comprehensive security at home and across the Atlantic. Over his career, which spanned more than half a century, Kampelman defended the principles of the Helsinki Final Act, strengthened the Helsinki process, and fought to reduce—and later eliminate—nuclear arms. One of his strongest legacies was his belief in bipartisanship, demonstrated by his service to both Democrats and Republicans and in his role as a U.S. ambassador. In the words of longtime Helsinki Commissioner Senator Ben Cardin (MD), “It was a privilege for me and so many of my colleagues to work with a great and good man, whose example reminded us every day: this is what leadership looks like.” Max Kampelman: The Ambassador Kampelman began his career as legislative counsel to Senator Hubert Humphrey before joining the private law practice of Fried Frank. Although he practiced private law for the majority of his career, Kampelman continued to serve the United States when called on by presidents of both parties. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter asked Kampelman to represent the United States as the lead negotiator at the 1980 Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) meeting in Madrid, which sought to bring eastern European countries into compliance with the Helsinki Final Act. The meeting was supposed to last two to three months. It lasted three years. Under President Ronald Reagan, Kampelman continued to lead these negotiations until an agreement was reached in 1983. In 1990, in the aftermath of the fall of the Berlin Wall, OSCE participating States gathered to unite their different definitions of European security. Kampelman led the U.S. delegation to this historic meeting and advocated for democratic elections and universal human rights. “He played a pivotal role in securing agreement on the first international instrument to recognize the specific problem of anti-Semitism and the human rights problems faced by Roma,” said Sen. Cardin. “Moreover, at a moment when Europe stood at a crossroads, Max Kampelman negotiated standards on democracy and the rule of law that remain unmatched.” “The Copenhagen document has been called by a number of professors of international law the most important international human rights document since the Magna Carta, and it spells out what a democracy means. If anybody was to come and join this process, they would be joining what is apparent, a series of 'oughts;' and that’s our task. Once the 'oughts' are there, we have a leg up toward the 'is.'” Amb. Max Kampelman in a 2003 interview The Copenhagen document strengthened the Helsinki Process by including unprecedented provisions, such as the commitment to democracy as the only form of governance. It also emphasized the rights of national minorities and the right to freedom of association, freedom of conscience, and freedom of expression. The CSCE eventually became today’s Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the world’s largest regional security organization. Max Kampelman: The Arms Advisor In addition to his work defending the Helsinki Final Act, Kampelman also negotiated arms control agreements and guided the United States through some of the most difficult periods of U.S.-Soviet relations. By the end of his career, Kampelman had engaged in more than 400 hours of face-to-face negotiations with the Soviets. He successfully protected the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), a system designed under Reagan to protect against potential nuclear attacks, from Soviet efforts to stifle it. He led negotiation efforts on the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty and the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), effectively reducing nuclear arms for the first time in history. During the late phases of the Cold War, Kampelman helped arrange the release of political and religious dissidents from the Soviet Union. “We cannot wish it away. It is here and it is militarily powerful. We share the same globe. We must try to find a formula under which we can live together in dignity. We must engage in that pursuit of peace without illusion but with persistence, regardless of provocation." Amb. Max Kampelman, ahead of 1985 arms negotiations Kampelman dedicated much of his later years to Global Zero, envisioning a world without nuclear weapons and encouraging statesmen Henry Kissinger, Sam Nunn, William Perry, and George Shultz, to advocate for this goal. For his service to his country, Kampelman received the Presidential Citizens Medal from President George H.W. Bush in 1989 and the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, from Bill Clinton in 1999. Max Kampelman’s Early Life Kampelman was born in New York in 1920 to parents who had immigrated from what was then part of Romania. He grew up in the Bronx and received a law degree from NYU in 1945. During World War II, he registered for alternate service as a conscientious objector. Kampelman enrolled in a strict food and work regimen known as the Minnesota Starvation Experiment to help authorities understand how to treat prisoner of war and concentration camp survivors. During this time, he finished his doctorate in political science from the University of Minnesota, titled "The Communist Party and the CIO: A Study in Power Politics." He opposed Communism and opposed war, but his feelings regarding nonviolence changed over time with the development of the atomic and hydrogen bombs, later leading him to renounce his earlier pacifist beliefs. Kampelman said his prevailing desire for American foreign policy was to turn the 21st century into the century of democracy. He died on January 25, 2013, at age 92. Chairman Hastings on Reports of Russian Withdrawal from Open Skies Treaty Friday, January 15, 2021 WASHINGTON—Following the announcement by the Russian Foreign Ministry that Moscow intends to begin domestic procedures to withdraw from the Treaty on Open Skies, Helsinki Commission Chairman Rep. Alcee L. Hastings (FL-20) issued the following statement: “The Kremlin’s plan to withdraw from the Open Skies Treaty follows the Trump administration’s strategic mistake in pulling the United States out of the treaty in November. For decades, the Open Skies Treaty has provided crucial security benefits across Europe, and it continues to have the support of our allies and partners across the Atlantic. “I call on Moscow to reverse this counterproductive decision. I also look forward to supporting efforts by the Biden administration to rebuild much-needed transparency and predictability in Europe and Eurasia, including exploring options for reengaging in the Open Skies Treaty and extending the New START treaty.” The Open Skies Treaty was designed to increase transparency, build confidence, and encourage cooperation among the United States, Russia, and 32 other participating states (including much of Europe as well as partners like Ukraine and Georgia), by permitting unarmed observation aircraft to fly over their entire territory to observe military forces and activities. On November 22, 2020, the United States formally withdrew from the Treaty. Chairman Hastings condemned the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw from the Treaty on Open Skies, and amended the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R.6395) to include the sense of Congress that the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw from the treaty did not comply with a legal requirement to notify Congress; did not assert that any other treaty signatory had breached the treaty; and was made over the objections of NATO allies and regional partners. The measure also expressed support for confidence and security building measures like the Open Skies Treaty, because they reduce the risk of conflict, increase trust among participating countries, and contribute to military transparency and remain vital to the strategic interests of America’s NATO allies and partners. In November 2019, the Helsinki Commission hosted a joint hearing with the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on the importance of the Open Skies Treaty, emphasizing its critical role in security and stability in Europe. Helsinki Commission Leaders Decry January 6 Attack on U.S. Capitol Friday, January 08, 2021 WASHINGTON—Following the violent assault on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, Helsinki Commission leaders Rep. Alcee L. Hastings (FL-20), Sen. Roger Wicker (MS), and Sen. Ben Cardin (MD) issued the following statements: “I never thought that in my lifetime I would see our country’s democratic institutions literally under siege. In America, we pride ourselves on the integrity of our elections and on a peaceful transition of power. We demonstrate this not only through our words but through our actions, both at home as well as abroad, where we ardently support freedom and democracy from Vancouver to Vladivostok,” said Rep. Hastings. “Wednesday’s violence was a vicious attack on democracy, the rule of law, and every value that our country holds dear. President Trump must immediately condemn the actions of his supporters and recommit to his oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution for the remainder of his term. Otherwise, the consequences could be unpredictable and potentially dire.” “Our country has long been a beacon of freedom and the orderly transfer of power. Wednesday’s attempt to disrupt our democracy through lawlessness and intimidation was intended to cast doubt on that principle but was doomed to fail. The guardrails held, and the work of the U.S. Congress continues,” said Sen. Wicker. “However, the divisions that led to this chaotic attack on the U.S. Capitol cannot be ignored. If the United States is to continue to inspire others who are fighting for their fundamental freedoms worldwide, we must work together to rebuild confidence in our institutions. In spite of our political differences, all Americans must make it clear that we will not stand for this kind of attack on the rule of law. And we must prosecute to the fullest extent of the law those who seek to undermine our democratic processes through violence.” “Violent behavior and blatant disregard for the rule of law can never be normalized in the U.S. or anywhere around the world. The American Capitol was attacked by a mob incited by a president who refused to accept the results from a free and fair election and who worked to overturn the will of the voters. If a foreign leader acted in such a blatant way to overturn legitimate election results, the full United States Congress rightly would forcefully condemn such autocratic and undemocratic actions,” said Sen. Cardin. “To move forward as a nation, members of both parties must stand together to reaffirm the resilience of our democracy, honestly confront the toxic voices in our society that seek to tear us apart, and so prevail over the dangerous extremism that led to this violent rampage.” Monday, December 21, 2020 By Shannon Simrell, Representative of the Helsinki Commission to the U.S. Mission to the OSCE Foreign ministers of the 57 OSCE participating States convened on December 3 - 4, 2020, for the 27th OSCE Ministerial Council. For the first time, this annual gathering was convened in an entirely virtual format due to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite a turbulent year, which included managing not only the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic but also the global anti-racism protests initiated following the killing of George Floyd; ongoing protracted conflicts in Moldova, Georgia, and Ukraine; fraudulent elections and systemic human rights violations in Belarus; and a renewal of active conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, consensus was achieved on many, but not all, draft decisions. The United States delegation to the Ministerial Council was led by Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun. The delegation and included Deputy Assistant Secretaries of State George P. Kent, Michael Murphy, and Bruce Turner; Acting Assistant Secretary of State Philip Reeker; U.S. Ambassador to the OSCE James Gilmore; U.S Helsinki Commission Chief of Staff Alex Johnson; and Helsinki Commission staff Robert Hand, Janice Helwig, Rebecca Neff, Erika Schlager, Shannon Simrell, Dr. Mischa Thompson, and Alex Tiersky. A Call to “Turn a Corner” from Crisis to Cooperation Leveraging the meeting’s virtual format, national statements were livestreamed, offering transparency of the proceedings. Albanian Prime Minister and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Edi Rama opened the meeting by recalling the solidarity of the signatories of the Helsinki Final Act and Charter of Paris and requesting that ministers “turn a corner” and demonstrate the political will required to address the multiple and complex challenges faced by the organization and across the region. In his remarks, Deputy Secretary Biegun reaffirmed U.S. priorities for engagement at the OSCE, underscoring the commitment to European peace and security and highlighting key challenges facing the OSCE region including Russia’s continued aggression in eastern Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia, and the destabilizing effect of its flagrant violations of the OSCE’s foundational principles. He called upon Belarus to hold accountable those responsible for its human rights violations and electoral crisis, urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to engage with the Minsk Group Co-Chairs to attain a lasting end to the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, and warned States against using COVID-19 as a pretext to restrict civil society, independent media, or public access to information. Finally, he expressed concern about the increasing number of political prisoners and the rise in cases of anti-Semitism, anti-Roma racism, and other forms of hatred and hate crimes in the OSCE region since the onset of the pandemic. Consensus Achieved on Organizational Leadership, Preventing Torture, Countering Corruption, and More Despite the challenges inherent in virtual negotiations, consensus was achieved on 11 texts spanning all three OSCE dimensions of comprehensive security and supporting the organization’s internal governance. Ministers agreed on the appointment of the OSCE’s top four leaders: Helga Schmid (Germany) as Secretary General, Maria Teresa Ribiero (Portugal) as Representative on Freedom of the Media, Matteo Mecacci (Italy) as Director of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), and Kairat Abdrakhmanov (Kazakhstan) as High Commissioner on National Minorities. The decisions broke a months-long impasse after Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Turkey, and others blocked the reappointment of the previous executives, leaving the organization leaderless since July. Participating States also reached consensus on several decisions that added to OSCE’s body of commitments. One such decision concerned the prevention and eradication of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, building on existing OSCE commitments. A version of the text was originally proposed in 2014 by Switzerland during their 2014 Chairpersonship of the OSCE. The initiative reflected the country’s historic leadership in the area of international humanitarian law and profound concerns regarding torture in the context of counterterrorism efforts. The proposal was reintroduced over successive Ministerial Councils before its adoption in 2020. The widespread use of torture and other horrific abuse by Belarusian authorities, documented by the November 2020 report under the OSCE Moscow Mechanism, added urgency to this decision this year. As adopted, the decision includes explicit references to enforced disappearances and to incommunicado detention. Participating States also adopted decisions on preventing and combating corruption; strengthening co-operation to counter transnational organized crime; deepening cooperation with OSCE’s Asian Partners; supporting the Transdniestrian settlement process (also known in the OSCE as the “5+2” format, which brings together representatives of Moldova, Transdniestria, the OSCE, the Russian Federation, Ukraine, the European Union, and the United States); and selecting North Macedonia to chair the organization in 2023. Unfinished Business Unfortunately, participating States did not reach consensus on several other important drafts, including one co-sponsored by the United States and Belarus based on lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic that would have set out new commitments for participating States to effectively combat human trafficking during times of emergency. Other proposals, including texts to modernize the Vienna Document (a wide-ranging confidence- and security-building measure that includes provisions requiring notification of significant military activities, as well as an exchange of information about armed forces, military organization, and major weapon and equipment systems), enhance public-private partnerships to counter terrorism, and counter trafficking in natural resources were scuttled by Russian, Azerbaijani, and Armenian intransigence. Some drafts which did not reach consensus among all 57 states were turned into statements issued and signed by those countries that had supported their adoption. The United States signed onto nine such statements to support the concept of women, peace and security outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 1325; modernization of the politico-military framework of the Vienna Document; and a number of statements related to the OSCE’s role in addressing regional challenges like ending the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, improving human rights compliance by Belarus, countering Russian aggression in Ukraine and the Republic of Georgia, and addressing challenges relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Albanian Chairperson, together with the OSCE’s 2019 Slovak Chairperson, and the OSCE’s three incoming Chairpersons (the “Quint”) issued two joint statements, one expressing concern about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and another reaffirming the principles enshrined the Helsinki Final Act and the Charter of Paris for a New Europe. Side events highlight continuing challenges The Ministerial Council’s four side events highlighted priority areas for participating States and for the Parliamentary Assembly. Due to the virtual format, events on the Belarus Moscow Mechanism report, human rights violations in Crimea, combatting human trafficking during the COVID-19 crisis, and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s call for renewed political will to address contemporary challenges, attracted hundreds of participants. Deputy Assistant Secretary Kent closed the Moscow Mechanism side event by promising to maintain a focus on the situation in Belarus, to support efforts to hold authorities accountable for torture and other human rights violations, and to ensure the voice of the Belarusian people is heard in determining their country’s future. At a side event organized by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly titled “A Call to Action: Reaffirming a Common Purpose,” Helsinki Commission Ranking Member Sen. Ben Cardin (MD) affirmed the strong bipartisan support in the United States for the OSCE, and recognized it as vital forum to promote security, defend human rights and encourage democratic development in all OSCE countries. He argued that greater political accountability rather than organizational reform would make the OSCE more relevant and effective in the years ahead. “It remains the responsibility of the participating States to hold each other to account. In the face of repression at home or aggression abroad, the OSCE will succeed as a multilateral forum as long as those who are true believers stand united in defending the ten Helsinki principles and forthrightly raise violations in this forum.” Sen. Ben Cardin (MD), Ranking Member, U.S. Helsinki Commission, OSCE MC 2020 Side Event on “A Call to Action” Due to challenges related to convening during the COVID-19 pandemic, the NGO network Civic Solidarity Platform did not organize its annual Civil Society Conference, which had been held in conjunction with each OSCE Ministerial Council since its first convening during the 2010 OSCE Summit in Astana. Instead, the network organized a series of webinars in December to maintain focus on key issues of concern. 2021: OSCE’s Swedish Chairpersonship “Back to Basics” Looking ahead to its 2021 Chairpersonship, Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said that Sweden will work to get “back to basics:” defending the European security order, contributing to resolving conflicts, and upholding the OSCE’s comprehensive concept of security with a special focus on human rights, democracy, and gender equality. Helsinki Commission Digital Digest: December 2020 Monday, December 21, 2020 Retrospective on the 116th Congress Friday, December 18, 2020 By Emma Derr, Max Kampelman Fellow “For more than four decades, the Helsinki Commission has championed human rights and democracy across North America, Europe, and Central Asia. While we have worked to keep these concerns on the U.S. agenda, much remains to be accomplished.” Rep. Alcee L. Hastings (FL-20), Chairman, U.S. Helsinki Commission In the OSCE region, 2019 and 2020 were marked by unprecedented challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, calls for racial justice, systematic human rights issues, and ongoing regional conflicts amidst U.S. presidential, Congressional, and regional and local elections. Through these crises, U.S. Helsinki Commission leadership worked tirelessly to ensure that human rights and comprehensive security continued to be promoted through the United States’ foreign and domestic policy agendas. 2020 also marked the 30th anniversary of the Charter of Paris, which set unprecedented commitments to human rights, providing an opportunity for OSCE participating States to reflect and bolster human rights commitments during such a crucial time. Through hearings and briefings, legislative activities, public statements and reports, and engagement with other foreign policy actors, the Helsinki Commission has focused on human rights and security challenges both in the United States and abroad to advance the commission’s priorities in the 116th Congress: principled foreign policy; human rights at home; parliamentary diplomacy; and safe, inclusive, and equitable societies. Additional policy focuses include regional security, election observation, OSCE engagement, and anti-corruption work. View a comprehensive list of activities in the Helsinki Commission's report on the 116th Congress. Principled Foreign Policy From respect for sovereignty and the territorial integrity of states to human rights and fundamental freedoms, commitments undertaken by OSCE participating States underpin peace and stability in the OSCE region and form the basis of comprehensive security for all people. The Helsinki Commission strives to ensure that the protection of human rights and democratic development are central to a principled U.S. foreign policy. During the 116th Congress, Belarus, Russia, Turkey, Hungary, Ukraine/Crimea, and the Balkans attracted particular attention, given the ongoing human rights and regional conflict issues in those countries. Belarus Following over two decades of authoritarian rule supported by the Kremlin, a political crisis erupted in Belarus in the summer of 2020. After August 9 elections, the Alexander Lukashenko regime claimed victory, and the country saw an unrelenting crackdown by Belarusian authorities on peaceful protests, civil society, and the media. According to international observers, Belarus has not had free and fair national elections since Lukashenko was first elected president in 1994. Unprecedented crowds continue to protest the election. Ahead of the election, Lukashenko eliminated his main political competition through disqualification or imprisonment. Numerous protestors, supporters of opposition candidates, and journalists were arrested as last-minute candidate Svetlana Tsikhanovskaya drew unprecedented crowds to her rallies. Helsinki Commission Chairman Rep. Alcee L. Hastings (FL-20) called on President Lukashenko “to order the release of those who have been detained for political reasons and allow real political competition in Belarus.” After the elections and in reaction to the human rights abuses perpetrated by the Lukashenko regime, Chairman Hastings wrote to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin requesting that the U.S. administration revoke access to the U.S. financial system for the nine largest state-owned companies in Belarus. “The United States stands with the people of Belarus, who have a right to make free choices about their country’s future and to protest peacefully.” Sen. Roger Wicker (MS), Co-Chairman, U.S. Helsinki Commission After the invocation by 17 OSCE participating States of the Moscow Mechanism to report on human rights concerns in Belarus and subsequent investigation, Professor Wolfgang Benedek—the selected rapporteur—joined the Helsinki Commission for a podcast to discuss his findings, including evidence of fraudulent elections, systematic human rights violations, and a general situation of impunity for perpetrators. Regional Security and Stability In May 2020, following reports that the Trump administration planned to withdraw from the Treaty on Open Skies, Chairman Hastings urged Congress to support the United States’ allies and partners in Europe, as “withdrawing from the Open Skies Treaty can only benefit Putin’s continuing campaign of aggression against Russia’s neighbors.” Chairman Hastings also authored an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for the 2021 Fiscal Year to reflect support for the Open Skies Treaty and stated his regret in November when the U.S. withdrew from the treaty. The Helsinki Commission held a joint hearing in November 2019 with the House Foreign Affairs Committee concerning the importance of the Open Skies Treaty for security and stability in Europe and released a podcast on the treaty’s benefits, the complexity of execution, and current challenges in implementation. In July 2019, for the first time in its 43-year history the Helsinki Commission convened outside of the United States for a field hearing to underscore America’s commitment to Baltic Sea regional security and emphasize its unwavering support for U.S. friends and allies. The commission also held a briefing to discuss the potential use of energy, specifically oil and gas projects, to achieve foreign policy goals, as well as the extent to which energy independence can reduce the ability of hostile actors to destabilize the European region by threatening to cut off access to energy supplies. Turkey, Hungary, Ukraine/Crimea, and the Balkans In April 2019, Co-Chairman Wicker and Ranking Member Sen. Ben Cardin (MD) introduced the Defending United States Citizens and Diplomatic Staff from Political Prosecutions Act to address arbitrary arrests which contribute to Turkey’s deteriorating respect for human rights under President Erdogan. In April 2019, the Helsinki Commission hosted a briefing on recent developments in Hungary concerning a steady erosion of freedom, the rule of law, and quality of governance. Later that year, the commission reported on an amendment to the Hungarian religion law, which continues to discriminate against people on the basis of their faith. In late 2019, Co-Chairman Wicker successfully pressed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to stop the blockage of the European Union version of the Magnitsky Act. The U.S. Magnitsky Act allows the use of sanctions as a tool to target alleged human rights abusers and corruption, and its European counterpart would do the same. In May 2020, Co-Chairman Wicker and Ranking Member Cardin urged U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to work with the European Union’s High Representative to advance EU Magnitsky Sanctions. Following a mob attack in October 2019 on a Jewish community center providing office space to civil society groups in Budapest, Chairman Hastings and Ranking Member Cardin called the Hungarian government to take action during this “alarming escalation of violence toward minorities and civil society groups.” In 2020, the commission released a report detailing the escalating rhetorical attacks and legislative restrictions against civil society as Orban continues to consolidate power in Hungary. In December 2019, Helsinki Commission Ranking Member Rep. Joe Wilson (SC-02) and Commissioner Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II (MO-05) introduced the bipartisan Ukraine Religious Freedom Support Act in the House of Representatives, and Co-Chairman Wicker introduced the act, cosponsored by Helsinki Commissioner Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (NH), to the Senate. The act, which would combat Russia’s religious freedom violations in the Crimea and Donbas regions of Ukraine, unanimously passed in the House of Representatives in November 2020 and awaits Senate action. In July 2019, the Helsinki Commission hosted a briefing about reunifying societies divided by war, genocide, and other tragedies in areas such as the Balkans, as well as promoting reconciliation and healing for Holocaust survivors and other victims of Nazi persecution who continue to seek justice worldwide. Twenty years after two U.S. citizens were brutally murdered in Serbia in the aftermath of the 1999 conflict in Kosovo, their brother Ilir joins the Helsinki Commission to share his family’s fight for justice in the face of inaction by Serbian authorities. Election Observation In 1990, all OSCE participating States pledged to hold free and fair elections and to invite international observers. OSCE election observation missions often are undertaken jointly by the OSCE Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA). These election observation missions have been recognized as one of the most transparent and methodical ways to encourage States’ commitment to democratic standards and have become a core element of the OSCE’s efforts to provide feedback on the election processes to the benefit of candidates and voters alike. Commissioners and staff have observed well over 100 elections since 1990, and in 2020 alone, the OSCE has been invited to observe elections in nearly 20 OSCE participating States, including the United States. In 2019, the commission held a briefing focused on the benefits and challenges of international election observation, best practices, and emerging issues such as voting technology and security. In addition, the use of disinformation to influence elections has become a pervasive and persistent threat in all 57 OSCE participating States. Ahead of the 2020 general elections, the commission held a briefing on the intersections and influences of disinformation and COVID-19 on the electoral process. Election observation is an important way to help monitor these effects on the workings of democracy. A limited election observation mission was deployed by the OSCE to observe the 2020 general election in the United States. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the OSCE team was confident it produced a thorough, impartial, fact-based assessment that concluded the elections were free and fair, as well as “competitive and well managed despite legal uncertainties and logistical challenges” posed by the pandemic and the polarized political climate. OSCE Institutions and Policy During the past two years, the Helsinki Commission hosted hearings featuring both the Albanian and Slovakian OSCE Chairs in Office, as well as the OSCE Representative for Freedom of the Media Harlem Desir, to discuss OSCE institutional priorities such as human rights violations, conflict resolution, and the safety of journalists. In January 2020, the Helsinki Commission welcomed OSCE Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Director Ambassador Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir, in her first appearance before Congress, to address challenges in the OSCE region related to human rights and democracy. In December 2020, the Helsinki Commission held a hearing, “U.S. Priorities for Engagement at the OSCE,” where Ambassador Philip T. Reeker U.S. State Department Senior Bureau Official, who has been serving in the role of Acting Assistant Secretary for Europe and Eurasia since March 2018, emphasized that the United States is focused on upholding Helsinki Final Act commitments and pushing all participating States to live up to their own commitments to these principles. Human Rights at Home Like all other OSCE participating States, the United States must also examine how well—or how poorly—it is living up to its own OSCE commitments. In the 116th Congress, the Helsinki Commission took a hard look at human rights at home. “If the United States wants to remain a credible voice in the promotion of human rights abroad, we must fiercely protect them at home.” Rep. Alcee L. Hastings (FL-20), Chairman, U.S. Helsinki Commission In summer 2020 the Helsinki Commission launched a series of hearings focused on restorative justice related to public monuments and memorials, the safety of journalists, and implications of domestic human rights issues for U.S. leadership. The commission also convened political and civil rights leaders to discuss the impact of George Floyd’s tragic death on the need to shape policies that confront and prevent racism and racist acts. The Helsinki Commission dealt at further length with the safety of journalists and freedom of the media in the United States. In the aftermath of attacks on journalists covering protests calling for racial justice, Chairman Rep. Hastings expressed the need to take an “honest and critical look at America’s own record in recent weeks on protecting journalists and safeguarding press freedom.” The U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) supports networks that reach more than 350 million people across the world, many of whom otherwise would not have access to independent, unbiased news. When USAGM failed to renew J-1 visas for foreign Voice of America (VOA) journalists, Chairman Rep. Hastings, Ranking Member Sen. Ben Cardin, and Helsinki Commissioners Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, Rep. Steve Cohen (TN-09), and Rep. Marc Veasey (TX-33) demanded that U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) CEO Michael Pack provide a detailed explanation and called for new policies to protect the personal security of VOA journalists working under the USAGM. Safe, Inclusive, and Equitable Societies Civil rights are human rights, and advancing societies that are safe, inclusive, and equitable is central to the work of the Helsinki Commission. Anti-racism initiatives have always been a priority for the commission, but they found particular focus in 2020 in conjunction with the exposure of systemic racism in police brutality and the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 on minority populations. Commissioners looked inward to the United States’ own domestic policies, as well as outward to other OSCE countries, to develop ideas and policies that promote principles of social inclusion, empowering diverse populations and enhancing the ability for everyone to fully participate in society. Over the past decade, Chairman Hastings has drawn attention to the racism and discrimination faced by black Europeans, recognizing their fight for inclusion. In March 2019, he introduced legislation establishing a strategy to protect the collective history and achievements of people of African descent and to promote the human rights of people of African descent worldwide, and a year later, he introduced a bill to implement a government-wide diversity and inclusion plan. “Across the globe we find racial disparities between those of African descent and other populations in education, employment, health, housing, justice, and other sectors. At the same time, hate crimes and racial profiling targeting black populations are increasing,” said Chairman Hastings. “A global strategy ensures we are monitoring whether countries around the world are providing equal protections and opportunity to all within their borders.” Chairman Hastings also collaborated with other Helsinki Commissioners to address racism globally. In July 2020, Chairman Hastings, along with Helsinki Commissioners Rep. Gwen Moore (WI-04), Rep. Cleaver, Rep. Veasey, and 35 other Members of the United States Congress, including the Congressional Black Caucus Chair, called for a sweeping plan of action following the European Parliament’s Juneteenth Day resolution supporting protests against racism and police brutality. Chairman Hastings and Rep. Gregory W. Meeks (NY-05) also issued a statement regarding foreign affairs funding for diverse, global anti-racism programs, commemorating John Lewis’ yearly leadership in securing these appropriations requests. In September, Chairman Hastings and other Helsinki Commissioners joined members of the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee and Subcommittee on Human Rights to discuss combating racism and systemic discrimination on both sides of the Atlantic. In October, Ranking Member Cardin joined the office of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities for an online event that evaluated the applicability of the 2006 Recommendations on Policing in Multi-Ethnic Societies, highlighted relevant legislation, and discussed structural changes to address discriminatory police violence. Ahead of International Roma Day in 2020, the Helsinki Commission hosted a discussion about racism against Roma, the largest ethnic minority in Europe who have historically faced enslavement and continue to battle discrimination. The conversation focused on the state of Roma rights in Europe, as well as resolutions introduced by Helsinki Commission leaders to celebrate Romani American heritage. Reports from nearly every corner of the OSCE region suggest that minority groups have been impacted especially hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, and an extended episode of "Helsinki on the Hill" takes an in-depth look at the pandemic’s impact on vulnerable populations, such as the Roma, and the role of governments in addressing that impact. In December 2019, the Helsinki Commission convened a hearing to focus on public diplomacy initiatives that cultivate leaders who espouse democratic principles, including inclusive and representative governance. The commission also released a podcast discussing how to achieve equitable and inclusive democracies through political inclusion and economic empowerment. Guests discussed their experiences on the front lines of the fight for greater diversity and inclusion in Europe, and in the transatlantic policymaking space more broadly. Members of the Helsinki Commission have long supported diversity and inclusion efforts in international affairs including through the annual Transatlantic Inclusion Leaders Network (TILN) workshop, a hearing about the state of diversity and inclusion in Europe, and a new transatlantic democracy program for youth “On the Road to Inclusion.” In March 2020, Chairman Hastings introduced the Leadership Institute for Transatlantic Engagement (LITE) Act, calling for the creation of a transatlantic institute focused on strengthening democratic principles and values in the West, as well as pioneering inclusive and intergenerational solutions to current challenges that would empowering individuals across generations and from diverse backgrounds with the knowledge, tools, opportunity, and access to fully participate in their democracies. The commission also supports diversity in the diplomatic corps. Chairman Hastings, Co-Chairman Wicker, and Ranking Member Cardin joined bipartisan Congressional efforts to support annual funding for State Department and USAID diversity fellowship programs, as well as study abroad opportunities. Parliamentary Diplomacy Parliamentary diplomacy advances comprehensive security and democratic institutions in the OSCE region and acts as a tool to promote safe, inclusive and equitable societies. Commissioners have championed the development of parliamentary assemblies for regional organizations throughout the world and participate regularly in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), which offers opportunities for engagement among parliamentarians from OSCE participating States. The Helsinki Commission organizes bicameral U.S. delegations to OSCE PA meetings throughout the year. With 17 of 323 seats, the United States has the largest representation in the assembly. In the 116th Congress, commissioners explored ways to defend human rights, hold the Kremlin accountable, and maximize cooperation with OSCE Mediterranean partners at OSCE PA meetings. Commissioners visited Hungary, Tunisia, Israel, and Morocco in bipartisan delegations aiming to strengthen shared principles, and Commissioners reported on these visits at OSCE PA meetings as well. Co-Chairman Wicker led the largest bipartisan, bicameral U.S. delegation in history to the 28th Annual Session of the OSCE PA in July 2019 in Luxembourg. At this annual session, Helsinki Commission Ranking Member Cardin, who also serves as OSCE PA Special Representative on Anti-Semitism, Racism, and Intolerance, hosted a U.S. side event in his capacity as Special Representative on the topic of adopting an action plan to counter hate and foster inclusion. Following a two-day seminar organized by Helsinki Commission and the OSCE PA in February 2020, Future Leadership for Political Inclusion in the OSCE Region: A Seminar for Young Parliamentarians, nearly 20 young legislators from OSCE participating States issued a joint declaration emphasizing the important role young people must play in addressing human rights and security challenges across the world. The commission hosted OSCE PA officials for a briefing in December of 2019 to share a parliamentary perspective on the priorities and objectives of the Albanian chairmanship of the OSCE amid regional conflicts and resistance to democratic reforms in some countries in the OSCE region. The commission also regularly hosts hearings, convenes panels, and participates in events related to parliamentary diplomacy, highlighting the important role the OSCE PA and other parliamentary assemblies play in holding governments accountable to standards of cooperation and human rights. Corruption During the 116th Congress, the Helsinki Commission promoted efforts to combat corruption in the OSCE region, recognizing it as a threat to democracy, security, and human rights. The commission’s work focuses on authoritarian kleptocracy, a form of autocratic government that relies on financial globalization and secrecy to steal and maintain power. Members of the Helsinki Commission introduced the Rodchenkov Act, the Kleptocrat Exposure Act, the Combating the Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products Act (CITTPA), the Countering Russian and Other Overseas Kleptocracy (CROOK) Act, the Foreign Extortion Prevention Act, and the Transnational Repression Accountability and Prevention (TRAP) Act. The Rodchenkov Act passed through both chambers of Congress and was signed into law by President Trump on December 4, 2020. The act establishes criminal penalties for doping schemes, provides restitution for victims, protects whistleblowers from retaliation, and shares information with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. Passage of the bipartisan legislation was spearheaded by Co-Chairman Wicker and Commissioner Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (RI) in the Senate and former Commissioners Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18) and Rep. Michael Burgess (TX-26) in the House of Representatives. “This legislation is a great bipartisan accomplishment for the rights of athletes, the protection of whistleblowers, and our common goal of keeping criminals out of international sports,” said Co-Chairman Wicker. The commission also organized briefings to draw attention to issues like money laundering and official corruption, as well as to share best practices on innovative corruption policies. Co-Chairman Wicker on Secretary of State’s New Designations under International Religious Freedom Act Thursday, December 10, 2020 WASHINGTON—Following U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s December 7 designations for Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) and the Special Watch List for the worst religious freedom violations, Helsinki Commission Co-Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker (MS) issued the following statement: “Secretary Pompeo rightfully redesignated Tajikistan and Turkmenistan as Countries of Particular Concern. These governments continue to arrest, detain, and torture people for their faith, despite repeated CPC redesignations. It is time for the president to take actions required by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, which include sanctions against foreign government officials who have committed or are responsible for severe and egregious religious freedom violations. “Russia’s continued presence on the Special Watch List underscores the need for the Senate to pass the Ukraine Religious Freedom Support Act. The Kremlin brutally persecutes religious communities in the parts of Ukraine it illegally occupies or otherwise controls by force. This legislation would ensure the president has the authority necessary to hold Russian government officials accountable for their brutality in Ukraine. “Under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Uzbekistan commendably has released religious prisoners, registered more religious organizations, and maintained the ban on police raids against religious communities. However, it is essential that reforms continue. Uzbekistan should work with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and Council of Europe’s Venice Commission on its draft religion law to ensure that the final version complies with Uzbekistan’s OSCE commitments and international obligations.” As participating States of the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Russia, and Uzbekistan have repeatedly made commitments to recognize, respect, and protect religious freedom. Even though Turkmenistan has been a CPC since 2014 and Tajikistan since 2016, presidents have always waived taking the presidential actions against them required by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. Russia has been on the Special Watch List since 2018. In November 2020, the House of Representatives unanimously passed the Ukraine Religious Freedom Support Act (H.R. 5408) introduced by Helsinki Commissioners Rep. Joe Wilson (SC-02) and Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, II (MO-05). The Senate companion (S. 3064), introduced by Sen. Wicker and cosponsored by Helsinki Commissioner Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (NH), also awaits Senate action. Under binding international humanitarian law, like the Geneva Conventions, the Russian Government is responsible for religious freedom violations in Ukrainian territory it occupies or controls through armed groups it commands. The Ukraine Religious Freedom Support Act would authorize the president to consider Russia’s worst religious freedom violations in Ukrainian territory—not just violations in Russia—when determining whether to designate Russia as a CPC. Uzbekistan was a CPC from 2006 to 2017 and on the Special Watch List from 2018 to 2019. Sen. Wicker has repeatedly urged Uzbekistan to request a review of its draft religion law by the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institution for Human Rights. Sen. Wicker made the requests in a 2018 letter to Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov, during a 2018 Helsinki Commission hearing, and in a 2019 public statement. A recent joint review by ODIHR and the Venice Commission review concluded that although “the Draft Law brings some improvements compared to the existing legislation…the Draft Law also maintains major restrictions and suffers from deficiencies that are incompatible with international human rights standards.” The review included recommendations to make the law compliant.	106,353
The IEEE CSR 2023 conference’s web site is now online! Stay tuned for further announcements and updates for authors. Keynote Speakers Updated April 1, 2022 It is a pleasure to announce Dr. Riccardo Mariani as a keynote speaker at 2023 IEEE CSR Conference! Read more Keynote Speakers Updated April 1, 2022 It is a pleasure to announce Prof. Mauro Conti as a keynote speaker at 2023 IEEE CSR Conference! Read more Keynote Speakers Updated March 22, 2022 It is a pleasure to announce Dr. Luca Nicoletti as a keynote speaker at 2023 IEEE CSR Conference! Read more Keynote Speakers Updated March 20, 2022 It is a pleasure to announce Col. Marco Mattiucci as a keynote speaker at 2023 IEEE CSR Conference! Read more Scope The technological and industrial revolution brought by complex Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs) comes with new threats and cyber-attacks that exploit their inherent complexity and heterogeneity. These attacks have a significant negative impact on the operation of various services in critical sectors, like energy, transport, and communications, which provide the vital functions that our societies depend upon. Systems under attack, should exhibit resilience in the form of graceful degradation and/or operational continuity and fast recovery of core functions in order to avoid potentially uncontrolled cascading effects. To this end, the emerging field of cyber resilience can be understood as a mixture of strategies, methods, and techniques to support complex CPS adaptive capacity during cyber-attacks. The conference focuses on theoretical and practical aspects of the security, privacy, trust, and resilience of networks, systems, and services as well as novel ways for dealing with their vulnerabilities and mitigating sophisticated cyber-attacks.	1,769
Fear and uncertainty about copyright law often plagues educators and sometimes prevents creative teaching. This course is a professional development opportunity designed to provide a basic introduction to US copyright law and to empower teachers and librarians at all grade levels. Course participants will discover that the law is designed to help educators and librarians.... Top reviews Nov 11, 2016 Filled StarFilled StarFilled StarFilled StarFilled Star Very informative course presented by knowledgeable instructors. Gained a greater appreciation for the pros and cons of copyright, in addition to a respect for the complexity and nuance in this area. Helpful? Apr 13, 2018 Filled StarFilled StarFilled StarFilled StarFilled Star I wish I had taken this course at the very beginning of my graduate studies. I learned so much that would have been useful during my long journey from graduate student, to professor, to archivist.	947
Why the U.S. Needs to Listen to China, and Why China Needs to Listen to the U.S: The Importance of the Mutual Economic Criticisms Between Two Major World Powers \| U.S.-China Perception Monitor Why the U.S. Needs to Listen to China, and Why China Needs to Listen to the U.S: The Importance of the Mutual Economic Criticisms Between Two Major World Powers by US-China Perception Monitor May 18, 2016 The relationship between the United States and China involves cooperation and competition, but recently the latter has received more attention. Much of the mistrust between the two countries has its roots in geopolitical tensions—China’s assertive behavior in the East and South China Seas, for instance, or U.S. naval surveillance off China’s coasts. But economic tensions have played a large role as well. Discussions of the U.S.-China economic relationship too often begin with a recital of each country’s grievances against the other. The usual litany of American criticisms includes China’s management of its exchange rate, subsidies that benefit state-owned enterprises, and barriers to American companies seeking to operate in China. Another prominent critique involves Chinese cyber-hacking of U.S. businesses’ intellectual property, and China’s failure to protect intellectual property more generally. For its part, China castigates the U.S. for its irresponsible fiscal trajectory, its political opposition to Chinese investment in American companies and infrastructure, and its export-control laws, especially those restricting the export of technologies with potential military applications. We believe it’s time to turn the typical exchange of economic critiques on its head. The two countries have largely been engaged in a dialogue of the deaf, each blaming the other for its own failings, exerting pressure on the other to accede to its demands, and too often waiting for the other to act first. In fact, it is in each country’s self-interest to meaningfully address the criticisms made by the other. The greatest American threat to China’s economic future is the possibility that America’s economic success could come to an end; the greatest economic danger China poses to the U.S. is the chance that China’s economy fails to grow. By contrast, if each country gets its own house in order and thus succeeds economically, that should diminish economic insecurity, which generates friction, and increase confidence about the future, which fosters a constructive relationship. As former U.S. Treasury secretaries with long experience working with China, we believe each country should undertake significant reforms. Seriously considering each other’s criticisms is a good way to begin. The United States has enormous long-term strengths, including a dynamic and entrepreneurial culture, a strong rule of law, flexible labor and capital markets, vast natural resources, and relatively favorable age demographics. But China is right to say that improving America’s long-term fiscal outlook is a prerequisite to sustainable growth. Well-structured fiscal reforms could contribute to growth and job creation now while reducing the burden of debt in the future. Some argue that the government could create jobs and increase demand in the short term through public investment in infrastructure or other sectors, while simultaneously taking steps to improve the country’s long-term fiscal trajectory. Others argue that the nation could create more well-paying jobs by reforming its tax code for individuals and corporations, reducing the distortions that undermine economic competitiveness while raising necessary revenue. Chinese investors could help the United States speed growth now without worsening its long-term debt problem. The U.S. has vast infrastructure needs and a paucity of public capital. But byzantine regulatory and policy barriers too often discourage private investment in major projects. A more streamlined and welcoming environment for domestic and foreign investment in infrastructure projects would create jobs and boost competitiveness. Much of the effort to attract Chinese investment—whether in infrastructure or manufacturing or agribusiness—needs to come from outside Washington. States and cities have a choice: they can continue to be passive recipients of occasional Chinese investment, or they can design more-systematic approaches to seeking Chinese capital, and the jobs and competitive advantages that accompany it. In Ohio, Michigan, and California, for example, proactive governors are attracting Chinese investment and creating high-quality jobs in sectors like auto parts and clean energy. Chinese investment could also benefit the U.S. by facilitating exports back to China. In the industrial Midwest, for example, relatively small firms, including family businesses, play a large role in manufacturing and employment. Expansion into China could contribute to the growth of many of these firms. Chinese investors not only can inject capital into these firms; they can help them navigate Chinese markets through strategic partnerships. Relaxing some export controls is another way to expand opportunities for U.S. firms—and address a common Chinese critique of U.S. economic policy in the bargain. The U.S. should of course restrict the export of technologies with military applications when the national-security implications are significant. But many so-called dual-use products—those with important nonmilitary applications and some military applications—are restricted unnecessarily, and this harms the workers who make those products. In some areas, such as clean energy, the U.S. can both increase exports and promote other national interests—like helping China meet environmental goals and climate-related commitments. Just as the United States should act on Chinese criticisms, China would be better off taking American criticisms seriously. For sustained economic growth, China must de-emphasize government investment in its own infrastructure, which currently plays an outsize role in the economy, and enable private investment in services and other emerging sectors. And it must de-emphasize exports in favor of domestic-led growth, especially household consumption. These shifts can be advanced by opening the economy further to private-sector competition, including competition from U.S. companies. Doing that would force state-owned firms to compete on a level playing field, without preferential treatment, and give a boost to both the private sector—the future of the Chinese economy—and the underdeveloped service sector. The Bilateral Investment Treaty with the U.S., currently being negotiated, would help by giving Chinese reformers leverage to open their markets to competition and encourage cross-border investment, creating jobs in both countries. Chinese investors could help the U.S. speed growth without worsening its debt problem. The efficiency of China’s economy would likewise improve if the country reformed its financial sector, encouraging competition (and empowering Chinese consumers) by granting more private banking licenses, liberalizing interest rates on deposits, and ending preferential access to credit for state-owned firms. Those subsidies create an overabundance of cheap money that many Chinese companies depend upon. Mispriced capital impedes the evolution of China’s economy, prevents the efficient use of capital, and financially constrains some of the economy’s best performers—private companies, which are already responsible for more than 70 percent of Chinese jobs. China also subsidizes land, energy, and resource prices, in part to support its massive industrial sector. These subsidies are a major reason China is now the dominant global player in steel, cement, and other industries, but they have also distorted the Chinese economy. Beijing has begun to liberalize many commodity prices and has pledged to make further adjustments, including to oil and natural-gas prices. China has its own motivations for doing this—for example, to conserve resources and encourage efficiency. Continued movement toward market pricing would allocate resources more rationally and improve the workings of the Chinese economy, while also eliminating a major source of economic tension between Washington and Beijing. Similarly, there have long been tensions regarding China’s use of artificially low exchange rates to subsidize exports, but currency reform is manifestly in China’s own interest. Its leadership understands this and has made real progress here. Finally, China’s long-term success, and even much of its near-term success, depends on innovation, as its leaders have said. Innovation, in turn, requires the protection of intellectual property. China has made many commitments to protect intellectual property in the past, but too often ignores them. Ultimately, that will hurt domestic companies such as Xiaomi and Alibaba more than it will hurt Apple or Amazon. China and the U.S. would also benefit from a global regime to protect intellectual property from hacking for commercial purposes. By addressing each other’s chief economic criticisms, China and the U.S. would simultaneously improve their own economies, remove irritants to their relationship, and foster trust. Doing so would not make geopolitical tensions disappear, but it would anchor them in a framework of mutual interest. For all their differences, the U.S. and China face several similar internal challenges: rising health-care costs, inadequately funded social safety nets, and fiscal problems at the state or municipal level. And each faces serious income-distribution issues, though the specifics are different. The U.S. continues to face significant pressure on low- and middle-income wages, as well as widening income disparity, which runs contrary to the nation’s objective of broadly shared growth. In China, the emergence of an ultra-wealthy class is stoking resentment and unease. The two countries also share an important external challenge: the need for a smoothly working global trading regime. As the world’s largest trading nations, they both have an interest in heading off protectionism that would damage their economies. And beyond trade, the two countries have other common goals: Middle East stability, especially with regard to Islamic extremism; climate-change mitigation; nuclear nonproliferation. It will be much easier to make progress on these issues if America is working in complementary ways with China than if the two countries are working at cross-purposes. The international institutions that should be dealing with these challenges are far from adequate. But if the United States and China—the world’s two biggest economies—act together, that can create the kind of political and moral suasion that helps lead global action. The recent bilateral climate agreement, pledging to limit emissions in both countries, demonstrates how U.S.-China cooperation can produce meaningful results. Arguably, the best hope for effective transnational action on many of the world’s thorniest problems lies in the cooperation of these two countries. For that to happen, perhaps the most crucial challenge will be to first look within. HENRY M. PAULSON Jr. & ROBERT E. RUSH from the June 2015 Issue of The Atlantic You might be interested in November 28, 2022 November 28, 2022 Tune in for this Chinese-language event with Niu Jun, Jia Qingguo, and Lui Yawei. November 23, 2022 November 27, 2022 This event is jointly organized by the US-China Heartland Association and the Carter Center. November 21, 2022 November 21, 2022 At a time when the COVID-19 pandemic and security competition has significantly reduced U.S.-China academic collaboration, it is important to reflect on the purpose, China View Newsletter: July 11-17 July 20, 2022 July 20, 2022 China View Newsletter: June 27-July 3 July 14, 2022 July 14, 2022 China View Newsletter: June 27-July 3 July 13, 2022 July 13, 2022 Email address: Events November 28, 2022 November 28, 2022 November 23, 2022 November 27, 2022 Bridging the Pacific with insightful commentaries, interviews, and profiles on U.S.-China relations. 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Unframed prints ship in a sturdy reinforced cardboard "crush-proof" tube that is twice as thick as anyone else in the industry to avoid damage to the art while in shipment. Framed prints ship in a custom box we designed ourselves. All prints are also available as framed and unframed art prints We couldn't find any artwork for your search term. Discover gorgeous Realism bhutan canvas prints. Fast and reliable shipping. 100% satisfaction guarantee.	469
Texas Christian University will be represented nationally in honors education with the appointment of Beata M. Jones, Ph.D., professor of Business Information Systems Practice, Neeley Distinguished Teacher, Honors Faculty Partner and Graduate eLearning Fellow, to the National Collegiate Honors Council Board of Directors. “My goal for service in NCHC is to use my knowledge, skills, […] Gooding to Appear in Museum Lecture Series February 2022 Frederick Gooding Jr., the Dr. Ronald E. Moore Honors Professor of Humanities in the John V. Roach Honors College, will be featured in the spring lecture series at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. Gooding is the chair of TCU’s Race & Reconciliation Initiative and will address the topic “Navigating the Road to […]	782
Do you count on EdSource’s education coverage? If so, please make your donation today to keep us going without a paywall or ads. In passing a new school accountability law — the Every Student Succeeds Act — Congress gave states more latitude to decide how to use federal education funding, particularly in improving schools serving low-income students and English learners. What hasn’t changed is the requirement for nearly all students to take annual standardized tests — and for states to see that schools and districts comply. The minimum participation rate is 95 percent in math and reading tests, as under the No Child Left Behind Act, the previous law. Some states, in their compliance plans for the new law, are proposing to hit violating schools hard to bring them into line. California’s actions would be mild by comparison. Connecticut is proposing that a school that otherwise would get the highest or second-highest rating on the state’s 100-point index of school performance would be knocked down one ranking, according to an Education Week summary of the 17 states that submitted their draft state plans to the U.S. Department of Education in March. Related State reports 97% participation rate in Smarter Balanced tests In Illinois, a school wouldn’t be eligible to receive a top score for academic proficiency if fewer than 95 percent of students took the test. In Louisiana, every student who didn’t take a test would get a score of zero, effectively lowering the overall results for a school or district. In California, schools not meeting the 95 percent mandate would be singled out in the state’s accountability system. That system, the California School Dashboard, rates schools and districts on several performance measures. The dashboard would include an icon for those schools in which less than 95 percent of students took the test. Depending how far off the mark they are, that may be the only consequence. At last week’s marathon discussion on the draft state plan, the State Board of Education endorsed the icon idea, which the staff of the California Department of Education recommended. More details may be coming in the final draft that the state board will take up in September, before submitting the plan to the federal government, deputy state superintendent Keric Ashley wrote in an email. The law also requires identifying student groups, including low-income children, racial and ethnic groups and students with disabilities, that fall below 95 percent. “The icons might also indicate if they missed the 95 percent by a small margin or a more significant margin,” he wrote. The department “would then respond to districts on a case-by-case basis depending on how much they missed the threshold and the reason why they missed it. Perhaps the department will send a letter, or hold a meeting, or require a plan, etc.,” he wrote. Whether that level of response will satisfy Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, who’s charged with enforcing the law, is not yet clear. Several of the 17 states that already have sent in their state plans were clearly noncompliant, but the U.S. Department of Education didn’t call them out in initial feedback, said Phillip Lovell, vice president of the Alliance for Excellent Education, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit. Its board members include retired Stanford University education professor Linda Darling-Hammond and Esther Wojcicki, a journalism teacher at Palo Alto High School. Lovell said Colorado, in its participation calculations, clearly will violate the law by excluding the percentage of students whose parents permitted them to opt out of the tests. Connecticut is saying it won’t break out participation rates of student groups. New Jersey’s plan said the state would await guidance from federal officials — and is still waiting, Lovell said. Lovell testified Tuesday at a U.S. House committee hearing on implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act, at which members criticized what they characterized as the department’s inconsistent, overreaching responses to state plans. Lovell agreed the law gives states flexibility in choosing how to improve low-performing schools but not in deciding how to identify the schools. The wording is unambiguous, he said. The alliance and civil rights groups pressed Congress to keep the participation requirement in rewriting the law in order to ensure the accuracy of data showing disparities in performance of low-income and minority students. The law requires states to act to prevent low-performing schools “from overtly, intentionally or subtly encouraging students not to be present” when tests are given. Pushing out low-performing students “has been an issue in the past,” Lovell said. But that goal of full participation was undercut by an opt-out movement, particularly active in New York, Washington and Colorado. It was led by parents frustrated by overtesting of their children and teachers opposed to using the results of standardized test scores in teacher evaluations. Last year, when the movement was most active, 21 percent of New York’s grade 3-8 students didn’t take the state’s tests; the state has since backed off on test-based teacher evaluations. In 2015, the U.S. Department of Education sent warnings to a dozen states where districts’, schools’ or the states’ participation rates fell below 95 percent. California received a letter warning that a “condition” would be placed on its Title I funding for low-income students based on preliminary information showing the statewide participation was below 95 percent, Ashley said, but final data put the state’s rate at 97 percent. The state sent letters to the 21 districts that fell below 95 percent advising them to take steps to improve. California law permits parents to opt out of state tests, but the statewide rate has been under 1 percent — with a few notable exceptions, including four high schools in the wealthy communities of Palo Alto, Palos Verdes and Calabasas, where students and parents have complained that the Smarter Balanced tests diverted time from studying for Advanced Placement exams. Two years ago, fewer than half of juniors in Palo Alto’s two high schools took the math and reading tests; that lowered participation of students in all grades in the district to 88 percent. Smarter Balanced tests are given to students in grades 3 to 8 and 11. Consistent with its state accountability system, the State Board of Education is proposing to downplay the Smarter Balanced test scores in 11th grade in its Every Student Succeeds Act plan. The scores would be one of many elements in a new college and career readiness indicator and not a factor in the academic achievement indicator used to designate lowest-performing schools. California civil rights and advocacy groups have criticized that decision. The proposal may draw the attention of federal officials. Lovell said he hopes the U.S. Education Department will take seriously its statutory obligation to enforce the 95 percent requirement. “There are more than a few requirements in ESSA. Congress did not write 1,000 pages to say nothing.” Do you count on EdSource’s reporting daily? Make your donation today to our year end fundraising campaign by Dec. 31st to keep us going without a paywall or ads. Republish this article Share Article John Fensterwald writes about education policy and its impact in California. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * * Click here to cancel reply. Δ We welcome your comments. All comments are moderated for civility, relevance and other considerations. Click here for EdSource's Comments Policy. The Alliance for Excellent Education has consistently presented a one-sided view of the ESSA language on opting out. Yes, it calls for 95% participation. But it also recognizes the right to opt out if states or districts allow it - as California does. The law also states no penalties, only that states have to do something, which California has done. As this article points out, other states have similarly proposed doing very little, and US … Read More The Alliance for Excellent Education has consistently presented a one-sided view of the ESSA language on opting out. Yes, it calls for 95% participation. But it also recognizes the right to opt out if states or districts allow it – as California does. The law also states no penalties, only that states have to do something, which California has done. As this article points out, other states have similarly proposed doing very little, and US Education Department peer reviews have not challenged that, perhaps because it does fit with the law, contrary to Mr. Lovell’s claim. Replies	9,236
We turned our front sitting room into an elegant and stylish office and craft space with loads of vintage style and storage! I'm sharing all my organizing ideas. Affiliate links may be included for your convenience; my full disclosure policy can be found here. If you click through and make a purchase I'll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you! You know that sigh of relief when a difficult task is complete? That feeling of accomplishment that makes you sit up a little straighter...and brings a big 'ole smile to your face? I'm feeling happy today because my office/craft space is finally finished! This room is technically and officially a dining room. However, it's so small that unless you're a family of gnomes, I'm not sure any dining can take place in here. My new office is just off the kitchen, and gets wonderful light. I was wanting a more grown-up office space to craft and blog in (you can see my old craft area here ). Creating a home office/craft room Selling the two slip-covered chairs on Craigslist afforded me the money I needed to purchase the new-to-me desk (also on Craigslist). You might remember a post I wrote on affordable desks . I needed something small in this space, and really loved the look of the turquoise one. I was thrilled to find this one as is! No painting necessary!! So let's take a look at what's going on in this room, shall we? Welcome to my home office! This is where I blog, read, craft and generally like to hang out! While the space is tiny you can see that I managed to fit a lot of stuff in here. And that is after I went through and purged my supplies! The painted hutch is a beautiful way to hide away craft and painting products. I have my paints in here, as well as other craft supplies. You can go here to see how I organized my craft supplies by color inside the hutch as well as around the room. I've tried to incorporate farmhouse charm into this space as much as possible, without spending a lot of money, so I've re-used things I already had. The panel behind my chair is a piece from our antique piano that I saved. The piano no longer worked and we gave it away to someone who was going to make it into a desk. He didn't need that decorative piece, so I propped it up against the wall and I like how it fills the dead space behind the chair! The other big workhorse in this room is this pine bookshelf. I found it at IKEA many years ago and love the farmhouse feel it has. The shelves hold more craft supplies, again organized by color. I used baskets with chalkboard labels to make it easy for me to find what I need. I reused a pair of wood crates that were pink toy storage in a former life. You can see how they were updated here. I had difficulty finding the right place to put my turquoise desk. Behind the chair are a pair of french doors, and the wall to the right is open to the kitchen. The main issue was that I didn't want to be looking into the house while I sat at the desk. I knew that I would be distracted and unable to work if I put the desk that way. I liked the desk in front of the window but found I had difficulty seeing my computer screen because of the light, so it had to be moved. I ended up floating the desk, not in the very middle of the room, but a little to the left closer to the window. Although it's probably not fung shui appropriate, I like it where it is. I have ample light without it being too bright to blog, and I'm able to view both my supplies and my DIY memo board. where I list all my upcoming posts, products to buy, and other reminders. Here's a peek behind my desk. This wall holds my antique window, and I hung some sheer curtains over the french doors to give some privacy. You can see how nicely my area rug stays put on top of the carpeting, without buckling or shifting. That's thanks to this incredible and inexpensive product that I found on Amazon! A comfy chair was a must and this one from IKEA (the Jenny Lund) is small enough that it doesn't stick out too far. It's a great place to relax, read some of my favorite decor books and plan my next project! This vintage chandelier was a score on either Craigslist or Ebay several years ago. My desk may be small, but it has great storage. I was using it for a couple weeks before realizing that the center is also a drawer! Yep, duh! It's large and almost doubles the capacity of what I can store inside! You can see that I'm using a triple-tier basket to hold my large collection of ribbons (at least some of them!). The kitchen is right next door, which is very handy for snacking, lol! I need to be careful about that though; I recently spilled some coffee across my laptop...thankfully it still works! At least it wasn't Coke Zero with cherries!! It would have probably eaten right through my hard drive!! I'm happy to have another room makeover complete! I wish I could tell you that I can now relax and enjoy spending time crafting and blogging in a dedicated office space...but I'm a DIY-er, so there's always another project! Here's a list of all the projects I completed for this office reveal. You can click on each one for more details and a tutorial! DIY Projects in Office/Craft Space DIY dry-erase, magnetic memo board from an old picture Organizing craft supplies by color How to keep area rugs from buckling I hope these ideas are helpful if you're looking to carve out a home office or craft space (or both) in your own home! An under-utlitized room is a great way to create a space that will function how you need it to. bringing beauty to the ordinary, Thank you and Welcome You have successfully joined our subscriber list. share this post more my home office and craft room room makeover 25 comments Next Previous You may also like Comments Mary K. April 28, 2016 at 8:28 AM Beautiful craft room Cindy! I love the rug and how it anchors the whole room. Of course there is so much eye candy here. Clever use of objects to collect and organize. I hope you find some time to relax and enjoy that room. If you have some free time pop on by to the newlink party we are hosting Sweet Inspiration, it runs Tomorrow from 9 am est till Tuesday. ReplyDelete Replies Cindy DIY beautify April 28, 2016 at 12:48 PM Thank you so much Mary! It is a fun space to work in, and I'm so thrilled I could accomplish so much on a tiny little budget. I think I spent less than $100 in this room just by re-purposing items and shopping my own home! Delete Replies Unknown April 30, 2016 at 8:34 AM Very beautiful office/craft room! It is amazing what you were able to do on such a small budget. And I love how organized everything is. I love it all! ReplyDelete Replies Cindy DIY beautify April 30, 2016 at 11:46 AM Brooke, thank you so much for your sweet comments today about my home office/craft space reveal! Hopefully I can keep it organized, lol! Delete Replies Ashley @ 3 Little Greenwoods May 3, 2016 at 3:46 PM Oh Cindy! I adore your new space. It is so light and bright! Just perfect for creating and planning and dreaming! ReplyDelete Replies Cindy DIY beautify May 3, 2016 at 3:48 PM Thanks so much friend! I totally agree, and am really enjoying this space all to myself! Delete Replies Ashley @ 3 Little Greenwoods May 4, 2016 at 4:54 AM YAY! I was so excited to see your fabulous Home Office Makeover this week! Thanks so much for sharing your creativity at the The DIY Collective! Please join us this week to show off your latest project! Have an awesome day! ReplyDelete Replies Kerryanne @ Shabby Art Boutique May 5, 2016 at 1:02 AM Your office/craft room make-over looks fabulous Cindy. I believe creative spaces have to be inspiring to spur on our creativity, so this room must be so lovely for you to work in. Thank you for sharing your make-over with us at Shabbilicious Friday. I'm delighted to be featuring your craft room at tomorrows party. Hope you have a great weekend sweetie :) ReplyDelete Replies Cindy DIY beautify May 5, 2016 at 6:48 AM You are so right Kerryanne, and I finally have a space to work in that inspires me! Thank you so much for featuring my space tomorrow! Delete Replies Colleen@ My Life on Kaydeross Creek May 5, 2016 at 7:35 AM This space is just beautiful! So organized and inspiring! ReplyDelete Replies Cindy DIY beautify May 7, 2016 at 8:50 AM Thank you Colleen, just hope I can keep it that way! Delete Replies Sharon @ Elizabeth & Co. May 10, 2016 at 7:13 AM Wow, what a beautiful and wonderfully organized space, Cindy! I love the soft colors and all the texture. And the rug really does ground the space so nicely. Featured at Be Inspired this morning. Thanks so much for sharing! ReplyDelete Replies Cindy DIY beautify May 10, 2016 at 8:19 PM Delete Replies Leslie Harris May 10, 2016 at 1:55 PM Wow this space looks wonderful! You did a great job, I love your taste. ReplyDelete Replies Cindy DIY beautify May 10, 2016 at 8:29 PM Delete Replies Michelle James May 13, 2016 at 9:46 AM Wow! I am impressed. We changed our dining room into an office/craft space as well but I am still trying to figure out storage. I think a large purge is in order. I love the hutch, the desk and the ribbon storage! So pretty! ReplyDelete Replies Jeanette May 23, 2016 at 9:15 AM That looks great! And I'm sure your room will get more use now that you've changed it. I'm wondering where you got your rug? ReplyDelete Replies Cindy DIY beautify May 23, 2016 at 7:52 PM Thanks Jeanette, the room is much better suited to our needs, and I love spending time in it! The rug is from IKEA, from a few years ago, but I think they still sell it. Delete Replies Unknown January 31, 2017 at 8:28 AM I love your office space. I am in the midst of redoing my office. I have an old desk that my husband redid for me two years ago and now the color does not go well with the freshly painted grey walls. Can you tell me what color you used on your desk? ReplyDelete Replies Cindy DIY beautify January 31, 2017 at 1:58 PM Hi Lisa, first of all, thanks so much...we've just moved and I really do miss this great space! This particular desk was already painted when I bought it. However, it is the same color as one of my favorite chalky paints...Americana Decor Chalky Paint in Treasure. It's a bright turquoise and I've used it on several projects! Delete Replies Laurie May 15, 2017 at 9:17 PM I love this room! What color paint did you use on the walls? ReplyDelete Replies Cindy DIY beautify May 16, 2017 at 7:47 AM Thanks so much Laurie! I'm sorry but I don't remember the names of the paint colors. We don't live in this house anymore or I could check! Delete Replies Embroidery November 13, 2017 at 6:37 AM Thank you for a great explanation. I was looking online for a similar idea and really appreciate it ReplyDelete Replies Carrie January 19, 2019 at 7:38 PM Stumbled on this post on Pinterest. Can you tell me where you purchased the curtains? ReplyDelete Replies Cindy DIY beautify January 20, 2019 at 8:42 AM Thanks Carrie, I purchased them from Soft Surroundings, but they don't carry them anymore. They are smocked burlap. Delete Replies Your comments are like sunshine and chocolate! Thanks for taking the time to leave a nice one ;) I read all comments and love to respond if you leave your name and email! Otherwise, please look for my response under the post where you left it! Welcome to DIY Beautify! Hi there, I'm Cindy. Creating a beautiful home on a budget IS within reach! I'm here to show you how! CLICK HERE to find out more. Follow me! Contact me! Shop my faves Make This Today! A collection of six beautiful Christmas projects to make with discarded or thrifty wood pieces. Each of these DIY wood projects is affordable, easy to do, and comes with step by step instructions! Other Apps Written by Cindy DIY beautify 6:00 AM Post a Comment Other Apps chalk paint crafts Easter/spring graduation organization paint room makeover wreaths DIY Beautify is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, this blog earns from qualifying purchases. I love when you share! Just remember that all images and text on this site are property of DIY beautify. You are welcome to use one or two photos as long as a link back to my original post is included. Please do not remove any watermarks, crop or edit any of my images without first obtaining written permission from me. All free printables on my site are for personal use only, and not to be used to make money. Pinning and Sharing is always welcome and appreciated. Please respect the effort I've put into my blog and I will do the same for you...Thank You! My Privacy Policy is available to view here This blog's content is for entertainment purposes only and is not professional advice. By reading this blog and attempting to recreate any content shared on it, you assume all responsibility for any injuries or damages incurred. Read my full disclaimer here.	13,807
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List The importance of country of origin in marketing: Interview with Simon Holt (advertising executive) Healthcare Innovation: What Does Success Look Like and How to Achieve It? Filled StarFilled StarFilled StarFilled StarHalf-Filled Star 4.757 This course focuses on the factors involved in the adoption of innovation - features, organizations, country of origin, cognitive, normative and affective aspects, change agents. Using real-world health innovations, you'll assess what impacts their scaleability to new contexts, how organizational and human characteristics affect adoption, to what extent diffusion of an innovation is influenced by unconscious bias. You'll also delve into the process of adopting an innovation within a clinical setting and why it's so important to know who your 'change agents' are. 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The importance of country of origin in marketing: Interview with Simon Holt (advertising executive)22:17 Clinical Senior Lecturer in Public Health ptPtRussianFrenchEnglishSpanish >> So I'm here today talking to Simon Holt, an expert in healthcare communications and marketing, to understand a little more around what's required to generate the pitch, generate the message. What are the hooks and the levers that are required to communicate what your healthcare innovation is all about and to get it into practice? Simon, thank you so much for your time today. It's wonderful to speak with you about this really important topic, and to draw in your many years of experience in the healthcare communications industry. Could we start by just having you talk to us a little bit about your background? >> Hi everyone, I'm Simon Holt. I started off about 25, 26 years ago after going to university and studying Comparative European Politics, poor choice of subjects given that we're doing this while Brexit is being negotiated. I started off working for a big drug company on one of their marketing programs and I bounced around with the different brand managers, and I spent some time in the sales force, which I didn't really like very much. I didn't think that approaching doctors and getting appointments to talk for 10-15 minutes with a paper-detailed aid was my thing. I always thought there was a version 2.0 or 3.0 just behind the curtains with marketing. So I was advised to go back to the head office, and I spent some time in pharmacoeconomics, health economics, understanding how value messages were generated from clinical trials and non-clinical trials, so observational studies. Then I spent a large chunk of my career in management consulting and I did a lot of post-acquisition integration, is what they call it to make it sound glamorous, but essentially what it is is trying to make sense of conflict when two companies come together. I always worked in the parts of the companies which were focusing on the business end, not the research end, but the business end. So the sales teams, the marketing teams, the promotional stuff and always in healthcare. Then over the last few years, I moved to Switzerland, where I'm talking to you now. I have spent some time again working for a big drug company. I ran their economics group, their global public policy group, and their pricing and market access teams. So trying to make all those things relevant to an external audience. Four years ago I joined McCann, and McCann is a global leader in healthcare communications. I'm in McCann as their Chief Business Strategy Officer at the moment. >> Let's start off by asking you a little bit about healthcare communications. What is it, and why is it important? That's a good and a really interesting question. I've always been concerned that I'd be asked a question that would floor me, that would be really simple, and that is it. That's like the Milgram question that people ask you. So really I think what healthcare communications is: it's about flipping the data and the promise that a brand has and turning it into a story that resonates with an audience. Story usually is accompanied by various campaigns, whether they are face-to-face discussions, or whether they are digital campaigns. Whether they age with a mood video as they call it, or some sort of presentation, but essentially, healthcare communications or advertising I suppose in its previous language, that happens when you're taking a bunch of facts and a bunch of promises and messages and really trying to convert that into a story that sticks and resonates with the audience. >> That sounds really important when you're thinking about healthcare innovation and getting people to consider your innovation and adopt it into practice. Can you talk to us a bit about what makes therefore a good story that sticks? >> What makes a good sticky story? It's very similar to the sort of things that you think about when you design anything that is sticky, like apps and things like that these days. The red threads through all of that is there's a slightly different slant on the story from all the other stories that are out there. So don't forget there's a lot of noise in the system, and this is a story which will have a slightly different slant, which is peppered with a number of different memorable hooks I suppose. Within your story there are a few things that actually make things bite, whether there's a musical hook or whether there's a hook which plays on a trend. So gender is an incredibly cool discussion point at the moment. I've seen some ads coming out that played against the re-framing what gender stereotype is, and that's what captures the imagination or whether the hook plays against generations. So for example if you want to tell a story about how to get the kids to go to bed so that you can watch a movie on the TV and rekindle your romance if you're an aging couple and perhaps it's a viagra ad. What better than tell the story of a mother and father sitting next to kids eating popcorn and the mother and father decide to make out in front of the kids. The kid's thinking, oh my god, I can't pause you guys, I'll go to my room and watch Netflix. You distort a story which is just about a product, everyone knows what a viagra does, but here you've got a story that entertains and is really memorable. The last thing is if it gets people talking and they're sitting around the table, if I take the viagra idea we just had as an example, we start talking around the table of, did you see that Viagra ad and wasn't it hysterical when their daughter had a mouth full of popcorn and she coughed it up when the father said, I was your age once, and I was a bit of a player. All this type of things. So there's an element of a hook, there's a slightly sideways view of this of playing around with some stereotypes. Then I think making things entertaining is always the way of cutting to memory. >> That's very helpful. So these are things I don't think we necessarily automatically think about in healthcare, at least. I'm hearing that it's really important to have a hook, it's important to make it entertaining. It's important to build on or think about stereotypes whether they'd be about gender. I'd be interested to hear a bit about what processes do you have to go through when you're developing your marketing strategy or your advertising campaign or your communication strategy, what processes are important to think about to get it right? How do you figure it out? >> There are constraints with that. So with constraints on, you've usually got a certain amount of money to play with in the private sector, but let's say you take the constraints off, this isn't about budget or making something happen. This is about fundamentally getting that killer idea, that moment where you think, oh my goodness, this could re-frame everything. This is a beautiful idea. I was really interested working in the advertising industry because I was curious about whether there was a black box that made this type of thing happen, and the truth is I don't think there is one. So I hit the books a little bit and tracked down someone in MIT, who has done a little bit of research on what is it about the creative idea, and where did it come from. What I loved about the research was that it suggested that those amazing ideas often come when you're on your own, after something, after energy, after a brisk walk, after being in a meeting that you felt was just so tiresome on your trip home. Sometimes those wonderful sparks of inspiration come to you when you're on your own, and yet as groups we tend to say, okay, let's all get together as a team and come up with an idea. But then when you talk to the experts, you realize that that eureka moment happened when they were on their own. I don't know about you. My eureka moments don't come when I'm listening to podcasts or jogging, listening to music, they usually come in the immediate aftermath of something like that. So that was a big lesson to me and then putting together a plan, so a great idea let's assume that it comes on your own. Great scientists come up with amazing hypotheses to study, sources of information, designing a new trial, but then wrapping an approach around it, that's when I think teaming is fantastic. I was in The World Economic Forum yesterday and their big thing is about collaboration. The thing with collaboration where I think is a really untapped moment in business is, those voices that can turn something to a different direction can come from anywhere. So if you look at what happened in Davos a few months ago, the idea of climate change and air pollution was voiced from a Swedish school girl, and it suddenly has formed an agenda, which so many people decide to talk about now. So if you can create a multi-stakeholder room to just listen to your ideas or this killer idea that you've got, suddenly there will be a spark and a voice that comes from perhaps an area where you weren't expecting it. I think this is massively underused by the way. There's loads of modules and modular approaches to putting together marketing plans. So in healthcare, we often ignore price because we think the price is not something we can play around with, but actually I think price now and value and creating an outcome story is phenomenally important as part of the marketing mix. So going right back to basics, people still talk about Walter's 4 Ps of promotion, and pricing is one of those Ps, and how you create the message, how you present the message, and how you deliver that message. I think those are important. I think in a long story short, I keep things nice and simple, and I love the idea that inspiration comes on your own, and I don't think people do that well. Usually, they huddle together as a team and try and come up with a killer idea, but actually it's more likely to come to you in the shower after exercise. >> Some of the things that we think about on this specialization is the extent which some perhaps features of an innovation that are intrinsically about the innovation might influence how people value that innovation, so for example, where it's from, to what extent does the country where a healthcare innovation is from influence how people view it. We talk a bit about in reverse innovation, where healthcare innovations originates in low-income countries for the adoption into high-income country contexts. The country of origin influences sometimes negatively people's perception of that innovation. What do you think from a marketing point of view, from a healthcare communication point of view can be done to manage that effect of the country of origin of an innovation? Is there anything at all? Have you seen any good examples of that happening? >> This worries me to death because when putting things like this together and various companies or research institutions or think tanks will do their own research, and commission primary research or collect secondary research. What worries me is a bias. In a conversation with someone just a couple of days ago, we were talking about someone from Johns Hopkins coming over to talk to the Ministry of Health in London about an innovative approach to screen women for breast cancer, and the same civil servants and their likelihood to take the same meeting with someone who is coming from an African country or Latin American country. What worries me to death is that bias is a massive blind spot across lots of businesses. The reason I'm completely convinced about this is, I love traveling and I've loved to going to countries where the average disposable income is phenomenally lower than most developed countries. What you see is people putting together innovations and thinking more creatively to make more use of what they've got. Then I come back to the UK or Switzerland or Germany or France or somewhere like that, and you start hearing messages of, we need to have another, say on breast cancer, so another breast cancer clinic or tertiary center but we can't afford it, and that for me is a major challenge, so addressing that bias in the system. Some of the innovations that have happened, I think that are worth mentioning, I once saw an advert from I think it was Coca-Cola and it was a big shack, in the middle of almost nowhere in Africa, which had a coded protection fridge and the fridge was powered by solar energy, and in the fridge were medicines and vaccines, and it allowed medicines and vaccines to be accessible by people that were living in very urban environments. I think the idea came from having dispensing canned machines, I don't know what you call those, the big coke machines, and having a solar panel to power them. So lifting the solar panel and putting it on a rather large dispensing unit, which still actually looked like a big coke machine, which is something everyone recognizes. But instead of having coke or as well as having fizzy drinks, I hope it was instead of, medicines and vaccines. I think those are the type of things where we could use this and then suddenly it's an opportunity for a big company to say we're doing some good. The flip side, something else to add is that a lot of the larger companies that I come into contact with have corporate social responsibility groups and they're looking for opportunities to try and change the way they're perceived in developed markets by leaning into help and offering help in developing or underdeveloped markets. Generally speaking, I think those organizations within companies are so underfunded, but when you think of the Coke example, I just gave you, I think it was coke, the benefits are potentially massive. >> In terms of communication strategies therefore, how do you if you find an innovation in a low-income country as you mentioned that you think could have potentially massive benefits elsewhere, is it necessary to manage the message around where it's from? Or do you think because you did mention about the bias and so on, how do you manage the bias in terms of the messaging, what strategies might there be? >> I will definitely be aware that there's bias, and I don't know, I'm not a behavioral psychologist, so that bias is probably called something, and it's probably someone in your classes that will say it's called this and that bias. Definitely manages the bias. I think that when you sell anything, you sell the benefits of the thing you're selling rather than the features. One of the things that we have in the healthcare industry compared to other industries is, we have amazing human stories that if we can just capture and start telling, those are the sort of things that people are incapable of reproducing in other industry sectors. Healthcare has this incredible human story opportunity. The other thing I think that's amazing with healthcare from whatever country but in particular from underdeveloped markets is the innovation story, and what we've been able to achieve the less. Now, if you overthink it, then maybe there's a backlash, so you don't want to be exposing the developed market for having spent lots of money, and every year you get a budget that's returned more or less the same amount plus a little bit more if you're lucky. Then you get exposed that actually there's someone who's put together a very safe and clinically acceptable way of treating people in a tertiary center that you put together on a real shoestring budget. I think you've got to think through how that message is approached, and generally and it sounds awful, making someone look good is something that I've picked up by observing the way decisions are made in big companies. People love a bandwagon and they love jumping on the bandwagon when they see it, so presenting them with an opportunity to look super and do more for less is quite zeitgeist of amendment. I definitely think about the bias, and then I definitely fold in the human story, so don't ignore the human story. This isn't about Coke machines with solar panels. This is about, as a result of the solar panel powered vaccine dispenser, my community was able to do what. Then you tell the story of what that community was able to do, and it's the way that story rolls out that's really important. One of my previous bosses was used to say, it's about changing the conversation and it's about flipping the conversation towards an emotional story that connects to the audience you're trying to appeal to. I think that's when adverts or communication strategy is really powerful, that you can see a conversation that you would like to be part of, but at the moment maybe it's just not being talked about, maybe people are stepping away from it because they're a bit worried it's a little bit too edgy, but you're courageous and you're prepared to tell that human story, and your brand is within that usefully articulated story which has something to do with the benefit that you're trying to produce. >> For, if you like, small-scale healthcare innovators that don't necessarily startups or spins out and so on. They're not yet at the point where they can hire a major advertising agency to think about their communication strategy. What skills do you think are important at that smaller level for them to try and think about? To get to all of those strategies that you've mentioned the human story, the emotional hook, entertaining, thinking about stereotypes, gender, and generational, what skills that individual healthcare innovators do you think when they're setting out on their journey, do they need to have or think about getting in order to do marketing themselves? >> It's not a gender friendly but there is a David and Goliath story out there, and I think technology at moment favors the David. I think that using the channels that are available through technology at the moment is a way of over-weighting your voice. So making a conversation sticky and creating a community around you. If you are in a resource constrained environment then looking to technology to improve the reach of your channel is phenomenally important. Then using technology to generate a word of mouth, that is, letting something go viral and playing with how something goes viral is really important. I think there's a role to be played in capturing the movement energy, so the energy that's created with a movement. You see that in climate change and air pollution at the moment, and you see that in any message that captures the imagination of the youth. So at the moment, there is a political environment which says that people making decisions don't represent us, so having a healthcare innovation that is coming from the youth for the generations to come, that's a really compelling story. So first of all, I'd really focus on over-weighting the voice you have using technology, so the channels of social media in particular, and there are lots of tips and tricks that people are using to do that. Then human stories tend to help things go viral I think. I would definitely focus on the emotional story that's contained in the research, or the emotional story that's contained in the innovation which tends to help us flip the feature into a communication conversation, and training against that conversation. Once you get that conversation started, I think is important. >> Simon, this has been an absolutely fantastic discussion about healthcare communications and how it applies to entrepreneurs of any scale and size, and in almost any area. We've heard an awful lot around the human story side of things with this, and just how important that is amongst many other important issues. Obviously, it requires an awful lot of empathy and deep understanding of your innovation, and how it fits into people's lives. Thank you for sharing your vast experience.	22,289
"Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you." Is 49:15 My mother died when I was 5. Her death shattered my world. I'm sure she never forgot us but I felt forgotten. I was one of seven. My father later married a widow of 4 and had 4 more for a total of 15 children. In the town where we grew up, this was way too many children. We were Catholic in a town that believed Catholics got it all wrong. I was a social misfit. I was often told, "You know all you Catholics are going to hell don't you?" Our prayer life consisted of Mass, Stations of the Cross and reciting formal memorized prayers (like the rosary). I usually spent the time "counting down" the prayers rather than actually praying. I paid little attention to the words. I knew nothing of the Bible. I was poorly catechized and poorly formed, but God had not forgotten about me. In an English literature book, I found a short piece about love. I found it to be so beautiful and brilliantly written I wrote it down in an empty notebook so I could come back and read it again. It began, "Love is patient, love is kind" and was attributed to St. Paul's letter to the Corinthians. I had no idea this was from the Bible. I began collecting other quotes in this notebook over the next few years. I also discovered I had a talent for singing. I found it gave me a way to relieve tension and also gain some social acceptance. My Father even gave me a guitar for Christmas my senior year in high school. God was going to use these later. After graduating from high school I joined the Navy, which proceeded to erode what little faith I had left. I met up with many who questioned my faith. I wouldn't directly deny Jesus, but I would not defend Him either. I knew of no way to defend the Church. I never prayed and I quit going to Mass completely. If I ever mentioned the size of my family, it only triggered derisive comments. I began to develop a very cynical view of life. I lived with a Satanist, new agers, lapsed Protestants, lapsed Catholics, hedonists, "bible thumpers" (who I avoided) and the rare faithful Catholic. I fell deeper and deeper into sin, especially sins of the flesh. I accepted the contraceptive mentality that believed sex was for fun and not for children. I was very far from God and I was going the wrong direction. The only thing left uncorrupted was my interest in music. God (I realize this now) used music to call me back. One of my Catholic friends invited me to play at a guitar Mass with his wife and several attractive young ladies. The lure of the women got me into Church and the love of music kept me there. I was in Church for the wrong reason, but I was there. I was not paying attention to the Mass and I was not saying the prayers, but I believe it was St. Augustine who first stated, "He who sings prays twice". The guitar mass lyrics from the mid- seventies were not exactly full of deep theological insight but they did contain some simple prayers. I continued to play at Mass when I could until my discharge. On leaving the Navy, I then entered college to study music. But, I was a 24 year old Vietnam vet entering college as a freshman and this was a poor fit. After my military experience, I found I wanted more than the superficial life of a college campus. After a year of studying music, I dropped out. Again, God used my love of music to attract me back to Church. My sister's new husband was the music director at a local parish. They convinced me to start playing in Church. I had not attended Mass since leaving the Navy but now, my music had me going again. I joined a guitar group first and later the choir. Now, the songs were much better, and the lyrics were much more refined and thoughtful. I found I could "get into" this music much better than I had before. I did not realize it then, but it was because the songs were based on Scripture. Within a year I was practicing for and singing 3 masses every weekend (plus Holy days). That is a lot of "praying twice". I was still a very nominal Catholic. I was very modern and modernist. I was willing to try anything new and was always ready to discard anything I viewed as "old", "traditional" or "authoritarian", and I felt that way about much that the Church taught. I did NOT believe in Hell. I especially did not believe in Satan or demons. I was also very lonely. I went from one empty relationship to another. I realized I was incapable of commitment. I tried reading self help books. I joined various single groups and organizations. I even reread my old notebook and read that quote on love. Then one Sunday, I did something I had never tried before. I prayed for God to show me how to love. Nothing happened, but I continued praying anyway. God gave me an opportunity at every Mass I attended to offer my special intentions, at every Mass I offered the same one, and I was doing music in 3 Masses every weekend (plus Holy days). That's a lot of special intentions. Years passed. I was about to accept that I would be single all my life when God answered my prayers and I met the lady who was to become my wife. She was almost exactly everything I was not. She was a very devout Catholic. Prayer for her was as easy as a conversation. She was very close to her family yet she was one of 9 children. I fell in love with her almost immediately but it took me awhile to convince her that I was the right guy. The fact that I was doing three Masses every weekend (plus Holy days) did help. We married a year later. Marriage very much agreed with me. I was 31 years old and had a beautiful wife who was all I had dreamed of and I wanted it to last forever. There was only one problem. She wanted to have 12 children. I wanted none. She would not use the pill so we used Natural Family Planning. I was not a believer in the system; but went along with her stronger faith. Eventually, I gave in; we tried for a baby and were immediately successful. She was delighted and I was not. The pregnancy and birth went smoothly and my first daughter was born. I was caught up in the wonder of the moment and decided that this was O.K.. I mean, most of our friends had a child and they are cute in their own simple way. The year passed and we were careless. When the baby was 9 months old my wife became pregnant again. This upset me. I was not ready to have another baby. This pregnancy was difficult; at about 5 months, my wife began bleeding and had to be hospitalized. Her fear and tears of losing the baby made me regret my anger and I resolved to accept this baby too. But things were no longer going well. My job was becoming more demanding of my time and energy. Our house was too small and we could not save enough to buy a new one. My wife could not get a job which would pay enough to even cover child care costs. I had to remodel the old house we were living in and sell it for enough to make a larger home affordable. I knew it would be hard but we could do it. All my spare time and money were spent towards to finishing the house. Then we had our third baby. Now work, church, and remodel consumed all of my time. My wife and I only had two arguments, "You don't spend enough time with the children", and "Let's have another one." I was starting to feel my life was out of control and my faith was too weak to know why. I was discontented with life and my discontent drove me to search for answers. I began doing spiritual reading. I had trouble reading Scripture. The terms and language were just incomprehensible to me. But, I did begin to read commentaries and discussions about the Scriptures. I began to feel a strange solidarity with St. Peter. I mean, here was a professional fisherman who, unless Jesus was around, seemed unable to catch fish or keep his boat from sinking. He walked on water (briefly). Jesus called him Satan. He promised Jesus he would not abandon Him, pulled a sword to defend Him, and then denied he even knew Him all in one night. And yet, Jesus didn't fire him. In fact, He put Peter in charge. I didn't know what Peter had, but I wanted it. Then, one night, in a dream, I was trapped in a room far from the door. The floor was disintegrating. Beneath the floor was a deep black pit, from which I could sense a terrifying evil presence. I had no where to go, the gap was far too wide to jump, and the piece I was standing on was crumbling away. Then the door on the far side opened, and some men entered with bricks, mortar, and tools and began to repair the floor. I wondered who they were and I heard a voice reply, "That is Jesus and the Apostles." I watched them and wondered, "Which one is Peter?" As soon as I said "Peter" one man's head shot up. He had the most ordinary, plain and unattractive face I had ever seen. His eyes met mine and he pierced me with a look of complete and utter contempt. I was shocked. All the others finished their work, picked up their tools, and left the room while Peter glared at me. Then, silently, he turned, left the room and closed the door. All I could ask was, "What was that about?" The same voice as before kindly but sadly said, "You could have asked 'Which one was Jesus?'." I woke up crying and cried the rest of the night. I realized my focus was on me and not on Jesus. I decided it was time to start praying. I still wasn't sure about that "old" Catholic stuff but, at my wife's suggestion, I decided to try to pray the rosary. My job involved a lot of driving so I began praying the rosary as I drove between jobs. I mostly just said the prayers without much thought, but I noticed occasionally, when I had a moment of understanding, I would get a little tingle at the base of my skull. Sometimes it would travel down my spine into my shoulders. I began to think of them as the Holy Spirit giving me feedback to let me know when I had understood something correctly. One evening, while I was reading, my wife (who I thought was sleeping) suddenly began crying. I feared I had done something wrong ( again) but she was crying like I had never seen her cry. It was several minutes before she could control herself enough to explain. She had been praying and she had asked for a glimpse of what Heaven was like, and received the lightest caress that filled her with the greatest love and "the peace that surpasses all understanding" that she had ever known. She was unable to describe it but she said she would be willing to go through anything to feel it again. It was very intense and intimate experience for both of us. I have no doubt that God gave her this "touch of Heaven" to strengthen her for the hell I was about to put her through. I had been making progress on the house nicely when one morning about a month later; my wife delightedly announced that she was pregnant with our fourth child. I was devastated. I blamed her for not tracking her fertility properly and wanting to get pregnant against my will. MY ANGER against her was the opening for a spiritual attack. This was the first Monday of Lent, and the start of the most significant week of my life. I went to work angry. All day, I argued internally about what I should do. I seemed to have other voices in my head showing me how my anger was justified. I came home seething but I said nothing. I gave my wife the "silent treatment". She tried to talk but I would not respond. I wanted her to know how unreasonable she was about wanting "so many children". I wanted to hold on to my anger to teach her a lesson. Paul gives a warning about anger in his letter to the Ephesians (4: 26-27), "do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity for the devil." It would have been a good warning to heed but I wasn't worried about devils. I didn't believe they existed. Tuesday and Wednesday were much the same. Always the voices would twist incidents of our marriage to show how I was being manipulated and had been made the fool by my wife and MY CHILDREN. I could not pray. The voices gave me no peace. My dreams were all nightmares but I still felt justified in my anger. I had choir practice Wednesday evening and went early. I was able to pray before the tabernacle in the chapel next to the choir room and for the first time in days the voices were silenced and choir practice went well. I told my wife we needed to talk, but I got a late call out for work, got into a confrontation with a customer and by the time I got home I was in a rage. Thursday was awful. I was chewed out by the boss, threatened with being fired, and handed several bad jobs. My anger grew to unbelievable proportions. The whole world seemed to be against me. I hated everything and everyone. I could hardly control my rage; everything set the "voices" off in my head. I felt I was going insane. What little sleep I got was filled with nightmares of the voices. Early Friday morning, my wife miscarried. She was crushed and I could feel nothing. She said, "Well, you ought to be happy now. I lost the baby." Now the voices were filled with total hatred. I was now mad at God for punishing me for something that was not my fault. Friday was pure living HELL. I quit trying to think and just worked. It was all I could do. I could not have conversations. I could barely speak. I completely gave up trying to pray. After work, I was determined to continue with the remodel. I needed to cut a hole in the floor of our bedroom closet to access the bathroom plumbing. It was a quick job, with a tool called a Sawzall which, with the right blade, can cut through the floor, nails and all. My wife wanted to go to the Stations of the Cross. I told her to go but I had to work to do. I got out my tools and sat down on our bed which was next to closet where I was to cut the hole. Before leaving, my wife asked me if I loved her anymore. All I could say was, "I don't love anyone or anything right now." Which was true, I was consumed with anger. She walked away and gathered the kids to leave. Unexpectedly, my 20 month old daughter ran in gave me a hug and a kiss and ran back out. Then they left, and I truly felt our marriage left with them. My heart was breaking. I lay back onto the bed. The room was spinning, and my body felt heavy. I kept trying to force myself to get up and work, but I could not even lift my hands. The voices continued their attacks. Everything I thought about they turned into something repulsive. It felt like a great weight was crushing me into the bed. My heart was pounding painfully and my head felt like it was going to explode. I felt I was about to die. Then something new happened. I thought of my baby's hug and the voices tried to attack her, but their accusations rang hollow. The baby was innocent. She could have done nothing to me; her love was pure. I thought of my earlier words that I didn't love anyone and realized that I loved my baby. I wanted to love my baby. I wanted to love my wife and my children no matter what they may have done, but now it was too late. God finally cracked my hard heart. I saw how terribly wrong I had been all along. I could see how my pride and selfishness was destroying everything. I wasn't ready to die, but I felt I was near death. I was completely exhausted. In tears, I said, "Jesus, I'm sorry, I can't fight any more. I give up. I don't want to die, but if I have to, please take me." Then, Jesus took me. When I gave up, the "voices" stopped. I was lost in a terrifying nothingness for a few moments. Then I received, "Seal your eyes until it is over." This may sound strange but it was not a voice and it was not a command or request, it was a fact. My eyes closed tightly and in fear I began to pray the Lord's Prayer. As I prayed, "Our Father", I had a brief flash of the full meaning of God's fatherhood and I felt a tingle go down my spine. I prayed, "Who art in Heaven." Again I had a flash of the incredible beauty of Heaven, and another tingle. It was if the words were written on a window pane and as soon as I read them, I would look through the glass and see their true meaning. Then, I would be pulled into that reality through the prayer and every time I could feel it enter me as a tingle. "Hallowed be thy name". I received a brief view of God's awesome holiness, and another powerful tingle. Every few words I was shown more and every time the tingles would push further into me. They were like waves, moving down my body until they reached the ends of my fingers and toes and reflected back. The reflected wave would collide with the next one and send ripples out in every direction. I did not want to stop praying. I went from one prayer to another, always being pulled deeper and deeper into the reality of God. I was completely overawed and lost within the Beauty. The Mercy is deep. The Joy is immense. The Love is infinite. I was vaguely aware that the weight that had been pressing me down was gone and I seemed to be floating above the bed yet at the same time I was laying very heavily on the bed with no feeling at all. I seemed to be in both places at once. I was aware of nothing else but praying and those wonderful tingles. Gradually, they began to subside, and I could feel myself float (if that is the proper term) back down to the bed. I continued to pray, but I could feel that a crisis had passed; the intensity of the tingles lessened and finally stopped. Eventually, I rolled over in bed, then knelt down and said some intense prayers of thanks. I did not understand what had just happened, but I knew God had given me a tremendous grace. My clothes were soaked in sweat and the bed where I laid was wet also. I was physically exhausted. I heard my wife come home and I heard her tell the kids to stay back. I saw her slowly open the door and look at me anxiously. I looked up at her and said, "I'm back. It's over." We put the kids to bed and had a long talk. God worked a lot of healing. We had several realizations of how God works over the next several weeks. First, when my wife left for Stations, she decided she was never coming back. Later she realized she had to return at least to get clothing and necessities. Near the end of stations she began to fear that if she returned she would find me dead. After stations she felt certain that I was dying. She told the kids to pray very hard for Daddy. She prayed, saying in effect, "Jesus, if Tim has to die, I will accept that, but You have to take him. Please don't let him go to hell." She did not realize it at the time, but the Blessed Sacrament was exposed for adoration following Stations. My wife had never been to adoration. Second, the baby we lost was probably conceived the night my wife had had her "touch of Heaven" experience. I spit in God's face and He still forgave me. That is Love. Third, I still needed to cut a whole in the floor but I wondered if there would be a better place than the closet. We had a cabinet in the bathroom with a built in hamper. After removing the hamper, I discovered a hole already cut into the floor. I did not need to cut a hole. Later, while working on the plumbing under the house, I kept hitting my head on a pipe that should not have been there. Curious, I traced it out and found it to be an unknown pressurized gas line. It ran over to the bedroom was clamped to two by fours directly under our bedroom closet. Taped to the line were two wires. They were energized. Had I tried to cut through the floor, I would surely have cut through the gas line, possibly in two places, and would have cut into the live circuit. The saw I would have used had metal body and the ground lug had broken off the plug. There were a lot of ways I could have died, if I had just tried to cut that hole on that Friday night. God does truly work in mysterious ways. Fourth, my wife intended to take my children out of the house to go to stations without having my children say goodbye. She was afraid I would have been cruel toward them. The baby pulled away from her and ran back to kiss me entirely on her own. I am still amazed how God can use such small acts of love. A Christian musician named Michael Card has written a song called "The Spirit of the Age". He had some profound lines concerning the devil and children. "Every age has heard it, a voice that speaks from Hell Sacrifice your children, and for you it will be well. If he can stop the cradle, then he can stop the cross, He knows that once the child is born, his every hope is lost." Children are a gift from God to help us grow up. I had prayed long before for God to show me how to love. He answered my prayers by giving me the cross of raising children. Once I died to myself and accepted the cross God had given me, I discovered the joy of bearing that cross. I discovered the self-sacrificial nature of love. In Jesus words, "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23). Yes, my children are certainly a cross I have to pick up and carry every day. But they are also the only earthly good I can have here that will also last for eternity. They are a very great good indeed. At the end of John's Gospel, After Jesus has had Peter affirm Him three times, Jesus says to Peter; "Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you would; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you, and carry you where you do not wish to go." (This he said to show by what death he was to glorify God.) And after this he said to him; "Follow me." Jesus has girded me, he has taken me where I did not want to go. I now know joy I never could have imagined. Looking back on my life, I can see how prayer was aiding me all the way, but they weren't my prayers for the most part. When I attended Mass, even though I wasn't praying but I'm sure many others were. The Mass contains the Eucharistic Prayer, which is a prayer of blessing and a call to conversion. Good liturgical music is definitely a form of prayer and for me it is the most natural. My wife and children prayed for me before the Blessed Sacrament and that has much to do with why I am here now. Prayers of children are very powerful, that is why the devil fears them. Reading and meditating on Scripture was another form of prayer I was not even aware of. Praying the rosary was more powerful than I realized. I wasn't paying much attention to the words, "pray for us now and at the hour of our death" but I can guarantee you the Blessed Mother was. Have you ever noticed that in most of the Church's formal prayers, the petitions are in the plural form? "Lord, have mercy on US", "forgive us OUR trespasses", "pray for US sinners", "at the hour of OUR death", the Church's prayers are communal, we seldom pray only for ourselves. And when we pray, we never pray alone. Even if we aren't praying we can be assured that the Saints in Heaven are. I have no doubt my mother never stopped praying for me, even after her death. But even if she forgot me, I know God never did. Scripture tells us in the first letter from Peter, "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that in due time he may exalt you. Cast all your anxieties on him, for He cares about you. Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experience of suffering is required of your brotherhood throughout the whole world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself, restore, establish, and strengthen you. To Him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen." 1Pet 5: 6-11 My wife has given birth to seven children. Sadly, we have lost eight through miscarriage. Counting miscarriages (and they do count) we have had 15. Three more than my wife wanted, and same number I experienced growing up. The children are a great joy to us. It has been a difficult struggle at times, but somehow things manage to work out. I still wonder if I am crazy for what I have become, BUT I trust God to help me and guide me. I have felt His holiness, His Justice, His mercy, and most importantly His love. My life belongs to Him, and I mean that very literally. I don't know what His plans are for me or my family, but I know He does. What more could I hope for? May God bless you, Tim is still undergoing the wonderful and sometimes difficult process of getting out of God's way. He lives in the windy Texas Panhandle with his seven children, one grandchild (so far) and his fantastic and amazing wife, Rozanne. He will occasionally guest blog at www.gardenofholiness.blogspot.com. If you have found this story helpful in your spiritual journey we hope you will consider sharing it. Have feedback or would like to share your story? Email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Published in Catholic Reverts Tagged under	25,494
Monterey County Agricultural Education, Inc. is a non-profit organization of agriculturalists, educators, and interested parties dedicated to fostering respect and appreciation of Monterey County's number one industry - AGRICULTURE. It is our mission to bring together and educate urban, rural and agricultural communities. Why Ag Education is Vital to the Future of Agriculture Our agricultural industry has become so efficient that it is an invisible industry, one that some even consider unnecessary. Agriculture could live with that stigma, but increasingly, those who lack the knowledge of and respect for agriculture are making decisions that affect our ability to successfully do our job. For the future of our industry we—the agricultural industry—must increase the level of agriculture literacy and awareness in our community and our country. No one else will do it for us. In the mid-1980's, a group of local agriculturalists recognized that some of the troubles facing agriculture stemmed from a lack of general understanding of the needs and benefits of agriculture. The personal connection to the farm, which most of the previous generations enjoyed, was lacking in the majority of the population. In fact, many were now several generations removed from the farm. Coupled with that lack of knowledge, was the fact that agriculture had become so efficient that the supermarkets were constantly filled with an abundant variety of healthy and delicious food. Having a continuous and plentiful food supply was no longer a concern. Agriculture had become an invisible industry. To combat this wide - spread agricultural illiteracy, this local group began teaching the importance of agriculture through school visits. Driven by such industry leaders as Bill Barker, John Inman, Claudia Smith, Benny Jefferson, Dorothy Errea, Joanne Nissen, Mary Orradre and many more, the “Mobile Farm Story” became a much requested enrichment program. The program was so popular that it became overwhelming to manage. Out of this success, Monterey County Agricultural Education, Inc. was born, and The Farm Day Experience initiated. In 1991, the organization was incorporated as a 501©3, and became a pioneer in the field of agricultural literacy and awareness. Monterey County agriculture has always been a world leader in progressive ideas, science and technology. It is also a leader in agricultural education. The founders of Monterey County Agricultural Education were two decades ahead of many in recognizing the significance of a community that understands the needs and benefits of agriculture. They also knew that accomplishing this monumental task fell to those in agriculture. No one else would step forward to provide the accurate and current information, or implement the education programs. In the years since the creation of Monterey County Agricultural Education, Inc., the value of the mission has become increasingly important locally, throughout the state and nationally. Today, most, if not all, agriculturalists comprehend the necessity of agriculture literacy and awareness programs; but, Monterey County is still one of the only counties in the nation to have an organization, not affiliated with a parent organization, dedicated solely to agricultural advocacy. The successes of Monterey County Agricultural Education continues to be recognized. In 2011 the organization was presented the much honored Excellence in Education award from the Monterey County School Boards Association as well as numerous other Certificates of Recognition from a wide variety of local, state and federal entities. We are very proud! Board of Directors	3,878
Τhe ECB decided unanimously to omit from the accompanying policy statement the explicit pledge that had been in place since 2016 suggesting that the Central Bank stands ready to increase the volume of monthly asset purchases and/or extend the duration of the programme, should the euro area outlook or financial conditions become less favorable. In the Q&A session, President Mario Draghi attempted to downplay the aforementioned change in the forward guidance, stressing that it does not signify a signal for future monetary policy. Meanwhile, there were no modifications to the more fundamental parts of the forward guidance. Get notified when the next review comes out. I have been made aware of the Personal Data Notice on the Website of Eurobank SA. In case I provide you with personal data of third natural persons, I have in advance properly informed these persons and I have received, where necessary, their consent.	957
Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2018, Currey & Company is a manufacturer that values history in many ways. From the company’s beginning selling historic garden furnishings to its current aptitude for producing programming that explores different aspects of the history of the design community, it is a company steeped in a forward-thinking past. Looking back to the company’s history, when Robert B. Currey founded Garden Source Furnishings, the main focus of the company was the creation and marketing of classic garden furniture from the Winterthur Museum and the Smithsonian Institution. These collections were joined by a very American collection of garden whimsies, birdhouses and rustic twig furniture. Some lighting products were among these first offerings and by the early 1990’s the lighting category had become very important. Accordingly, the name of the company was changed to Currey & Company to embrace a new focus on products for the interior and the Currey family is in its second generation at the helm. With a number of products in our Spring introductions made with travertine, we wanted to share the background as to how the material came to be used in architecture and design. We illustrate the post with images of the new products made with the textural stone, including the Boyles offerings, which expand this popular family of products that we’ve previously released with metal tops in brass and silver. What is Travertine? Travertine is a sedimentary limestone formed when water from hot springs seeps through carbonate minerals. As the mineral- and carbon dioxide-rich water washes over limestone formations, the liquid permeates the stone, pitting and scarring it. Changes in temperature release the carbon dioxide from the water into the air, leaving mineral pockets that capture moss, algae, and debris as re-crystallization occurs, enhancing the colors and character of the stone. The natural rock is porous and full of small cavities, which brings it the beautiful texture for which it is known. The console table has a stone top and shelf made of the beautiful material. The largest deposits of travertine in the world are found in Tivoli, Italy, the locale giving the material its name. The Tivoli district, which is near Rome, was originally called Tibur, from the Latin tiburtinus. As the etymology moved forward, the word morphed from tivertino into travertino, which means “Tibur stone.” The springs around Tivoli are heated by volcanic activity associated with nearby Mt. Etna, which provides the perfect environment for travertine formation. The Boyles Travertine Accent Table was one of the bestsellers during High Point Market. The first noted use of the stone was in Vyšné Ružbachy in Slovakia, which was settled during the Paleolithic period. Architecture made of travertine, which was culled from a nearby mine, provided scientists with the archeological evidence to date it to antiquity. It’s no surprise that the village is famous for the therapeutic waters of its hot springs. As early as 3200 B.C. in Egypt, the stone was being used in construction; and the Etruscans used travertine to build a wall around the town of Perugia in the third century B.C. They also mined the material for tombs, churches, and the town aqueduct. The demi-lune is a graceful new introduction in stone. The Turkish city of Hierapolis, which sits in the area of Pamukkale and is surrounded by hot springs, was built almost exclusively with the material. The ruins of the Roman theater there, which is a well-preserved amphitheater constructed around 200 B.C., is still intact. The artistry of its ornate stage and the regimented rows of seating is renowned. Though the Romans had been using it for over a century, it wasn’t until Julius Caesar’s rule in the first century B.C. when Marcus Vitruvius Pollio recorded the properties and characteristics of travertine in detail. This Side Table is a new introduction in the Boyles lineup. Two landmarks in major European cities are made of the material: the largest known building made entirely of the stone is the Coliseum in Rome, which was completed in 80 A.D. by Emperor Vespasian to honor the grandiosity of the Roman Empire; the Sacre Coeur in Paris is the other. Constructed of Château-Landon stone, a variety of travertine that bleaches over time to a gleaming white, it was built between 1870 and 1914 at a cost of 40-million francs. The Romano-Byzantine triple-domed design, its magnificent soaring ceilings, and the intricate mosaic work makes the Basilica one of the premier tourist destinations in Paris. Along with the tables and trays, we have two new lamps in travertine—the Gentini Table Lamp above and the Goletta Table Lamp below. Tom Caldwell had a 1920s Contemporary design aesthetic in mind when he created both of these table lamps. The geometric shapes are made from a mix of beige travertine with subtle nooks and crannies, and smooth steel in an antique brass finish. The coolness of the stone and the warmth of the metal are nice contrasts. The shape of the bone linen shades perfectly echoes the scale of these table lamps. Other new introductions not shown here are Boyles elongated and small trays, shown below with the large tray, and a cantilevered side table. To see all of our products made of this stone, simply type “travertine” into the search bar on our website. The Boyles travertine trays by Currey & Company. As we plan new products, which can be years in the making, we are often struck by the long histories of the materials sourced and of the techniques the craftspeople and artisans use to create them. We hope you’ve enjoyed this romp through the history of this stone with its mysterious formations that stretch so far back in time. Using materials with such durability and illustrious backgrounds is one of our passions, and we hope it shows. This entry was posted in History, Products and tagged console tables, Education, Furniture, occasional tables, Rustic on May 17, 2022 by Saxon Henry.	6,296
Gospel singer CeCe Winans sings during a memorial service for three slain University of Virginia football players Lavel Davis Jr., D'Sean Perry and Devin Chandler at John Paul Jones Arena at the school in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022.(AP Photo/Steve Helber, Pool) By The Associated Press Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Thousands of people joined Virginia’s football team, coaches and staff Saturday in honoring three players who were shot dead as they returned from a field trip last weekend. Lavel Davis Jr., D’Sean Perry and Devin Chandler were remembered during a memorial service in Charlottesville as great teammates who wore constant smiles and sought to brighten the lives of those around them, from fellow players to other students and fans. “Only time will reveal God’s purpose in this adversity. ... Going forward I’m confident that all three are rejoicing in paradise, speaking good things on behalf of each of us in preparation for the time we will all be together again,” first-year head coach Tony Elliott said. To the family members and friends seated in the first two rows, Elliott added: “I am grateful for your willingness to share your family’s gifts with all of us.” Athletic director Carla Williams shared stories she heard this week from family members of the players and said the tragedy “has pushed me to my limits.” “We are better and will do better because we will make sure their legacies never fade at the University of Virginia,” she vowed, telling the families, “We loved your sons.” The service at John Paul Jones Arena came on a day when the Cavaliers had been scheduled to play No. 23 Coastal Carolina, but opted instead to honor their fallen teammates as well as injured player Mike Hollins and another student who was shot. Among the presenters was Grammy-winning gospel singer Cece Winans, who the school said asked to take part. She sang “Goodness of God.” Several Cavaliers took part. Placekicker Justin Duenkel offered an opening prayer, linebacker Hunter Stewart read the Langston Hughes poem “Life is Fine” and defensive end Jack Camper offered the closing prayer. In between, administrators and teammates of the slain men offered stories and reflections about their football brothers. Perry was “destined to be great in everything he did,” defensive tackle Aaron Faumui said. He added that Perry often reminded him that “life was more important than football.” In a letter to Chandler, who Williams referred to as “a dancing machine,” Cody Brown told him that “you lit our lives up like a shining star in the sky” and said, “We love you so much and know you’re smiling down on us from heaven.” Coach Marques Hagans said Davis was humble with a radiant smile and “determined to be a great example for his younger sister and brother.” Teammate Chico Bennett offered a message for Hollins and Marlee Morgan, the injured student, neither of whom was in attendance: “We love you. We got you. The journey begins.” Kicker Will Bettridge shared that once, on the sideline, Perry told him he was going to tell his child to play that position because kickers have so little to do. “A piece of my life was taken from me and from the Cavaliers community,” Bettridge said. University president Jim Ryan said the shootings “changed our world” and while he and others will mourn the games that the students will never get to play, “we will find strength again together.” The players were killed last Sunday after a field trip to Washington, D.C. Former Virginia football player Christopher Darnell Jones Jr. is faces three counts of second-degree murder and other charges. The shootings set off a manhunt and 12-hour campus lockdown before Jones was apprehended. The suspect was never mentioned during the nearly two-hour service. Mourners were allowed in an hour before the scheduled start of the service and heard musical performances from school choral groups and the MLK Community Choir. Photos of the players as children and in action on the field scrolled across the video board.	4,192

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